Chapter 6: Säìkhya-yoga
Bg 6.15
TEXT 15
yunjann evam sadatmanam
yogi niyata-manasah
santim nirvana-paramam
mat-samstham adhigacchati
SYNONYMS
yuïjan—practicing like this; evam—as mentioned above; sadä—constantly; ätmänam—body, mind and soul; yogé—the mystic transcendentalist; niyata-mänasaù—regulated mind; çäntim—peace; nirväëa-paramäm—cessation of material existence; mat-saàsthäm—in the spiritual sky (the kingdom of God); adhigacchati—does attain.
TRANSLATION
Thus practicing control of the body, mind and activities, the mystic transcendentalist attains to the kingdom of God [or the abode of Kåñëa] by cessation of material existence.
PURPORT
The ultimate goal in practicing yoga is now clearly explained. Yoga practice is not meant for attaining any kind of material facility; it is to enable the cessation of all material existence. One who seeks an improvement in health or aspires after material perfection is no yogé according to Bhagavad-gétä. Nor does cessation of material existence entail one's entering into "the void," which is only a myth. There is no void anywhere within the creation of the Lord. Rather, the cessation of material existence enables one to enter into the spiritual sky, the abode of the Lord. The abode of the Lord is also clearly described in the Bhagavad-gétä as that place where there is no need of sun, moon, nor electricity. All the planets in the spiritual kingdom are self-illuminated like the sun in the material sky. The kingdom of God is everywhere, but the spiritual sky and the planets thereof are called paraà dhäma, or superior abodes.
A consummate yogé, who is perfect in understanding Lord Kåñëa, as is clearly stated herein (mat-cittaù, mat-paraù, mat-sthänam) by the Lord Himself, can attain real peace and can ultimately reach His supreme abode, the Kåñëa-loka known as Goloka Våndävana. In the Brahma-saàhitä it is clearly stated (goloka eva nivasaty akhilätma-bhütaù) that the Lord, although residing always in His abode called Goloka, is the all-pervading Brahman and the localized Paramätmä as well by dint of His superior spiritual energies. No one can reach the spiritual sky or enter into the eternal abode (Vaikuëöha Goloka Våndävana) of the Lord without the proper understanding of Kåñëa and His plenary expansion Viñëu. Therefore a person working in Kåñëa consciousness is the perfect yogé, because his mind is always absorbed in Kåñëa's activities. Sa vai manaù kåñëa-padäravindayoù. In the Vedas also we learn: tam eva viditvätimåtyum eti: "One can overcome the path of birth and death only by understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa." In other words, perfection of the yoga system is the attainment of freedom from material existence and not some magical jugglery or gymnastic feats to befool innocent people.