Chapter 6: Sankhya-yoga
Bg 6.18
TEXT 18
yada viniyatam cittam
atmany evavatisthate
nisprhah sarva-kamebhyo
yukta ity ucyate tada
atmany evavatisthate
nisprhah sarva-kamebhyo
yukta ity ucyate tada
SYNONYMS
yada—when; viniyatam—particularly disciplined; cittam—the mind and its activities; atmani—in the Transcendence; eva—certainly; avatisthate—becomes situated; nisprhah—devoid of; sarva—all kinds of; kamebhyah—material desires; yuktah—well situated in yoga; iti—thus; ucyate—is said to be; tada—at that time.
TRANSLATION
When the yogi, by practice of yoga, disciplines his mental activities and becomes situated in Transcendence—devoid of all material desires—he is said to have attained yoga.
PURPORT
The activities of the yogi are distinguished from those of an ordinary person by his characteristic cessation from all kinds of material desires—of which sex is the chief. A perfect yogi is so well disciplined in the activities of the mind that he can no longer be disturbed by any kind of material desire. This perfectional stage can automatically be attained by persons in Krsna consciousness, as is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (9.4.18-20):
sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayor vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanavarnane
karau harer mandira-marjanadisu srutim cakaracyuta-sat-kathodaye
mukunda-lingalaya-darsane drsau tad-bhrtyagatra-sparse 'nga-sangamam
ghranam ca tat-pada-saroja-saurabhe srimat tulasya rasanam tad-arpite
padau hareh ksetra-padanusarpane siro hrsikesa-padabhivandane
kamam ca dasye na tu kama-kamyaya yathottama-sloka-janasraya ratih
karau harer mandira-marjanadisu srutim cakaracyuta-sat-kathodaye
mukunda-lingalaya-darsane drsau tad-bhrtyagatra-sparse 'nga-sangamam
ghranam ca tat-pada-saroja-saurabhe srimat tulasya rasanam tad-arpite
padau hareh ksetra-padanusarpane siro hrsikesa-padabhivandane
kamam ca dasye na tu kama-kamyaya yathottama-sloka-janasraya ratih
"King Ambarisa first of all engaged his mind on the lotus feet of Lord Krsna; then, one after another, he engaged his words in describing the transcendental qualities of the Lord, his hands in mopping the temple of the Lord, his ears in hearing of the activities of the Lord, his eyes in seeing the transcendental forms of the Lord, his body in touching the bodies of the devotees, his sense of smell in smelling the scents of the lotus flower offered to the Lord, his tongue in tasting the tulasi leaf offered at the lotus feet of the Lord, his legs in going to places of pilgrimage and the temple of the Lord, his head in offering obeisances unto the Lord and his desires in executing the mission of the Lord. All these transcendental activities are quite befitting a pure devotee."
This transcendental stage may be inexpressible subjectively by the followers of the impersonalist path, but it becomes very easy and practical for a person in Krsna consciousness, as is apparent in the above description of the engagements of Maharaja Ambarisa. Unless the mind is fixed on the lotus feet of the Lord by constant remembrance, such transcendental engagements are not practical. In the devotional service of the Lord, therefore, these prescribed activities are called arcana, or engaging all the senses in the service of the Lord. The senses and the mind require engagements. Simple abnegation is not practical. Therefore, for people in general—especially those who are not in the renounced order of life—transcendental engagement of the senses and the mind as described above is the perfect process for transcendental achievement, which is called yukta in the Bhagavad-gita.
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Copyright (c) 1972 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada