An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 1164 words)
rishna.
Therefore, who doeth work rightful to do,
Not seeking gain from work, that man, O Prince!
Is Sanyasi and Yogi--both in one
And he is neither who lights not the flame
Of sacrifice, nor setteth hand to task.
Regard as true Renouncer him that makes
Worship by work, for who renounceth not
Works not as Yogin. So is that well said:
"By works the votary doth rise to faith,
And saintship is the ceasing from all works;
Because the perfect Yogin acts--but acts
Unmoved by passions and unbound by deeds,
Setting result aside.
Let each man raise
The Self by Soul, not trample down his Self,
Since Soul that is Self's friend may grow Self's foe.
Soul is Self's friend when Self doth rule o'er Self,
But Self turns enemy if Soul's own self
Hates Self as not itself.[FN#10]
The sovereign soul
Of him who lives self-governed and at peace
Is centred in itself, taking alike
Pleasure and pain; heat, cold; glory and shame.
He is the Yogi, he is Yukta, glad
With joy of light and truth; dwelling apart
Upon a peak, with senses subjugate
Whereto the clod, the rock, the glistering gold
Show all as one. By this sign is he known
Being of equal grace to comrades, friends,
Chance-comers, strangers, lovers, enemies,
Aliens and kinsmen; loving all alike,
Evil or good.
Sequestered should he sit,
Steadfastly meditating, solitary,
His thoughts controlled, his passions laid away,
Quit of belongings. In a fair, still spot
Having his fixed abode,--not too much raised,
Nor yet too low,--let him abide, his goods
A cloth, a deerskin, and the Kusa-grass.
There, setting hard his mind upon The One,
Restraining heart and senses, silent, calm,
Let him accomplish Yoga, and achieve
Pureness of soul, holding immovable
Body and neck and head, his gaze absorbed
Upon his nose-end,[FN#11] rapt from all around,
Tranquil in spirit, free of fear, intent
Upon his Brahmacharya vow, devout,
Musing on Me, lost in the thought of Me.
That Yojin, so devoted, so controlled,
Comes to the peace beyond,--My peace, the peace
Of high Nirvana!
But for earthly needs
Religion is not his who too much fasts
Or too much feasts, nor his who sleeps away
An idle mind; nor his who wears to waste
His strength in vigils. Nay, Arjuna! call
That the true piety which most removes
Earth-aches and ills, where one is moderate
In eating and in resting, and in sport;
Measured in wish and act; sleeping betimes,
Waking betimes for duty.
When the man,
So living, centres on his soul the thought
Straitly restrained--untouched internally
By stress of sense--then is he Yukta. See!
Steadfast a lamp burns sheltered from the wind;
Such is the likeness of the Yogi's mind
Shut from sense-storms and burning bright to Heaven.
When mind broods placid, soothed with holy wont;
When Self contemplates self, and in itself
Hath comfort; when it knows the nameless joy
Beyond all scope of sense, revealed to soul--
Only to soul! and, knowing, wavers not,
True to the farther Truth; when, holding this,
It deems no other treasure comparable,
But, harboured there, cannot be stirred or shook
By any gravest grief, call that state "peace,"
That happy severance Yoga; call that man
The perfect Yogin!
Steadfastly the will
Must toil thereto, till efforts end in ease,
And thought has passed from thinking. Shaking off
All longings bred by dreams of fame and gain,
Shutting the doorways of the senses close
With watchful ward; so, step by step, it comes
To gift of peace assured and heart assuaged,
When the mind dwells self-wrapped, and the soul broods
Cumberless. But, as often as the heart
Breaks--wild and wavering--from control, so oft
Let him re-curb it, let him rein it back
To the soul's governance; for perfect bliss
Grows only in the bosom tranquillised,
The spirit passionless, purged from offence,
Vowed to the Infinite. He who thus vows
His soul to the Supreme Soul, quitting sin,
Passes unhindered to the endless bliss
Of unity with Brahma. He so vowed,
So blended, sees the Life-Soul resident
In all things living, and all living things
In that Life-Soul contained. And whoso thus
Discerneth Me in all, and all in Me,
I never let him go; nor looseneth he
Hold upon Me; but, dwell he where he may,
Whate'er his life, in Me he dwells and lives,
Because he knows and worships Me, Who dwell
In all which lives, and cleaves to Me in all.
Arjuna! if a man sees everywhere--
Taught by his own similitude--one Life,
One Essence in the Evil and the Good,
Hold him a Yogi, yea! well-perfected!
Arjuna.
Slayer of Madhu! yet again, this Yog,
This Peace, derived from equanimity,
Made known by thee--I see no fixity
Therein, no rest, because the heart of men
Is unfixed, Krishna! rash, tumultuous,
Wilful and strong. It were all one, I think,
To hold the wayward wind, as tame man's heart.
Krishna.
Hero long-armed! beyond denial, hard
Man's heart is to restrain, and wavering;
Yet may it grow restrained by habit, Prince!
By wont of self-command. This Yog, I say,
Cometh not lightly to th' ungoverned ones;
But he who will be master of himself
Shall win it, if he stoutly strive thereto.
Arjuna.
And what road goeth he who, having faith,
Fails, Krishna! in the striving; falling back
From holiness, missing the perfect rule?
Is he not lost, straying from Brahma's light,
Like the vain cloud, which floats 'twixt earth and heaven
When lightning splits it, and it vanisheth?
Fain would I hear thee answer me herein,
Since, Krishna! none save thou can clear the doubt.
Krishna.
He is not lost, thou Son of Pritha! No!
Nor earth, nor heaven is forfeit, even for him,
Because no heart that holds one right desire
Treadeth the road of loss! He who should fail,
Desiring righteousness, cometh at death
Unto the Region of the Just; dwells there
Measureless years, and being born anew,
Beginneth life again in some fair home
Amid the mild and happy. It may chance
He doth descend into a Yogin house
On Virtue's breast; but that is rare! Such birth
Is hard to be obtained on this earth, Chief!
So hath he back again what heights of heart
He did achieve, and so he strives anew
To perfectness, with better hope, dear Prince!
For by the old desire he is drawn on
Unwittingly; and only to desire
The purity of Yog is to pass
Beyond the Sabdabrahm, the spoken Ved.
But, being Yogi, striving strong and long,
Purged from transgressions, perfected by births
Following on births, he plants his feet at last
Upon the farther path. Such as one ranks
Above ascetics, higher than the wise,
Beyond achievers of vast deeds! Be thou
Yogi Arjuna! And of such believe,
Truest and best is he who worships Me
With inmost soul, stayed on My Mystery!
HERE ENDETH CHAPTER VI. OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA,
Entitled "Atmasanyamayog,"
Or "The Book of Religion by Self-Restraint."
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Let's Analyse the Pattern
Lasting change comes from finding the middle path you can maintain consistently, not from extreme measures that eventually exhaust you.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to spot when you're using extremes that feel powerful but lead to burnout.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you swing between all-or-nothing approaches—at work, in relationships, or with health habits—and ask yourself what the sustainable middle path would look like.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Let each man raise the Self by Soul, not trample down his Self, Since Soul that is Self's friend may grow Self's foe."
Context: Krishna explains that we have the power to either build ourselves up or tear ourselves down through our choices and mental habits.
This reveals that self-improvement is an active choice we make daily. We can be our own best friend or worst enemy depending on how we treat ourselves and what thoughts we choose to feed.
In Today's Words:
You can either be your own cheerleader or your own worst critic - the choice is yours.
"The sovereign soul of him who lives self-governed and at peace is centred in itself, taking alike pleasure and pain; heat, cold; glory and shame."
Context: Krishna describes what inner peace actually looks like in daily life - not the absence of problems, but emotional stability regardless of circumstances.
True strength isn't about avoiding difficulties but about maintaining your center when life gets chaotic. This person doesn't get thrown off course by external events because their sense of self comes from within.
In Today's Words:
The person who's got it together stays cool whether they're getting praise or criticism, dealing with good news or bad news.
"No sincere effort is ever wasted."
Context: When Arjuna worries about people who try to achieve self-mastery but fall short, Krishna reassures him that genuine attempts at improvement always count for something.
This offers hope to anyone who's ever felt like they're failing at personal growth. Every honest attempt to be better creates positive momentum, even if you don't see immediate results.
In Today's Words:
Every time you try to do better - even if you mess up - you're still moving in the right direction.
Thematic Threads
Self-Control
In This Chapter
Krishna teaches that true self-control isn't about suppressing everything, but about finding balance in all areas—eating, sleeping, working—while staying detached from outcomes
Development
Builds on earlier duty concepts by showing how to maintain emotional equilibrium while fulfilling responsibilities
In Your Life:
You might struggle with this when trying to change habits, swinging between rigid control and complete abandonment instead of finding sustainable middle ground
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Growth is presented as a gradual, ongoing process where even failures contribute to eventual success, and no sincere effort is wasted
Development
Expands the growth theme by addressing the fear of failure and showing that setbacks are part of the journey
In Your Life:
You see this when you give up on goals after initial failures, not realizing that each attempt builds toward eventual success
Class
In This Chapter
Krishna emphasizes that spiritual development doesn't require retreating from ordinary life—you can achieve inner peace while doing regular work and living normally
Development
Challenges earlier implications that spiritual life requires special circumstances or abandoning worldly duties
In Your Life:
You might think you need perfect conditions to improve yourself, when actually you can grow within your current circumstances
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
The teaching advocates treating success and failure equally, seeing the same essential humanity in everyone regardless of their social position
Development
Continues the theme of looking beyond surface appearances to deeper human equality
In Your Life:
You experience this when you judge yourself or others based on external achievements rather than recognizing shared human struggles
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
True connection comes from seeing past external differences to recognize the same essential nature in all people
Development
Deepens the relationship theme by providing a foundation for genuine equality and compassion
In Your Life:
You might struggle to connect with people who seem very different from you, missing the common humanity underneath surface differences
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Krishna says controlling the mind is like controlling the wind. What specific examples does he give of finding balance instead of going to extremes?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Krishna argue that moderate living works better than extreme practices for achieving inner peace?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see people in your life swinging between extremes instead of finding sustainable balance?
application • medium - 4
Think about a goal you've struggled with. How could you apply Krishna's 'steady flame' approach instead of an all-or-nothing strategy?
application • deep - 5
What does Krishna's promise that 'no sincere effort is wasted' reveal about how real change actually happens?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Extremes
Think of one area where you tend to swing between extremes - work, health, relationships, money, or parenting. Draw a simple line with the two extremes at each end. Mark where you usually land during stress versus calm periods. Then identify what the sustainable middle point would actually look like in daily practice.
Consider:
- •Notice how extremes often feel righteous or powerful in the moment
- •Consider what triggers your swings from one extreme to the other
- •Think about what small, consistent action you could maintain even during difficult times
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you tried to change something through extreme measures. What happened? How might the outcome have been different with a more balanced approach?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 7: The Divine in Everything
Krishna promises to reveal the deepest secrets of spiritual knowledge—truths so complete that once Arjuna understands them, there will be nothing more he needs to learn about the nature of reality itself.
