Chapter 6, Verse 4
yadā hi nendriyārtheṣu
na karmasv-anuṣajjate
sarva saṅkalpa saṁnyāsī
yogārūḍhas-tad-ocyate
When one does not get attached to the objects of the senses or to the fruits of actions and has renounced all desire in the mind, he is said to have ascended to the top of yoga.
“One does not get attached to the objects of the senses or to the fruits of actions and has renounced all desire in the mind…” The mind is not focused on, “If I do this, what will I get out of it?” There is not an expectation. You are not doing business with the Divine. You are not making a deal with God saying, “Oh, I am doing my meditation so I will get this” or “I am doing my japa because Swami said I have to do japa.” You do your japa because through japa you feel the Love of God, you feel that He is with you. You are chanting His Name and you crave for Him! You’re longing for Him! And when you do your seva, when you’re working, you don’t say, “Ah, because this Swamiji has told me to do it, I have to do it quick, quick, quick. It’s a terrible thing!” No! Inside you, there is this joy of doing it, even if no one asks you to do it. Such devotees ascend to the top of yoga; they perfect themselves and achieve the perfection of yoga.
Here Lord Krishna says that if one has this eagerness to surrender, without a sense of possession, attachment or aversion, then one will not feel pressure or pain inside oneself to do something; one will have the joy of doing it. If one renounces the very thoughts of possession, attachment and aversion, one will not perform any action in a pressured way, but in complete bliss. One will not think, “Now I have to do this, then I have to do that.” Those whose minds are continuously focusing on God, for whom there is nothing but God, gain the fruits of yoga. Through the Grace that they receive, they become illumined; they start to reflect the Love that they have inside of them. That’s true yoga! When there is this joy of serving, without putting oneself first, when there is no attachment to anything but God, then one ascends to the summit of yoga. Krishna says, “The true bhaktas, who are completely surrendered and don’t think of themselves, ascend ‘to the top of yoga.’” They don’t need to do much, but Grace, Kripa, carries them, because Grace is everything, Kripa is everything. And through Grace, people who are in a lower rhythm can be placed in a higher rhythm – I would say even in the highest rhythm! Grace can take them from mere human consciousness fully into Divine Consciousness, through just a touch! But to be able to receive this Kripa, people have to perfect themselves and show that they are worthy. That’s why here Lord Krishna says, “Enter the state of perfection in yoga, yogārūḍhas. Let the mind dwell on the Lord at all times.”
Bhagavad Gita
