Chapter 6, Verse 3
ārurukṣor-muner-yogaṁ
karma kāraṇam ucyate
yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva
śamaḥ kāraṇam ucyate
For a sage who is ascending the hill of yoga, action is the means: for the same sage, when he has attained the summit of yoga, self-mastery is the means.
“For a sage who is ascending the hill of yoga, action is the means…” For a sage who is renouncing all actions, practising meditation, “…when he has attained the summit of yoga, self-mastery is the means.” When the yogi sits in a cave in deep meditation, letting go of the outside world, and focuses through dhyaan on the Divine within, this is called ‘self-mastery’.
In this verse, Krishna is also referring to the one who does his action in the outside world, with an attitude of complete surrender, serving the Lord. A bhakta’s mind is always focused on the Lotus Feet of the Lord. Whatever a bhakta does, be it eating, drinking, dancing, or partying, he does it in a state of surrender. One is not attached to the fruits of one’s action. One is stepping over the stone of perfection and attains the same perfection in yoga as the yogi who is seated in a cave. Here one sees the world itself as a big cave; wherever one sits one finds the same perfection, one finds God everywhere. The mind is not deluded. One attains tranquillity through the control of the mind. The mind is tranquil, which means it becomes free of thoughts. One is calm. Whatever action one does in such a state, one is always in deep union with one’s higher Self, vibrating the Love of God. One vibrates the qualities of the Divine through one’s actions, but one is free from everything. No karma is created. For such a person, the cave and the world appear the same. One rises as the yogi rises, ascending “the hill of yoga”. By having the mind focused on the Lord, a bhakta attains perfection through His Grace. Lord Krishna says, “How easy it is for a bhakti yogi who is truly surrendered!”
Bhagavad Gita
