YOGA OF SELF CONTROL – ATMA SAMYAMA YOGA

By

Dr. R. J. Kalpana Ph.D

Visvaayudha March 2025

vasudevasutaḿ devaḿ kaḿsa-cāṇūra-mardanam

devakī-paramānandaḿ kṛṣṇaḿ vande jagadgurum

I bow down to Sri Krishna, who is the Master of the Universe, beloved son of Vasudeva, who vanquished Kamsa and Chanura, who brings immense joy to his mother, Devaki.

Pranams from Dr. R J Kalpana, Welcome to the study of The Bhagavad Gita.

 In the previous chapter 5, we saw Bhagavan Shri Krishna introduce the concept of meditation as the means to attain liberation. In this chapter, Yoga of self control, we shall study in-depth the concept and ancient technique of meditation.

Shri Krishna starts the chapter with a clear distinction between Sankhyayogi and Karmayogi and states that one who performs one’s duty without expectations of reward is both a sankhyayogi and a karmayogi. Quantifying this even further, he says that just merely giving up the sacred fire doesn’t qualify a person as a samnyasi and merely giving up all activity doesn’t qualify a person as a yogi.

He goes even further by adding another layer to the definition and says this we call Samnyasa is nothing but Yoga. One cannot become a yogi without giving up all thoughts of the world.

Shri Krishna then goes on to clearly give us the means to qualify as a karmayogi. The first step in the process is to perform action without seeking any reward, in a completely disinterested manner. Further proceeding, if the person is then established in yoga, absence of worldly thoughts leads to blessedness.

Therefore, a person has to cease to have any attachment to the senses, objects and actions, renounce thoughts of the material world, then the person can claim to have reached the heights of yoga.

The next few slokas beautifully encapsulates the responsibility of the individual person. Our achievements in fields of yoga and spirituality are our responsibility. We should lift up the heights of yoga by self-efforts and not further degrade onself, losing all opportunities. Ultimately, we are our own friend and our own enemy.

Here, in a nutshell, Shri Krishna says that the enemies for our downfall do not lie outside of ourselves, but are within ourselves. We have no one to blame but ourselves if we do not make intelligent use of this beautiful human life opportunity that has been offered to us.

So now the question arises how do we become our friend and our enemy? If we fail to conquer our lower tendencies, emotions like anger, greed, lust; wavering mind and arrogant ego; we become our own enemy because then we become slaves to the desires of our body, our mind and our senses.

If we conquer our lower tendencies, keep everything under moderation and control, then we become our friend. Why is this such an important point that Shri Krishna raises it in the Gita?

Our hope for the Divine merger, our hope for even yoga is rooted in the self-controlled mind perfectly serene in the midst of opposites of pain and pleasure.

The God-realised soul is defined as one whose mind has the knowledge of the unmanifested Reality and manifested Divinity, unmoving under all circumstances, whose senses are completely mastered and to whom earth, stone, and gold are all alike. This person who looks upon friends and foes alike is supreme.

In the next few slokas, Shri Krishna shares the ancient technique of the yogic practice of meditation. He lists a few must-dos. So, let’s look at what is required for a person in order to meditate.

The practitioner must live in seclusion, control his mind and body and be free of both desires and possessions and constantly engage one’s mind in meditation.

He must place his seat in a spot free from dirt with the sacred Kusa grass, a deerskin and a cloth spread on it and the seat must be neither too high nor too low.

Sitting there, the practitioner must control the function of the mind and the senses and practice the yoga of self-purification.

The posture must keep the spine straight and the gaze must be fixed at the tip of the nose only.

Complete chastity must be undertaken and the practitioner must be fearless, and calm and the mind restrained must be focused on the Shri Krishna, the ever vigilant practitioner of yoga must sit in meditation absorbed in the Divine.

Thus, the mind gets disciplined and such a disciplined mind attains everlasting peace and supreme bliss which only abides in the Divine.

The requirement for this ancient method of meditation practice is quite stringent in that one has to primarily live in seclusion, far away from society, friends and family and thereby complete chastity is easier to accomplish.

Modern meditation practices, like Heartfulness Meditation requires the practitioner to be a householder and face the challenges and temptations to strengthen their will for it is the test of fire that makes fine steel.

The other requirements are uniformly required; to fix a time and place for meditation, the posture must be erect so the energy flow is clear and fluid and the mind and senses must be harnessed to focus only on the Divine.

Shri Krishna adds on a caveat by saying this type of yoga is not for people of extremes; who either overeat or fast totally, who sleep too much or one who is ceaselessly awake.

The full benefit of yoga of self-control is for that practitioner who regulates his diet and recreation, and sleep. So everything in moderation and not excessive indulgence.

When such a disciplined mind focuses on the Divine, then the yearnings of the senses and desires subsides naturally and the person is free. Here, Shri Krishna gives an enchanting example of how the light does not flicker in a windless place, so too does the disciplined mind absorbed on the Divine does not waver and want.

So when the body is still, the mind is purified of all desires, then the soul rejoices in the Divine. Furthermore, the soul not just rejoices in the Divine but experiences the eternal superconsciousness and bliss which can only be experienced when the subtle body is cleansed and purified of all samskaras, for then the Yogi will not falter on the path of Eternal Truth.

Having obtained this rarefied of superconsiousness condition, the yogi finds no greater joy and is not shaken by the heaviest of sorrows. That state of yoga which does not succumb at the loss of near and dear ones should be resolutely practiced by the unwearied mind.

Withdraw the senses from the world, control the mind by relinquishing all thoughts and restrain the senses by renouncing all desires, attain tranquility and fix one’s attention on the Divine steadfastly. Everytime the mind wavers, it should be harnessed back to the goal of the Divine.

For to that yogi whose mind is serene, free from samskaras and passions and who identifies with sat-chit-ananda as Truth, Knowledge and Bliss, will enjoy merger with the Divine.

Such a person will see the Divine in everything and everyone around them. The yogi doesn’t lose sight of the Divine and the Divine doesn’t lose sight of the yogi. For such a yogi established in merger with the Divine will always remain with the Divine no matter what he does.

Arjuna asks on our behalf that owing to the restlessness of the mind, this yoga of equanimity seems to be beyond me. The mind is unsteady, turbulent, tenacious and as difficult to control as the wind.

Bhagavan Shri Krishna says that no doubt the mind is difficult to control but repeated practice of meditation and through the exercise of dispassion, it can be controlled. So, dear reader, there is hope yet.

Now, Arjuna asks a very pertinent question as to what happens to that person who has faith but unfortunately, unable to subdue their passions and the time of death their mind is diverted? Strayed from the path of God-realisation, the soul is like a torn cloud lost.

Shri Krishna replies saying that the soul that strives for God-realisation never meets a contrary destiny for there is no fall either on earth or in the hereafter.

If a person falls then his samskaras of good deeds helps him attain heaven where he will stay until the good deeds are exhausted and then takes birth in a pious and wealthy family. Although he will live under the sway of the sensual pleasures, he will be drawn towards the Divine by force of habit acquired through past lives and is able to transcend this materialistic life.

If a person practices dispassion and has already disciplined his senses, he will be reborn into a family of enlightened yogis; although such a birth is very difficult to obtain. Then he will regain spiritual insight of his past life and he will strive that much harder to obtain perfection of God realization.

But that yogi who diligently takes up the practice of meditation attains perfection in this life itself helped by the efforts of the past lives and the purification of samskaras, he reaches the state of merger with the Divine.

The practitioner of meditation, the yogi is superior to the ascetics; ones who have renounced the world. The yogi is even superior to those versed in sacred lore. The yogi is also superior to those who perform actions and yajnas with interested motives. Therefore, Arjuna, commands Shri Krishna, become a yogi.

Of all the yogis, the one who harnesses the mind with constant remembrance of Bhagavan Shri Krishna is the best yogi.

yogeśaṁ(m) saccidānandaṁ(v̐), vāsudevaṁ(v̐) vrajapriyam,

dharmasaṁsthāpakaṁ(v̐) vīraṁ(ṅ), kṛṣṇaṁ(v̐) vande jagadgurum

I bow to the Master of Yoga, who is the beloved son of Vasudeva, the brave warrior who established Dharma, the spiritual guru of the world.

                                             OM ŚRĪKṚṢṆĀRPAṆAMASTU

Note: The talks can be accessed on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@kalpanarj3101