Chapter 6 · Verse 17

Dhyana Yoga

ध्यानयोग

युक्ताहारविहारस्य युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु | युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य योगो भवति दुःखहा ||६-१७||

yuktāhāravihārasya yuktaceṣṭasya karmasu . yuktasvapnāvabodhasya yogo bhavati duḥkhahā ||6-17||

In plain words

Translation

6.17 Yoga becomes the destroyer of sorrows to him who is temperate in food and recreation, who is temperate in actions, who is temperate in sleep and wakefulness.

Meaning

In this verse the Lord prescribes for the student of Yoga diet recreation and th like. The student of Yoga should always adopt the happy medium or the middle course. Lord Buddha went to the extremes in the beginning in matters of food drink etc. He was very abstemious and became extremely weak. He tortured his body very much. Therefore he was not able to attain to success in Yoga. Too much of austerity is not necessary for Selfrealisation. This is condemned by the Lord in chapter XVII verses 5 and 6. Austerity should not mean selftorture. Then it becomes diabolical. The Buddi Yoga of Krishna is a wise approach to austerity. Some aspirants take asceticism as the goal it is only the means but not the end. The nervous system is extremely,sensitive. It responds even to very slight changes and causes distraction of the mind. It is therefore very necessary that you should lead a very regulated and disciplined life and should be moderate in food sleep and recreation. Take measured food. Sleep and wake up at the prescribed time. Sleeo at 9 or 10 p.m. and get up at 3 or 4 a.m. Only then will you attain to success in Yoga which will kill all sorts or pains and sorrows of this life.

Word by word

युक्ताहारविहारस्य of one who is moderate in eating and recreation (such as walking etc.) युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु of one who is moderate in exertion in actions युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य of one who is moderate in sleep and wakefulness योगः Yoga भवति becomes दुःखहा the destroyer of pain.