विवेचन सारांश

Continuous practice with detachment makes one perfect in the Path of Yoga which is Never Fruitless

In this Shlōka, Arjuna addressing Bhagavān Śrī Krishna as Madhusudana says, “Due to the fickleness of my mind, I am unable to find myself in a stable state. Practicing the yoga of meditation as described by You is becoming difficult for me. My mind does not focus on it; it wanders repeatedly.”

A couple of question were asked to the Sadhaks to help them understand the point better.

• Are you able to study continuously without any interruptions when preparing for exams?
• Does your attention not wander here and there from time to time?
• Tell us, for what reasons does the mind and attention keep wandering?

The young Sadhaks gave very simple and honest answers. They explained that this happens primarily due to the lack of interest in studying. Other interests such as  

• The desire to play
• The desire to watch TV
• The longing to watch a movie
• dancing, singing, drawing, or other forms of entertainment

makes the mind wander.

Likewise, Arjuna’s mind was also unable to remain steady in the yoga of meditation.

Here Arjuna says to Bhagavān Śrī Krishna, “This mind is extremely restless. Its nature is to agitate and disturb.” Arjuna further says that controlling this mind seems to be as difficult as trying to restrain the wind. Just as it seems impossible to bind or stop a stormy wind, similarly, controlling this restless mind also seems extremely difficult. This is because the mind is stubborn, powerful, and self-willed. The word Pramāthi means that which is turbulent, agitates others, causes unrest, and creates inner turmoil.

Arjuna's anguish is how to bring such a fierce, powerful, and restless mind under control?

In fact, Sant Dnyaneshwar Ji Maharaj, in Dnyaneshwari has said that the mind is invisible, but it can travel through the entire three worlds.

If you think of America right now, you can go there immediately in your mind. The mind can travel anywhere. It cannot sit still in one place. Just as a monkey does not sit still in one place, the mind also keeps jumping around.

So, how difficult it is to control this mind!

As Sant Dnyaneshwar Ji  Maharaj says, when a storm is raging, can we make it stop by simply saying "Stop"? Definitely not! Similarly, we cannot make our mind and intellect become completely still just by telling them to do so.

In response to this profound question, Bhagavān Śrī Krishna in the next Shlōka, explains the path of practice and detachment, through which even this difficult task can become possible.

Addressing Arjuna as Mahābāho (one who has been victorious against enemies with his mighty arms), Bhagavān says, the mind too can be conquered in the same way that enemies have conquered by Mahābāho or Arjuna himself.

This is possible only through detachment and continuous practice. Practice and detachment develop gradually, little by little; this work does not happen in a single day.

It is similar to how the young Sadhaks initially faced some difficulty in reading the Bhagavadgītā, but gradually, through practice, they can now recite the Shlōkas of the Gītā very well. All this was possible only through continuous practice.

Similarly, by continuously practicing detachment and renouncing desires and with unwavering focus on attaining Bhagavān, one can conquer the mind. To achieve something great in life, to attain a noble goal, some self-control is absolutely essential.

To explain this, the children were given the example of Lata Mangeshkar Ji, the great singer. To keep her throat healthy and her voice melodious, Lata Mangeshkar Ji never drank cold water and abstained from cold foods and ice cream, etc. It was because of this self-control and discipline that she became the nightingale of India.

The point is that sacrifice and discipline and self-control are essential to achieve one’s goals in life, be it studies, sports, music and so forth.

It is important to control our sense organs (eyes, ears, nose, skin, and tongue) as without control of the senses, a person cannot achieve anything in life. The function of the eyes is to see. But if we watch too much TV, our time will be wasted. Similarly, if we continuously listen to songs, a lot of our time will be wasted. Our mind will wander away from what we need to focus on.

A balanced diet is necessary to control the mind, so one should eat only as much as the body requires. We may like sweets or fried food, or some other foods, but we cannot
continuously eat such unhealthy food. We observe the Ekadashi and other fasts or vows of silence. They help us in our practice to control the mind and thus teaches us control and self-discipline.

If our senses are under our control, then attaining yoga, our goal, becomes easier. When we sit for meditation, we must constantly bring our wandering mind back and focus it on remembrance of Bhagavān.

In this Shlōka, Bhagavān Krishna tells Arjuna, “For a person who has not controlled his mind, the attainment of Yoga is certainly difficult and hard to achieve, but not impossible.”

Through diligent effort, continuous practice, and the pursuit of meditation, the attainment of Yoga is possible. Yoga is possible only when the mind is controlled, and for this, control over the senses is extremely necessary.

In simple words: NO PAIN, NO GAIN. That is, without effort, without self-control, and without spiritual practice, no great achievement is possible.

The explanation also states that practices such as observing the Ekadashi fast, maintaining silence, and following a disciplined diet and lifestyle bring concentration of the mind. Only when the mind is concentrated can it become steady in the quest to attain Bhagavān, and meditation then comes naturally.

In this way, Bhagavān Śrī Krishna assures Arjuna that although controlling the mind is difficult, it is certainly achievable through practice, self-control, and detachment.

In this Shlōka, Arjuna expresses his doubt to Bhagavān Śrī Krishna and asks what happens to a person who begins the practice of yoga but abandons it midway due to attachment to worldly things? What fate awaits such a person?

Arjuna again expresses his next doubt to Śrī Krishna, asking whether a person who deviates from the path to attain Bhagavān become completely ruined and scattered like the fragmented clouds before a rain? He wants to know if the life of the person is wasted like the cloud which does not result in rainfall.

Continuing, Arjuna says, “O Krishna! Only you are capable of completely resolving this doubt of mine. Therefore, please completely dispel my doubt.”

Arjuna acknowledges that this subject is not understandable through ordinary intellect and that only Bhagavān Śrī Krishna, the Master of Yoga, can resolve this profound question.

Upon hearing Arjuna’s questions, Bhagavān provides a divine and reassuring answer to in the following Shlōka.

Addressing Arjuna as Pārtha (son of Pritha, another name for Kunti), Bhagavān Śrī Krishna says, “That person is not destroyed in this world nor in the next. His efforts made for meditation and yoga never go in vain.” HE further clarifies that the accumulated merit and efforts of a person who adopts the path of spiritual practice, even if stops
midway for some reason, is not wasted.

A simple example is given to explain this to young Sadhaks. Suppose a child joins a dance, singing, sports, or some other activity class, but for some reason, he is unable to complete the class. Does everything he learned go to waste?

No, it does not.

It is true that such children do not attain perfection in that subject, but what they have learned will certainly be useful in their lives in some way or another. Similarly, a person who is unable to complete the practice of yoga due to worldly attachments will suffer no loss. Any virtuous effort made towards ultimate liberation is never fruitless.

In the next Shlōka, Bhagavān describes in detail the future progress and attainments of such a seeker.

Bhagavān Śrī Krishna further explains that even a person who deviates from the path of yoga due to the fickleness of the mind does not perish. Such a person first goes to the realms of the virtuous and experiences divine pleasures there for a long time.

In these virtuous realms, he enjoys the fruits of his good deeds from his previous life. After that, in his next birth, that person is born into the family of virtuous, and cultured people.

This means that the path of yoga is never in vain. Even a seeker who does not reach perfection certainly receives excellent results for his efforts, and a favorable environment for further spiritual practice is automatically provided.

Bhagavān Śrī Krishna further states that if a person does not take rebirth in the family of virtuous and cultured people, then he is born into the family of Yogis with deep intellect.

HE also clarifies that such a birth is undoubtedly extremely rare in this world. This proves that any virtuous deed performed by that person does not go in vain. If the results are not obtained in this life, then those results are certainly obtained in the next life. A ​​deed performed never goes fruitless.

To illustrate this point, the example of Shabari is given. Shabari waited for Bhagavān Śrī Ram with immense patience and devotion. After a long wait of approximately seventy years from age twelve to eighty-two, she received the full fruit of her devotion. It shows devotion, spiritual practice, and virtuous deeds performed for Bhagavān never goes in vain, even if their results are not immediately visible. HE certainly bestows the fruits of their virtuous actions upon the devotee at the appropriate time and in the appropriate manner.

Śrī Krishna further says, “Such a person, due to the influence of the virtuous deeds performed in their previous life, regains the memory of their former understanding, impressions, and spiritual practices in their new birth.”

The practice of yoga, meditation, and self-discipline performed in a previous life is not wasted but rather inspires the seeker from within to progress further in the next life as well. For this reason, that person again proceeds on the path of yoga and gets the opportunity to strive again for ultimate perfection, that is, the attainment of Bhagavān.

This means that the path to attaining Bhagavān never starts from scratch. The spiritual practice of a previous life continues in the next life in the form of a seed, and that is what leads the seeker towards perfect attainment.

Bhagavān Śrī Krishna's says is that when a man is born into a wealthy or prosperous family, mortal pleasures, comforts, and attractions are readily available to him. Therefore, his mind is likely to be easily swayed by various worldly desires. However, Bhagavān explains that the impressions of virtuous deeds and spiritual practices performed in previous lives still attract such a person towards devotion to Bhagavān.

For such a person, even while living amidst worldly opulence, faith in Bhagavān remains in his heart. He is not completely diverted from the path of devotion because the seeds of spiritual practice from his previous lives remain alive within him.

Thus, devotion does not depend solely on circumstances; it is the fruit of past impressions. Where there is the strength of virtuous deeds and spiritual practice, even the overwhelming influence of worldly desires cannot destroy devotion.

Bhagavān Śrī Krishna says, “The Yogi who strives continuously through many births ultimately attains the highest perfection and reaches the supreme destination of Bhagavān’s abode.”

HE clarifies that this supreme perfection is not an achievement of a single lifetime, but rather the result of the accumulation of spiritual practices, discipline, and virtuous deeds performed over many lifetimes. Even a little yoga, devotion, self-control, and good deeds performed in each life are added to the next. Through the maturation of these impressions, the Yogi gradually becomes perfected and ultimately attains the supreme goal of Bhagavān-realization.

Thus, Bhagavān assures us that the path of spiritual practice is never in vain, and the Yogi who makes sincere efforts will surely attain supreme perfection one day.

Here, Bhagavān Krishna tells Arjuna to become a Yogi. HE says that those who meditate are the best people, and this is possible only through continuous effort.

Our young Sadhaks are also advised to meditate on Bhagavān on a daily basis. The Karma Yogis, the Sāṃkhya Yogis, the Bhakti Yogis, all of them also attain the Paramātmā; but along with this, when we also meditate, we attain it even faster as Meditation clears the clutter in the mind purifies the inner self.

In the final Shlōka of the chapter, Bhagavān says that the supreme Yogi is the one who constantly worships HIM from the depths of their heart, with complete faith and humility.

There is a very beautiful son in this regard, which says,

Twameva Mata Cha Pita Twameva
Twameva Bandhu Cha Sakha Twameva

Just as we love our parents and friends, we should shower our love and devotion on Bhagavān.

Śrī Krishna clarifies that devotion is not something to be displayed or performed for show. True devotion is that which is done from the heart, with sincerity and continuity.

We should always pray to Bhagavān that HE inspires us to walk on the righteous path, grants us wisdom and knowledge so that our lives may become progressively purer and more meaningful.

The young seekers were also given the important lesson that we should treat others the way we want to be treated ourselves. This is true religion, true devotion, and true yoga.

The enlightening Vivechan session was offered to the lotus feet of Bhagavān Śrī Krishna and was followed by a Questions and Answers session. It concluded with prayer to Bhagavān Śrī Krishna and rendition of Hanuman Chalisa.

Question & Answer

Anjana Ji

Q: Why do we miss some teachers when they leaven, even if they scold us?

A: Teachers, parents, and our elders truly love us. They sometimes scold us to make us better human beings and to ensure we do our work correctly. Even their scolding contains our well-being, so we should take their scolding and anger not negatively, but positively.

Vriti Vaibhav Ji

Q: Some teachers scold without any reason. They scold us even when we ask them something. Why does this happen?

A: You should ask them the reason but calmly, politely, and respectfully.