शनैः शनैरुपरमेद् बुद्ध्या धृतिगृहीतया।
आत्मसंस्थं मनः कृत्वा न किञ्चिदपि चिन्तयेत्।।6.25।।
6.25 One should gradually withdraw with the intellect endowed with steadiness. Making the mind fixed in the Self, one should not think of anything whatsoever.
6.25 Little by little let him attain to ietude by the intellect held firmly; having made the mind establish itself in the Self, let him not think of anything.
6.25. Very slowly remain iet, keeping the mind well established in the Self by means of the intellect held in steadiness; and lest him not think of anything (object).
6.25 शनैः gradually? शनैः gradually? उपरमेत् let him attain to ietude? बुद्ध्या by the intellect? धृतिगृहीतया held in firmness? आत्मसंस्थम् placed in the Self? मनः the mind? कृत्वा having made? न not? किञ्चित् anything? अपि even? चिन्तयेत् let him think.Commentary The practitioner of Yoga should attain tranillity gradually or by degrees? by,means of the intellect controlled by steadiness. The peace of the Eternal will fill the heart gradually with thrill and bliss through the constant and protracted practice of steady conentration. He should make the mind constantly abide in the Self within through ceaseless practice. If anyone constantly thinks of the immortal Self within? the mind will cease to think of the objects of sensepleasure. The mental energy should be directed along the spiritual channel by Atmachintana or constant contemplation on the Self.
6.25 Tyaktva, by eschewing; asesatah, totally, without a trace; sarvan, all; the kamam, desires; sankalpa-prabhavan, which arise from thoughts; and further, viniyamya, restraining; manasa eva, with the mind itself, with the mind endued with discrimination; indriya-gramam, all the organs; samantatah, from every side; uparamet, one should withdraw, abstain; sanaih sanaih, gradually, not suddenly;-with what?-buddhya, with the intellect;- possessed of what distinction?-dhrti-grhitaya, endowed with steadiness, i.e. with fortitude. Krtva, making manah, the mind; atma-samstham, fixed in the Self, with the idea, The Self alone is all; there is nothing apart from It-thus fixing the mind on the Self; na cintayet, one should not think of; kincit api, anything whatsoever. Thisis the highest instruction about Yoga.
6.24-25 Sankalpa - etc. Sanaih etc. By mind alone : i.e., not by withdrawing from activities. Holding steadiness; thinning, step after step, the misery born of desired; let him not think anything like receiving and abandoning objects and so on. Others have explained [the passage] as Let him think only negation (or void). But this (explanation) is not up to our taste. For, that world result in the doctrine of nihilism. What is to be achieved is not a mere withdrawl [or one-self] from the objects. This is stated as -
6.24 - 6.25 There are two kinds of desires: 1) those born of contact between the senses and objects like heat, cold etc.; 2) those generated by our mind (will) like that for sons, land etc. Of these, the latter type of desires are by their own nature relinishable. Relinishing all these by the mind through contemplation on their lack of association with the self; having relinished the ideas of pleasure and pain in respect of unavoidable desires resulting from contract; restraining all the senses on all sides, i.e., from contact with all their objects - one should think of nothing else, i.e., other than the self. Little by little with the help of intellect controlled by firm resolution, i.e., by the power of discrimination, one should think of nothing else, having fixed the mind on the self.
(combined commentary for verses 24 and 25) In such practice of yoga, the first and last actions are mentioned in two verses (24-25). The first action is to give up desires and the last action is not to think of anything at all.
If the mind should become unfocused due to the influence of latent impressions in the mind from past activities; then one unperturbed should firmly bring the mind back by concentration and refocusing meditate on the atma or soul while withdrawing the mind away from the external impressions of the subtle body. This will manifest gradually by degrees and should not be expected to happen immediately. The way of confirming if the external impressions of the subtle body have been evaporated is being given by Lord Krishna with the words na kincid api cintayet meaning one will think of nothing but the atma. Having attained communion with the ultimate consciousness perceived spontaneously by a focused and tranquil mind one should desist even from all conceptions of meditation that present the person meditating as different form the object of meditation or otherwise as the individual consciousness being different from the atma.
The word sarvan means all desires in every sphere of endeavour. The word asesatah means complete cessation of all desires. The word manasaiva means by the sole strength of the mind only is restraint possible. Spiritual intelligence is the instrument for restraining the mind as well as restraining the sense. This is what Lord Krishna is indicating.
Desires are of a two-fold nature. Sparsa-ja which arise from the impulses of the physical body or and sankalpa-ja which arise from the impulses of the mind or mental origin. Sparsa-ja includes desires for cold or for hot, or for sweet or for salty, or the lack of such. Sankalpa-ja includes desires for wealth, fame, dominion, progeny and such. With great effort it is possible to abandon the desires of the mind by avoiding to think about them. It is also possible to resist the sensations of pleasure and pain with an attitude of indifference; but between the two the desires of the mind are more easy to abandon because it is not possible to avert the sensations of the body. Thus it is necessary to comprehensively and systematically neutralise the senses from their external corresponding sense objects. This should be undertaken gradually by degrees with determination and a resolute will. Then in due course of time the mind will be weaned from all things except the eternal atma or soul and absorbed exclusively in the atma, one thinks of nothing else. This is the meaning Lord Krishna intended.
Desires are of a two-fold nature. Sparsa-ja which arise from the impulses of the physical body or and sankalpa-ja which arise from the impulses of the mind or mental origin. Sparsa-ja includes desires for cold or for hot, or for sweet or for salty, or the lack of such. Sankalpa-ja includes desires for wealth, fame, dominion, progeny and such. With great effort it is possible to abandon the desires of the mind by avoiding to think about them. It is also possible to resist the sensations of pleasure and pain with an attitude of indifference; but between the two the desires of the mind are more easy to abandon because it is not possible to avert the sensations of the body. Thus it is necessary to comprehensively and systematically neutralise the senses from their external corresponding sense objects. This should be undertaken gradually by degrees with determination and a resolute will. Then in due course of time the mind will be weaned from all things except the eternal atma or soul and absorbed exclusively in the atma, one thinks of nothing else. This is the meaning Lord Krishna intended.
Shanaih shanairuparamed buddhyaa dhritigriheetayaa; Aatmasamstham manah kritwaa na kinchidapi chintayet.
saṅkalpa—a resolve; prabhavān—born of; kāmān—desires; tyaktvā—having abandoned; sarvān—all; aśheṣhataḥ—completely; manasā—through the mind; eva—certainly; indriya-grāmam—the group of senses; viniyamya—restraining; samantataḥ—from all sides; śhanaiḥ—gradually; śhanaiḥ—gradually; uparamet—attain peace; buddhyā—by intellect; dhṛiti-gṛihītayā—achieved through determination of resolve that is in accordance with scriptures; ātma-sanstham—fixed in God; manaḥ—mind; kṛitvā—having made; na—not; kiñchit—anything; api—even; chintayet—should think of
