Gita Bhashya -Sankara 233

Shri Sankara's Gita Bhashya

(Sri Sankaracharya's Commentary on the Gita)

CHAPTER -6

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Divyana Yogah

(WAY OF MEDITATION)


At the end of the preceding chapter, the verses. "Having shut out external contacts" etc.[1], landing in the position of sūtrus on Dhyūna-yoga (The spiritual discipline of meditation) which is the intimate means to Right Rnowledge, have been taught; (now) this sixth chapter, occupying the position of a commentary thereon, commences.

Karma (action) is an external aid to Bhyāna-yoga; and the householder, on whom action is enjoined, should perform it, so long as he is unable to rise up to Dhyāna-yoga. For this reason, the Lord extols it in VI-1.

Objection[2] - When action has been enjoined for perform­ ance throughout life, why the setting of the limit (for the perfor­ mance of action) upto rising to Dhyāna-yogal

Reply - The objection is pointless; because of the particularisation, "For the muni who wishes to attain to (Dhyand) Yoga, work is said to be the means"[3], and because when he has attained to (that) Yoga, he is associated with inaction (soma) only. Had it been intended that both inaction (soma) and action (work) (karma) should be practised by both the person who wishes to attain to Yoga and also by him who has attained to Yoga, then it would be purposeless to particularise that śama and' karma are the different objects respectively for the man who has attained to Yoga and for him who wishes to attain to it, and to classify them separately.

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References and Context

  1. ↑ V-27 to 29
  2. ↑ The objector is the samuccaya-vadin (Ā), who holds that action and ledge should be practised together.
  3. ↑ VI-3

Related Articles

Gita Bhashya -Sankara
Chapter No Chapter Name Page No
Introduction 2
1. Arjuna visada yogah (Yoga of the Dejection of Arjuna) 6
2. Saiukhya Yogah (Way of knowledge) 22
3. Karma Yogah (Way of action) 96
4. Jnana Karma Saninyasa Yogah (Way of renunciation of action in knowledge) 143
5. Karmasaninyasa Yogah (Way of renunciation of action) 195
6. Divyana Yogah (Way of meditation) 233
7. Saptamo (A) Dhyayah Jnana-Vijnana-yogah (Way of knowledge with realisation) 288
8. Taraka Brahma Yogah (Saving knowledge of Brahman) 319
9. Raja-Vidya Raja-Guhya Yogah (Yoga of kingly knowledge and kingly secret) 348
10. Vibhuti Yogah (Mode of Divine Glory) 385
11. Visvarapa Darsanam (Vision of the Universal Form) 428
12. Bhakti Yogah (Way of Devotion) 484
13. Prakrti-Purusa-Viveka-Yogah (Way of Discrimi­nating Matter and Spirit) 509
14. Guna-Traya-Vibhaga Yogah (The Way of Discriminating the Three Gunas) 589
15. Purusottama Yogah (Way to the Supreme Spirit) 621
16. Daivasura-Sampat-Vibhaga-Yogah (The mode of Dividing Divine and Demminiac Properties) 649
17. Sraddhaa-Traya-Vibhaga Yogah (The Mode of Division of the Three Kinds of Faith) 676
18. Moksa-Samnyasa Yogah (The Yoga of Libera­ tion in Renunciation) 707
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