2 O Arjuna, you should know the path of selfless action, lauded by the learned as abnegation, to be nondifferent from the eightfold path of yoga meditation. This is because without the renunciation of fruitive desire and sensual craving (which is the essential characteristic of the path of selfless action), one can never be accepted as either a yogi on the path of wisdom or a yogi on the eightfold path of mystic meditation.

3 Initially, action alone is said to be the cause of elevation for the sage desirous of attaining unflickering yoga meditation. When he has achieved continuous meditation, renunciation of all activity is delineated as the cause of his perfect trance in yoga.

4 When the yoga practitioner is no longer addicted to the enjoyable sense objects of sound, touch, form, taste, and smell, and when he is no longer attached to any action in pursuance of enjoying them, having achieved complete renunciation of all plans of such action, then only can he be acclaimed as one who has truly attained to yoga.

5 The living being must be delivered from the dark well of material life by means of the mind detached from sense objects, and he must never in any way be flung down into the material world by the mind enchanted by sense objects because the mind is sometimes his friend, and in another situation the very same mind is rather the enemy.

6 For the soul who has conquered his mind, his mind is his friend and well-wisher. For a person unable to control it, his own mind remains constantly engaged in his disservice, like an enemy.

7 Free from attraction and aversion in the event of cold and heat, happiness and unhappiness, or honor and insult, the yogi who has mastered his mind remains deeply absorbed in yogic trance.

8 One who is always internally satisfied by dint of scriptural wisdom as well as by direct realization, who is always situated in divine consciousness, who is sense-controlled, and who has the vision of equality for a lump of earth, a rock, or gold, is known as a yogi qualified for self-realization.

9 And know that superior to one with equal vision for earth, rocks, and gold, is the yogi who is capable of viewing with equipoised intelligence all living beings a natural well-wisher, an affectionate well-wisher, an enemy, an indifferent person, a mediator, one detestable, a friend, a saint, and a sinner.

10 A person beginning yoga practice should always reside alone at a solitary place, and controlling his mind and body, free from desire and sensual engagement, he should engage his mind in meditational trance.

11, 12 At a pure place, not too high and not too low, the yogi should establish a secure seat of kusa-straw, deer-skin, and cloth. Then, sitting on that seat, subjugating all mental and sensual activity, and locking his mind at one point, he should practice meditational trance in order to purify his heart.

13, 14 Soberly keeping his torso, head, and neck straight and upright, poised, the yogi should fix his gaze at the top of his nose without casting a glance in any other direction. Tranquil, fearless, and reposed in the vow of celibacy, he should then meditate on My four-armed Visnu form, and absorbing himself in devotion unto Me, he should practice yoga.

15 In this way, constantly absorbing his mind in the yoga of meditation (dhyana-yoga), the yogi whose heart has been purged of sensual desires achieves emancipation from mundanity by attaining to the nondifferentiated Brahman, the effulgence that emanates from My person. He attains liberation from the course of worldly existence.

16 O Arjuna, yoga practice is impossible for anyone who overeats, undereats, oversleeps, or undersleeps.

17 For a person who eats, relaxes, and exerts himself in all duties in a regulated way, and who keeps regular hours in proper measure, the practice of yoga gradually becomes the source of dispelling all worldly suffering.

18 When a yogi, having checked all mental tendencies of worldliness situates his mind unwaveringly in soul-conception, then, devoid of mundane desires, he is said to be actually situated in yoga, or linked with the Absolute.

19 Know it surely that just as a lamp-flame situated in a windless place never wavers, similarly, the mind of the yogi absorbed in soul-conception never flickers in its concentration.

20-23 The state of perfect samadhi, or trance, is that in which the disciplined mind of the yogi gains detachment from even the slightest thought of mundane connotation. The yogi remains satisfied in the Lord alone, having directly seen the Supersoul by dint of his purified heart, and he experiences that happiness which is eternal, perceptible by the divine intelligence of the soul, and devoid of contact with the senses or sense objects; he never deviates from the intrinsic nature of the soul. By attaining to this state, he never considers any mundane acquisition as superior, and in the face of unbearable tribulation his heart never wavers. Therefore, by the very contact of distress, its absence is accomplished. Know certainly that such a state of perfect trance is defined as yoga. Such yoga should be practiced with perseverance and an untiring heart.

24 Utterly abandoning all mental desires along with their mental images, in full awareness of the futility of mundane prospect, one must withdraw the senses from all material objects and engage himself in the aformentioned yoga practice.

25 With the help of intelligence controlled by dharana (the limb of the eightfold yoga in which the seat of intellect is brought into concentration), one should completely steady the mind within the soul. Then, by gradual practice, with-drawing the mind from external objects, one should enter the trance of samadhi, and should not think of anything but the soul for even a second.

26 The naturally fickle and unsteady mind should be carefully withdrawn from whatever objects it pursues, and brought back under the control of the self.

27 Devoid of passionate agitation, peaceful-hearted, free from the blemishes of attachment, fear, and anger, and endowed with the conception of the Absolute, such a yogi is blessed with the joy of realizing the divine nature of the soul.

28 In this way, through constant realization of his internal divine nature, the sinless yogi easily attains the profound ecstasy of Supersoul realization. (At this point the yoga practice mentioned herein is in accordance with the path of devotion [bhakti].)

29 His heart united with the infinite consciousness, that master of yoga perceives consciousness in all beings. He sees the Supreme Soul within everyone, and everyone within the Supreme.

30 For one who sees Me in everything and sees the whole creation in Me alone, I am never unseen for him, and he is never unwitnessed by Me he never fails in thinking of Me.

31 Although one, I am separately situated within the heart of every living being as the Supersoul, in My four-armed form measuring one pradesa (the distance between one's thumb and forefinger). Realizing Me, Syamasundara, as nondifferent from the Supersoul, the yogi who surrenders unto Me and worships Me in devotion beginning with hearing, chanting and remembering irrespective of performing scripturally prescribed duties or not, he resides in Me eternally.

32 I consider highest of all masters of yoga the one who sees, as in his own case, the happiness and unhappiness of all beings to be equal he knows the joy and sorrow of others as his own.

33 Arjuna said: O Madhusudana, due to the fickle nature of the mind, I cannot visualize the infinite stability of such a state of equilibrium in yoga as described by You.

34 O Krsna, the mind is by its very nature fickle, the source of disturbing one�s judgement and agitating the senses and body. It is unconquerable and extremly obstinate. Therefore, I consider control of the mind by eightfold yoga practice to be practically unapproachable, just as by mere breath-control, one cannot control the wind blowing through the skies.

35 The Supreme Lord said: O heroic Arjuna, undoubt- edly the mind is fickle and extremely difficult to control. However, O son of Kunti, it is subjugated by repeatedly practicing the yoga of meditation on the Supersoul as taught by a bona fide spiritual master and abandoning mundane sense enjoyment.

36 In My consideration, no doubt the yoga described by Me for controlling the mental faculty is difficult for the person of unrestrained mind. But one who zealously subjugates the mind by the authentic practice is definitely successful in yoga.

37 Arjuna said: O Krsna, a mediocre person may, due to his faith in scripture, engage in yoga practice. However, lacking proper practice and abnegation, he subsequently deviates due to mundane propensities. It seems that he will surely be unsuccessful in yoga. What, then, is his destination?

38 O mighty hero, O Krsna, having deviated from the yoga path of attaining the Absolute, shelterless and fallen from the paths of both action and meditation, is not such a person utterly lost like a fragmented cloud?

39 O Krsna! No one but You can dispel this doubt of mine. Please mercifully slash it at the root.

40 The Supreme Lord said: O Arjuna, son of Kunti, the unsuccessful yogi does not suffer ruination either in this life or the next. He is not deprived of the pleasures of the heavenly planetary systems in this universe, nor is he denied the chance to personally see the Supersoul in the divine realm. This is so, O dear one, because a person who perform virtuous actions never becomes ill-fated.

41 After residing for many years in all those heavenly planets that are attainable by the performers of great sacrifices such as the Asvamedha, the unsuccessful yogi takes the supreme goal.

46 The yogi who is a worshiper of the Supersoul is superior to persons engrossed in severe austerities such as the candrayana, superior to the worshipers of Brahman, and superior to the fruitive workers. Know this certainly to be My conclusion. Therefore, O Arjuna, be a yogi.

47 Among all types of yogis, the most elevated of all is the devotee who has full faith in the authoritative pure devotional scriptures, and who adores Me with all his heart by hearing and singing My divine glories, rendering all services unto Me. Certainly this is My opinion.