Gita : Ch-6. Slo-17.

In  this  slokam  Lord  explains  to  whom  Yogam  is  attainable :

Srimad Bhagavad-Gita :


Chapter-6. ( Dyana-yogam )


Slokam-17. (   To   whom   yogam    available : One  who  ( Sadhaka )   follows a  disciplined   life   style ,  attains   progress in  meditation and   succeeds ) - ( He who is temperate in his habits of eating, sleeping, working and recreation can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system.)



yuktaharaviharasya    yuktaceshtasya    karmasu,



yuktasvapnavabodhasya   yogo bhavati duhkhaha.



yukta   ahara   viharasya   =   one   who   follows  regulated    medium    eating    and    recreation;

karmasu    yukta    ceshtasya   =   also    discharging    duties  ( karma-s ) -  regulated    discipline   followed,  while   saving    energy;

yukta    svapna    avabodhasya   =   also   medium   regulated    sleep    and    wakefullness;

yogah    duhkhaha    bhavati   =   practice   of    yoga,   becomes    diminishing pains.




Lord Krishna declares that those who are moderate, restrained and regulated are eligible candidates to practice yoga or the science of the individual consciousness attaining communion with the ultimate consciousness.


What kind of person is able to begin the practice of yoga or the science of the individual consciousness attaining communion with the ultimate consciousness? The answer is the person who is moderate, restrained and regulated in all activities. Thus Lord Krishna states that such persons are eligible to practice yoga.


Lord Krishna uses the compound word yuktahara-viharasya means one who is temperate and regulated in their eating habits so that the efforts to feed oneself are minimised allowing the effort to achieve perfection in meditation to be maximised.


Lord Krishna is stating that over eating and too little eating as well as extreme activity and complete inactivity are all detrimental to yoga or the science of the individual consciousness attaining communion with the ultimate consciousness. The same applies for excessive sleep and not enough sleep as well as over indulgence in work which causes exhaustion and hence idleness. To that person who is disciplined in eating habits and exercise, who is regulated in sleep and waking then meditation becomes the panacea for life's afflictions and the royal path out of samsara or the endless cycle of birth and death.


Extravagance in the matter of eating, sleeping, defending and mating—which are demands of the body—can block advancement in the practice of yoga. As far as eating is concerned, it can be regulated only when one is practiced to take and accept prasadam, sanctified food.


Lord Krishna is offered, according to the Bhagavadgeeta (Bg. 9.26), vegetables, flowers, fruits, grains, milk, etc. In this way, a person in  consciousness becomes automatically trained not to accept food not meant for human consumption, or which is not in the category of goodness.


As far as sleeping is concerned, a  conscious person is always alert in the discharge of his duties in consciousness, and therefore any unnecessary time spent sleeping is considered a great loss.


A  conscious person cannot bear to pass a minute of his life without being engaged in the service of the Lord. Therefore, his sleeping is kept to a minimum. . As far as work is concerned, a  conscious person does not do anything which is not connected with interest, and thus his work is always regulated and is untainted by sense gratification.


Since there is no question of sense gratification, there is no material leisure for a person in  consciousness. And because he is regulated in all his work, speech, sleep, wakefulness and all other bodily activities, there is no material misery for him.


To be continued   ....