योगी युञ्जीत सततमात्मानं रहसि स्थित: |
एकाकी यतचित्तात्मा निराशीरपरिग्रह: || 10||
yogī yuñjīta satatam ātmānaṁ rahasi sthitaḥ
ekākī yata-chittātmā nirāśhīr aparigrahaḥ
yogī—a yogi; yuñjīta—should remain engaged in meditation; satatam—constantly; ātmānam—self; rahasi—in seclusion; sthitaḥ—remaining; ekākī—alone; yata-chitta-ātmā—with a controlled mind and body; nirāśhīḥ—free from desires; aparigrahaḥ—free from desires for possessions
Translation:
Alone, stationed in a solitary place, self-controlled, free from desire, and not receiving anything from others, the yogi (Practising Dhyanayoga) should unite the mind with Atma.
Commentary:
From this verse onwards, the practice of Dhyanayoga is explained in detail. Here the word ‘Yogi’ does not refer to one who has already attained perfection. It applies to those only who are seeking yoga (union with the Self). Five conditions are mentioned for the practice of Dhyanayoga- 1. Solitude, 2. Living in a lonely place, 3. Control of mind and body 4. Desirelessness 5 Non-receiving.
Stationed in a Solitary place: The yogi should practise meditation in a lonely place. Pretenders who sit in yogic pose in public thoroughfares are cheats and beggars. The yogi practises meditation not to derive benefit or admiration from others. The aim of the yogi is to establish union between himself and God. So he should seek a solitary place where the mind is not distracted by the sights and sounds of worldly life. That is why the ancient sages sought for the solitude of mountain-caves and river-beds, to carry on their spiritual practice. The solitude of nature is itself a purifying influence, and the vast silence around induces the mood of meditation without much effort. The beauty of nature delights and calms the mind, and the turbulent impulses are subdued of their own accord. The house-holders can create solitude in their own homes by keeping a small enclosure for purposes of worship and dhyana. The images of saints and sages along with the Deity of family worship may be kept there and worshipped with flowers, incense, and camphor. Such a place will indeed be solitude. This is a liberal interpretation to undertake the practice of Dhyana for self-advancement.
Alone: Meditation has to be practised alone and not in the company of others. In Bhakti Yoga ‘samkirtan‘ and ‘bhajan’ could be carried with greater intensity by groups of like-minded devotees. Not so in Dhyana Yoga. Even the proximity of another is a disturbing factor. So in Dhyana Yoga the aspirant has to remain alone with his mind in communion with the Self.
Control of mind and desirelessness are again emphasised. The aspirant should not receive anything from others. If anything is offered for the bare maintenance of the body, it may be taken. Beyond this, nothing should be touched. If gifts are received, the mind begins to dwell on them, and ‘Dhyana’ is thereby disturbed. Non-receiving of gifts is one of the basic virtues in spiritual life. So dhyana requires complete absorption of the whole self in the Supreme Being without any kind of disturbance or distraction. Dhyana should be continuous and unbroken. Therefore the word ‘satatam‘ is used here. There is no fear the man who is ever wakeful and vigilant in spiritual life. The hostile forces (tamas and rajas) cannot enter the mind when it keeps continuous vigilance. When the light is kept burning always, there is no fear of darkness.
Sri Ramakrishna Says —
The devotees from Manirampur asked the Master how, to realise God.
MASTER: “You must practise spiritual discipline a little. It will not do simply to say that milk contains butter. You must let the milk set into curd and then churn it. Only then can you get butter from it. Spiritual aspirants must go into solitude now and then. After acquiring love of God in solitude, they may live in the world. If one is wearing a pair of shoes, one can easily walk over thorns.
“The most important thing is faith.
As is a man’s meditation, so is his feeling of love;
As is a man’s feeling of love, so is his gain;
And faith is the root of all.
If one has faith one has nothing to fear.”
A DEVOTEE: “Sir, is it necessary to have a guru?”
MASTER: “Yes, many need a guru. But a man must have faith in the guru’s words. He succeeds in spiritual life by looking on his guru as God Himself. Therefore the Vaishnavas speak of Guru, Krishna, and Vaishnava.6
“One should constantly repeat the name of God. The name of God is highly effective in the Kaliyuga. The practice of yoga is not possible in this age, for the life of a man depends on food. Clap your hands while repeating God’s name, and the birds of your sin will fly away.
“One should always seek the company of holy men. The nearer you approach the Ganges, the cooler the breeze will feel. Again, the nearer you go to a fire, the hotter the air will feel.
“But one cannot achieve anything through laziness and procrastination. People who desire worldly enjoyment say about spiritual progress: ‘Well, it will all happen in time. We shall realise God some time or other.’
“I said to Keshab Sen: ‘When a father sees that his son has become restless for his inheritance, he gives him his share of the property even three years before the legal time. A mother keeps on cooking while the baby is in bed sucking its toy. But when it throws the toy away and cries for her, she puts down the rice-pot and takes the baby in her arms and nurses it.’ I said all this to Keshab.
“It is said that, in the Kaliyuga, if a man can weep for God one day and one night, he sees Him.
“Feel piqued at God and say to Him: ‘You have created me. Now You must reveal Yourself to me.’ Whether you live in the world or elsewhere, always fix your mind on God. The mind soaked in worldliness may be compared to a wet match-stick. You won’t get a spark, however much you may rub it. Ekalavya placed the clay image of Drona, his teacher, in front of him and thus learnt archery.7
“Go forward. The wood-cutter, following the instructions of the holy man, went forward and found in the forest sandal-wood and mines of silver and gold; and going still farther, he found diamonds and other precious stones.
“The ignorant are like people living in a house with clay walls. There is very little light inside, and they cannot see outside at all. But those who enter the world after attaining the Knowledge of God are like people living in a house made of glass. For them both inside and outside are light. They can see things outside as well as inside.
“Nothing exists except the One. That One is the Supreme Brahman. So long as He keeps the ‘I’ in us, He reveals to us that it is He who, as the Primal Energy, creates, preserves, and destroys the universe.
“That which is Brahman is also the Primal Energy. Once a king asked a yogi to impart Knowledge to him in one word. The yogi said, ‘All right; you will get Knowledge in one word.’ After a while a magician came to the king. The king saw the magician moving two of his fingers rapidly and heard him exclaim, ‘Behold, O King! Behold.’ The king looked at him amazed when, after a few minutes, he saw the two fingers becoming one. The magician moved that one finger rapidly and said, ‘Behold, O King! Behold.’ The implication of the story is that Brahman and the Primal Energy at first appear to be two. But after attaining the Knowledge of Brahman one does not see the two. Then there is no differentiation; it is One, without a second — Advaita — non-duality.” (Source: Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna)
Question: What are the conditions for the practice of Dhyana Yoga?
Answer: The Yogi should live in solitude. He should be all alone. He should control the mind and body. He should not have any desire. He should not receive any gifts from others.
Question: Following these conditions, what should the Yogi do?
Answer: He should merge his mind in Atma.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 6 
(47 Verses)
