Gita 6: Dhyana Yoga (Meditation) Realization of Atman

1. Introduction and summary of Chapter 6 - The Yoga of Meditation (Dhyana Yoga)
2. Reading chapter 6 - The Yoga of Meditation (Dhyana) (Gandhi's Gita, Sivananda):
3. Key themes of the Dhyana Yoga chapter:
   1. Verses 1-4: Karma Yoga and Nishkama Karma (action performed without expectation of its results). The Yogi as Sannyasin and wise
   2. Verses 5-6: Self-conquest of the Self (Atman)
   3. Verses 7-10: Profile of the yogi who has conquered himself
   4. Verses 11-32: The practice of meditation (Dhyana Yoga)
   5. Verses 32-36: Self-control of the mind and yoga
   6. Verses 37-47: The destiny of those who have faith but distance themselves from yoga. Bhakti and Dhyana Yoga
4. Reading the versified adaptation of this chapter
5. Analysis of each verse (Shloka) and his Comments by Chapter 6 (Gita Makaranadam by Swami Vidya Prakashananda)
6. Swami Vivekananda Readings
7. Exercises of Chapter 6 - The Yoga of Meditation (Dhyana Yoga)

Outline of Chapter 6 - The Yoga of Meditation

The Yoga of Meditation (Dhyana / Raja Yoga) is the path that through Meditation leads to the direct perception of Atman (the inner self). Once Atman is realized, man achieves enlightenment, freeing himself from the cycle of rebirth, merges with the Lord and sees Him in all beings and objects.

For Sri Swami Sivananda:

For Swami Vivekananda:

The Bhagavad Gita according to Swami Vivekananda

Sri Krishna again reminded Arjuna who is a true yogi or Sannyasin (renunciant): one who has renounced the fruits of actions, not the actions themselves.

«The Lord said: He who performs his prescribed duties without desiring the results of his actions is a true Sannyasin and a Yogi. It is not who has stopped performing sacrifices like the Agnihotra Yajna or who has abandoned bodily activities.» Bhagavad Gita 6-1.

With this assertion, Sri Krishna highlighted that Karma Yoga (“perform all obligatory actions, without depending on their fruits”) was a stepping stone (in the words of Swami Sivananda) towards the Yoga of Meditation, saying that it was Sannyasin or Yoga:

Krishna then uttered the following enigmatic phrase:

«For the wise man who aspires to perfection in Yoga, work without attachment is his means; For the wise man who has realized Yoga, tranquility in meditation is the means of him» Bhagavad Gita 6-3.

And Krishna emphasized to Arjuna:

«He who is not attached to sense objects or actions, and has renounced all desires for their fruits, has attained the goal of the science of Yoga» Bhagavad Gita 6-4.

He also stressed that man has to decide his behavior, balance himself in the face of success or failure and follow the path of self-realization:

Swami Vidya Prakashananda's Commentary on this verse:

«The great teachers point out that there are ways and means to overcome difficulties in controlling the mind. Although the Lord admits the restlessness of the mind, he encourages Arjuna that there is a way to control it, and the way is practice and dispassion. Thus, the Lord wants his disciple not to panic and not submit to the tyranny of the mind. Although it is difficult, it is not impossible. Man's achievements prove that difficult things are not impossible things to achieve. So the nature of the mind, whatever it is, is not impossible to overcome.
This part of the Bhagavad Gita is of utmost importance for all those who wish to explore the spiritual path.

Patanjali also expressed the same opinion..»

Yoga Sutras - Yoga Sutras by Swami Vivekananda

The rest of this summary of the Training “Yoga of Meditation” is only available to students of the Gita Institute

Example: Chapter 6 verse 29 of the Bhagavad Gita (Swami Vidya Prakashananda)