(Image Courtesy Mahanidhiswami)

To Achieve Perfect State of Yoga, Only Qualification is to be Desireless

श्रुतिविप्रतिपन्ना ते यदा स्थास्यति निश्चला |
समाधावचला बुद्धिस्तदा योगमवाप्स्यसि || 2.53||

śhruti-vipratipannā te yadā sthāsyati niśhchalā
samādhāv-achalā buddhis tadā yogam avāpsyasi|| 2.53||

Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 2- Ver. 53:

You will achieve the condition of perfect Yoga when your intellect no longer succumbs to the fruitive sections of the Vedas and remains stable in divine consciousness.

Explanation

As sadhakas go along the spiritual path, their mental bond with God grows stronger. They find the Vedic rituals they were previously doing difficult and time-consuming at that time. They then worry if they are obligated to continue practicing the rituals alongside their devotion, and if they reject the ceremony and devote themselves entirely to their Sadhana, will they be breaking the law? This poem will provide a solution to such people’s doubts. It is not an offence, according to Shree Krishna, to be fixed in Sadhana without being allured to the fruitive sections of the Vedas; rather, it is a higher spiritual state.

We shall begin to encounter moments of equanimity in the early stages of our spiritual path. These are going to be brief and ephemeral moments, but that’s fine. These times will get longer and more regular as we continue to develop equanimity. But something – a memory from the past, a critical remark made by a friend, a desire for an object – constantly pulls us out of equanimity and back into the world of moha.

As a result, we should strive for something better. This Shloka depicts the most advanced stage of yoga, in which one is always in a state of equanimity, regardless of the situation. And when that happens, we will always be connected to the everlasting essence, which is imperceptible and inexplicable. The only way to obtain the eternal essence is to do so. When this occurs, the experience is known as “Samadhi,” and it marks the end of one’s spiritual path.

Meditation requires a high level of dispassion. When the sole goal you have is to achieve Realization, you are unconcerned about the rest of the world. This condition of abstinence serves as a springboard for ascending to the lofty heights of meditation and eventually Realization.

Karma Yoga, selfless focused activity that erases the majority of wants, is where a seeker begins his spiritual journey. All materialistic pursuits cease when the seeker becomes inwardly focused. Jnana Yoga helps him achieve dispassion through wisdom. She/he now has only a few refined desires to attain enlightenment, to serve the guru, and to work for world welfare. Then he or she is suitable for mediation.

Meditation is a practice that involves focusing the mind on a single thought and not allowing it to wander to any other concept that is not under the control of the intellect. With dispassion, the mind chants the chosen mantra. The intellect can tell the difference between sound, mantra, and the quiet in between.

Stop chanting while your mind is in deep meditation. The flow of ideas stops. The mind fades away when there are no more thoughts. The intellect, which formerly distinguished between sound and quiet, now serves no purpose. It becomes confused because it has no purpose. It is cast into the unknown land of stillness. As a result, it is stunned, astonished, and perplexed. When the individual joins with the totality, this is the state of awe or amazement that leads to Realization.

Verse & what we can learn

The perfect state of yoga is possible only when one evolves out of desires, expectations and benefits.

In the next verse, Arjuna asks Shri Krishna about the qualities of a person with divine consciousness.

Let’s learn to live with “The Gita” via Meditation Affinity…