Shloka
नात्यश्नतस्तु योगोऽस्ति न चैकान्तमनश्नतः |
न चातिस्वप्नशीलस्य जाग्रतो नैव चार्जुन ||६-१६||Transliteration
nātyaśnatastu yogo.asti na caikāntamanaśnataḥ .
na cātisvapnaśīlasya jāgrato naiva cārjuna ||6-16||Translations
Dr.S.Sankaranarayan
6.16. Yoga is neither for him who eats too much; nor for him who totally abstains from eating; nor for him who is prone to sleep too much; and nor for him who keeps awake too much.
Shri Purohit Swami
6.16 Meditation is not for him who eats too much, not for him who eats not at all; not for him who is overmuch addicted to sleep, not for him who is always awake.
Sri Abhinav Gupta
6.16 See Comment under 6.17
Sri Ramanuja
6.16 Over-eating and excessive fasting are opposed to Yoga. So also are excessive recreation and non-recreation, too much of sleep and too much of vigil. So too, are overwork and idleness.
Sri Shankaracharya
6.16 (Tu, but) O Arjuna, Yoga na asti, is not; atiasnatah, for one who eats too much, for one who eats food more than his capacity; na ca, nor is Yoga; anasnatah, for one who does not eat; ekantam, at all. This accords with the Vedic text, ‘As is well known, if one eats that much food which is within one’s capacity, then it sustains him, it does not hurt him; that which is more, it harms him; that which is less, it does not sustain him’ (Sa. Br.; Bo. Sm. 2.7.22). Therefore, a yogi should not eat food more or less than what is suitable for him. Or the meaning is that Yoga is not for one who eats more food than what is prescribed for a yogi in the scriptures on Yoga. Indeed, the antity has been mentioned in, ‘One half of the stomach is to be filled with food including curries; the third arter is to be filled with water; but the fourth arter is to be left for the movement of air,’ etc. Similarly, Yoga is not for ati svapna-silasya, one who habitually sleeps too long; and Yoga is na eva, surely not; jagratah, for one who keeps awake too long. How, again, does Yoga become possibel? This is being stated:
Swami Adidevananda
6.16 Yoga is not for him who over-eats, nor for him who fasts excessively; not for him, O Arjuna, who sleeps too much, nor for him who stays awake too long.
Swami Gambirananda
6.16 But, O Arjuna, Yoga is not for one who eats too much, nor for one who does not eat at all; neither for one who habitually sleeps too long, nor surely for one who keeps awake.
Swami Sivananda
6.16 Verily Yoga is not possible for him who eats too much, nor for him who does not eat at all, nor for him who sleeps too much, nor for him who is (always) awake, O Arjuna.
Commentaries
Swami Sivananda
6.16 न not? अत्यश्नतः of one who eats too much? तु verily? योगः Yoga? अस्ति is? न not? च and? एकान्तम् at all? अनश्नतः of one who does not eat? न not? च and? अतिस्वप्नशीलस्य of one who sleeps too much? जाग्रतः one who is awake? न not? एव even? च and? अर्जुन O Arjuna.Commentary In this verse the Lord prescribes the diet for the students of Yoga. You must observe moderation in eating and sleeping. If you eat too much you will feel drowsy? and sleep will overpower you. You will get indigestion? flatulence? diseases of the bowels and the liver. If you eat too little you will get weakness and you will not be able to sit for a long time in meditation. You should eat neither more nor less than what is actually necessary for maintaining the body in a healthy and strong state.It may mean also that success in Yoga is not possible for him who eats more than the antity prescribed in the text books on Yoga. They prescribe Half the stomach must be filled with food a arter with water and the remaining fourth must be empty for the free movement of air. This is the Mitahara or moderate diest for a student of Yoga.If you sleep too much you will become lethargic. The mind will be dull and the body will be heavy. You cannot meditate. If you sleep too little you will experience drowsiness. You will sleep during meditation. Keep the golden medium. You will have rapid progress in Yoga.