Shloka
युक्ताहारविहारस्य युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु |
युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य योगो भवति दुःखहा ||६-१७||Transliteration
yuktāhāravihārasya yuktaceṣṭasya karmasu .
yuktasvapnāvabodhasya yogo bhavati duḥkhahā ||6-17||Translations
Dr.S.Sankaranarayan
6.17. The Yoga becomes a misery-killer for him whose effort for food is appropriate, exertion in activities is proper, and sleep and waking are proportionate.
Shri Purohit Swami
6.17 But for him who regulates his food and recreation, who is balanced in action, in sleep and in waking, it shall dispel all unhappiness.
Sri Abhinav Gupta
6.16-17 Yogosti etc. Yuktahara etc. For foods : for sense-objects that are being brought [by sense-organs]. Effort : activity for enjoying [them]. Its appropriateness is neither to have unlimited indulgence, nor to have unlimited abstention. The same is in all cases. The rest [of the text] is clear. On the authority of the Sage [Vyasa], the form jagaratah etc. [may be viewed correct] as those in the Vedic literature. The same is in other similar instances also.
Sri Ramanuja
6.17 The ‘yoga which destroys all sorrows,’ i.e., unties bondages, is successfully practised by him who is temperate in eating and recreation, temperate in exertion, and temperate in sleep and vigil.
Sri Shankaracharya
6.17 Yogah bhavati, Yoga becomes; duhkha-ha, a destroyer of sorrow-that which destroys (hanti) all sorrows (duhkhani)-, i.e., Yoga destroys all worldly sorrows; yukta-ahara-viharasya, of one whose eating and movements are regulated- ahara (lit. food) means all that is gathered in, [According to the Commentator, ahara, which also means food, includes mental ‘food as well. See Ch. 7.26.2.-Tr.] and vihara means moving about, walking; one for whom these two are regulated (yukta) is yukta-ahara-vihara-; and also yukta-cestasya, of one whose effort (cesta) is moderate (yukta); karmasu, in works; similarly, yukta-svapna-avabodhasya, of one whose sleep (svapna) and wakefulness (avabodha) are temperate (yukta), have regulated periods. To him whose eating and movements are regulated, whose effort in work is moderate, whose sleep and wakefulness are temperate, Yoga becomes a destroyer of sorrows. When does a man become concentrated? That is being presently stated:
Swami Adidevananda
6.17 Yoga becomes the destroyer of sorrows to him who is temperate in food and recreation, who is temperate in actions, who is temperate in sleep and wakefulness.
Swami Gambirananda
6.17 Yoga becomes a destroyer of sorrow of one whose eating and movements are regulated, whose effort in works is moderate, and whose sleep and wakefulness are temperate.
Swami Sivananda
6.17 Yoga becomes the destroyer of pain for him who is moderate in eating and recreation (such as walking, etc.), who is moderate in exertion in actions, who is moderate in sleep and wakefulness.
Commentaries
Swami Sivananda
6.17 युक्ताहारविहारस्य of one who is moderate in eating and recreation (such as walking? etc.)? युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु of one who is moderate in exertion in actions? युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य of one who is moderate in sleep and wakefulness? योगः Yoga? भवति becomes? दुःखहा the destroyer of pain.Commentary In this verse the Lord prescribes for the student of Yoga? diet? recreation and th like. The student of Yoga should always adopt the happy medium or the middle course. Lord Buddha went to the extremes in the beginning in matters of food? drink? etc. He was very abstemious and became extremely weak. He tortured his body very much. Therefore he was not able to attain to success in Yoga. Too much of austerity is not necessary for Selfrealisation. This is condemned by the Lord in chapter XVII? verses 5 and 6. Austerity should not mean selftorture. Then it becomes diabolical. The Buddi Yoga of Krishna is a wise approach to austerity. Some aspirants take asceticism as the goal it is only the means but not the end. The nervous system is extremely,sensitive. It responds even to very slight changes and causes distraction of the mind. It is? therefore? very necessary that you should lead a very regulated and disciplined life and should be moderate in food? sleep and recreation. Take measured food. Sleep and wake up at the prescribed time. Sleeo at 9 or 10 p.m. and get up at 3 or 4 a.m. Only then will you attain to success in Yoga which will kill all sorts or pains and sorrows of this life.