Shloka
शनैः शनैरुपरमेद् बुद्ध्या धृतिगृहीतया |
आत्मसंस्थं मनः कृत्वा न किञ्चिदपि चिन्तयेत् ||६-२५||Transliteration
śanaiḥ śanairuparamed buddhyā dhṛtigṛhītayā .
ātmasaṃsthaṃ manaḥ kṛtvā na kiñcidapi cintayet ||6-25||Translations
Dr.S.Sankaranarayan
6.25. Very slowly remain iet, keeping the mind well established in the Self by means of the intellect held in steadiness; and lest him not think of anything (object).
Shri Purohit Swami
6.25 Little by little, by the help of his reason controlled by fortitude, let him attain peace; and, fixing his mind on the Self, let him not think of any other thing.
Sri Abhinav Gupta
6.24-25 Sankalpa - etc. Sanaih etc. By mind alone : i.e., not by withdrawing from activities. Holding steadiness; thinning, step after step, the misery born of desired; let him not think anything like receiving and abandoning objects and so on.
Others have explained [the passage] as ‘Let him think only negation (or void). But this (explanation) is not up to our taste. For, that world result in the doctrine of nihilism. What is to be achieved is not a mere withdrawl [or one-self] from the objects. This is stated as -
Sri Ramanuja
6.24 - 6.25 There are two kinds of desires: 1) those born of contact between the senses and objects like heat, cold etc.; 2) those generated by our mind (will) like that for sons, land etc. Of these, the latter type of desires are by their own nature relinishable. Relinishing all these by the mind through contemplation on their lack of association with the self; having relinished the ideas of pleasure and pain in respect of unavoidable desires resulting from contract; restraining all the senses on all sides, i.e., from contact with all their objects - one should think of nothing else, i.e., other than the self. Little by little ‘with the help of intellect controlled by firm resolution,’ i.e., by the power of discrimination, one should think of nothing else, having fixed the mind on the self.
Sri Shankaracharya
6.25 Tyaktva, by eschewing; asesatah, totally, without a trace; sarvan, all; the kamam, desires; sankalpa-prabhavan, which arise from thoughts; and further, viniyamya, restraining; manasa eva, with the mind itself, with the mind endued with discrimination; indriya-gramam, all the organs; samantatah, from every side; uparamet, one should withdraw, abstain; sanaih sanaih, gradually, not suddenly;-with what?-buddhya, with the intellect;- possessed of what distinction?-dhrti-grhitaya, endowed with steadiness, i.e. with fortitude. Krtva, making manah, the mind; atma-samstham, fixed in the Self, with the idea, ‘The Self alone is all; there is nothing apart from It’-thus fixing the mind on the Self; na cintayet, one should not think of; kincit api, anything whatsoever. Thisis the highest instruction about Yoga.
Swami Adidevananda
6.25 Little by little one should withdraw oneself from the objects other than the self with the help of the intellect held by firm resolution; and then one should think of nothing else, having fixed the mind upon the self.
Swami Gambirananda
6.25 One should gradually withdraw with the intellect endowed with steadiness. Making the mind fixed in the Self, one should not think of anything whatsoever.
Swami Sivananda
6.25 Little by little let him attain to ietude by the intellect held firmly; having made the mind establish itself in the Self, let him not think of anything.
Commentaries
Swami Sivananda
6.25 शनैः gradually? शनैः gradually? उपरमेत् let him attain to ietude? बुद्ध्या by the intellect? धृतिगृहीतया held in firmness? आत्मसंस्थम् placed in the Self? मनः the mind? कृत्वा having made? न not? किञ्चित् anything? अपि even? चिन्तयेत् let him think.Commentary The practitioner of Yoga should attain tranillity gradually or by degrees? by,means of the intellect controlled by steadiness. The peace of the Eternal will fill the heart gradually with thrill and bliss through the constant and protracted practice of steady conentration. He should make the mind constantly abide in the Self within through ceaseless practice. If anyone constantly thinks of the immortal Self within? the mind will cease to think of the objects of sensepleasure. The mental energy should be directed along the spiritual channel by Atmachintana or constant contemplation on the Self.