Shloka
आरुरुक्षोर्मुनेर्योगं कर्म कारणमुच्यते |
योगारूढस्य तस्यैव शमः कारणमुच्यते ||६-३||Transliteration
ārurukṣormuneryogaṃ karma kāraṇamucyate .
yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva śamaḥ kāraṇamucyate ||6-3||Translations
Dr.S.Sankaranarayan
6.3. For a sage, who is desirous of mounting upon the Yoga, action is said to be the cause; for the same [sage], when he has mounted upon the Yoga, ietude is said to be the cause.
Shri Purohit Swami
6.3 For the sage who seeks the heights of spiritual meditation, practice is the only method, and when he has attained them, he must maintain himself there by continual self-control.
Sri Abhinav Gupta
6.3 Aruruksoh etc for a sage : For a man of wisdom. Action : that which reires to be performed. Cause (1st) : a means to attain. Quietude : to remain uninterrupted at the stage [already] achieved. Here Cause (2nd) is an indicator. The same idea is made clear as-
Sri Ramanuja
6.3 Karma Yoga is said to be the means for an aspirant for release who ‘seeks to climb the heights of Yoga,’ i.e., the vision of the self. For the same person, when he has climbed the ‘heights of Yoga,’ i.e., when he is established in Yoga - tranility, i.e., freedom from actions is said to be the means. A man should perform actions until he has attained release (Moksa) in the form of the vision of the self. Full release comes only with the fall of the body. The ‘vision of the self’ referred to here is called Moksa by courtesy.
When does not become established in Yoga? Sri Krsna replies:
Sri Shankaracharya
6.3 Aruruksoh, for one who wishes to ascend, who has not ascended, i.e. for that very person who is unable to remain established in Dhyana-yoga;-for which person who is desirous to ascend?-munch, for the sage, i.e. for one who has renounced the results of actions;-trying to ascend to what?-yogam, to (Dhyana-) yoga; karma, action; ucyate, is said to be; the karanam, means. Tasya, for that person, again; yoga-arudhasya, when he has ascended to (Dhyana-) yoga; samah, inaction, withdrawl from all actions; eva, alone; ucyate, is said to be; karanam, the means for remaining poised in the state of meditation. This is the meaning. To the extent that one withdraws from actions, the mind of that man who is at cease and self-controlled becomes concentrated. When this occurs, he at once becomes established in Yoga. And accordingly has it been said by Vyasa: ‘For a Brahmana there is no wealth conparable to (the knowledge of) oneness, sameness, truthfulness, character, eipoise, harmlessness, straightforwardness and withdrawal from various actions’ (Mbh. Sa. 175.37). After that, now is being stated when one becomes established in Yoga:
Swami Adidevananda
6.3 Action is said to be the means for the sage who seeks to climb the heights of Yoga; but when he has climbed the heights of Yoga, tranillity is said to be the means.
Swami Gambirananda
6.3 For the sage who wishes to ascend to (Dhyana-) yoga, action is said to be the means. For that person, when he has ascended to (Dhyana-)yoga, inaction alone is said to be the means.
Swami Sivananda
6.3 For a sage who wishes to attain to Yoga, action is said to be the means; for the same sage who has attained to Yoga, inaction (iescence) is said to be the means.
Commentaries
Swami Sivananda
6.3 आरुरुक्षोः wishing to climb? मुनेः of a Muni or sage? योगम् Yoga? कर्म action? कारणम् the cause? उच्यते is said? योगारूढस्य of one who has attained to Yoga? तस्य of him? एव even? शमः inaction (iescence)? कारणम् the cause? उच्यते is said.Commentary For a man who cannot practise meditation for a long time and who is not able to keep his mind steady in meditation? action is a means to get himself enthroned in Yoga. Action purifies his mind and makes the mind fit for the practice of steady meditation. Action leads to steady concentration and meditation.For the sage who is enthroned in Yoga? Sama or renunciation of actions is said to be the means.The more perfectly he abstains from actions? the more steady his mind is? and the more peaceful,he is? the more easily and thoroughly does his mind get fixed in the Self. For a Brahmana there is no wealth like unto the knowledge of oneness and homogeneity (of the Self in all beings)? truthfulness? good character? steadiness? harmlessness? straightforwardness and renunciation of all actions. (Mahabharata? Santi Parva? 175.38)