Shloka

असंयतात्मना योगो दुष्प्राप इति मे मतिः |
वश्यात्मना तु यतता शक्योऽवाप्तुमुपायतः ||६-३६||

Transliteration

asaṃyatātmanā yogo duṣprāpa iti me matiḥ .
vaśyātmanā tu yatatā śakyo.avāptumupāyataḥ ||6-36||

Translations

Dr.S.Sankaranarayan

6.36. My belief is that attaining Yoga is difficult for a man of uncontrolled self (mind); but it is possible to attain by [proper] means by a person who exerts with his subdued self.

Shri Purohit Swami

6.36 It is not possible to attain Self-Realisation if a man does not know how to control himself; but for him who, striving by proper means, learns such control, it is possible.

Sri Abhinav Gupta

6.36 Asamyata - etc. In do way whatsoever, is the Yoga attainable for a man with uncontrolled self i.e., for a man without desirelessness. One, with subdued self : one, with an attitude of desirelessness. By him who exerts : by him who has practice. By means : by undertaking the means enjoined in many scriptures of the Siddanta and the rest.

Sri Ramanuja

6.36 Yoga is hard to attain even in spite of great efforts by one of unrestrained self, i.e., of unrestrained mind. But the same Yoga which is of the form of sameness of vision can be attained by proper means by one who is striving, whose ‘mind is subdued,’ i.e., by one whose mind is conered by works (Karma Yoga) taught before, which is of the nature of My worship and which includes within itself knowledge (Jnana).

Then Arjuna puts estions in order to hear the greatness of Yoga, as it really is, which he has already heard about at the beginning of the teaching, ‘Here there is no loss of effort’ (2.40). There the greatness of Karma Yoga as inclusive of knowledge of the self with Yoga as its culmination was taught. This alone is the real greatness of Yoga.

Sri Shankaracharya

6.36 Me, My; matih, conviction; is iti, that; Yoga is dusprapah, difficult to be attained; asamyata-atmana, by one of uncontrolled mind, by one who has not controlled his mind, the internal organ, by practice and detachment. Tu, but, on the other hand; sakyah, Yoga is possible; avaptum, to be attained; yatata, by one who strives, who repeatedly makes effort; upayatah, through the means described above; and vasyatmany, by one of controlled mind, by him whose mind has been brought under control through practice and detachment. As to that, by accepting the practice of Yoga, actions leading to the attainment of this or the next world may be renounced by a yogi, and yet he may not attain the result of perfection in Yoga, i.e. full Illumination, which is the means to Liberation. Conseently, at the time of death his mind may waver from the path of Yoga. Apprehending that he may be thery ruined.

Swami Adidevananda

6.36 In my opinion Yoga is hard to attain by a person of unrestrained mind. However, it can be attained through right means by him, who strives for it and has a subdued mind.

Swami Gambirananda

6.36 My conviction is that Yoga is difficult to be attained by one of uncontrolled mind. But it is possible to be attained through the (above) means by one who strives and has a controlled mind.

Swami Sivananda

6.36 I think Yoga is hard to be attained by one of uncontrolled self, but the self-controlled and striving one can attain to it by the (proper) means.

Commentaries

Swami Sivananda

6.36 असंयतात्मना by a man of uncontrolled self? योगः Yoga? दुष्प्रापः hard to attain? इति thus? मे My? मतिः opinion? वश्यात्मना by the selfcontrolled one? तु but? यतता by the striving one? शक्यः possible? अवाप्तुम् to obtain? उपायतः by (proper) means.Commentary Uncontrolled self he who has not controlled the senses and the mind by the constant practice of dispassion and meditation. Selfcontrolled he who has controlled the mind by the constant practice of dispassion and meditation. He can attain Selfrealisation by the right means and constant endeavour.