6.23 The parting from pain Krishna speaks
तं विद्याद् दुःखसंयोगवियोगं योगसंज्ञितम्
स निश्चयेन योक्तव्यो योगोऽनिर्विण्णचेतसा
taṁ vidyād duḥkha-sanyoga-viyogaṁ yogasaṅjñitam
sa niśhchayena yoktavyo yogo ’nirviṇṇa-chetasā
know that to be yoga: the parting from union with pain. It should be practised with resolve, and without discouragement.
Explanation
The Gita's own definition of yoga, and it is negative.
duḥkha-saṁyoga-viyogam — the parting from union with pain. Not the gaining of bliss, not union with the divine: a separation from something you were joined to.
And the instruction that follows is two words long: with resolve, and without discouragement.
Going further
Word by word
- tam
- that
- vidyāt
- you should know
- duḥkha-sanyoga-viyogam
- state of severance from union with misery
- yoga-saṁjñitam
- is known as yog
- saḥ
- that
- niśhchayena
- resolutely
- yoktavyaḥ
- should be practiced
- yogaḥ
- yog
- anirviṇṇa-chetasā
- with an undeviating mind
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The Gita's own definition of yoga, and it is negative: duḥkha-sanyoga-viyogam — the parting from union with pain.
Not the gaining of bliss. The undoing of a joining that was already there. And then, tellingly, the instruction to practise anirviṇṇa-chetasā — without discouragement — which concedes that the process gives you plenty of reason to be discouraged.