śhuchau deśhe pratiṣhṭhāpya sthiram āsanam ātmanaḥ
nātyuchchhritaṁ nāti-nīchaṁ chailājina-kuśhottaram||11||

Meaning : Let the yogi prepare a firm seat in a clean, quiet place for meditation. The seat should be neither too high nor too low. It should be made using a cloth, deerskin, and sacred grass (kuśa) layered in that order.

yogī yuñjīta satatam ātmānaṁ rahasi sthitaḥ
ekākī yata-chittātmā nirāśhīr aparigrahaḥ||10||

Meaning : A yogi should constantly practice connecting with the Self (through meditation and discipline),
while staying in a quiet, secluded place, alone, with a controlled mind and body. Free from desires and possessions, such a person is fit for deep spiritual practice.

suhṛin-mitrāryudāsīna-madhyastha-dveṣhya-bandhuṣhu
sādhuṣhvapi cha pāpeṣhu sama-buddhir viśhiṣhyate||9||

Meaning : A true yogi sees all people equally—friends, enemies, strangers, and relatives. They treat the virtuous and the sinful, the kind and the hateful, without bias. Such even-mindedness shows the highest level of spiritual wisdom.

jñāna-vijñāna-tṛiptātmā kūṭa-stho vijitendriyaḥ
yukta ityuchyate yogī sama-loṣhṭāśhma-kāñchanaḥ||8||

Meaning : The true yogi is satisfied within through knowledge and realization, unmoved by circumstances, detached from sensory pull, and sees all material things with equal vision—because their joy is rooted in the eternal, not the temporary.

jitātmanaḥ praśhāntasya paramātmā samāhitaḥ
śhītoṣhṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣhu tathā mānāpamānayoḥ||7||

Meaning : For the person who has mastered the mind (jitātmanaḥ) and attained inner peace (praśāntasya), the Paramātmā—the Supreme Self—is not just a concept but a living presence within. This person experiences divine union; the soul rests in harmony with the Supreme. Such a yogi is unshaken by the dualities of the material world: Heat and cold – representing physical comfort or discomfort, external conditions. Pleasure and pain – emotional or mental states arising from life’s situations. Honor and dishonor – social praise or criticism, respect or disrespect. These opposites do not disturb the inner balance of the person who is established in the Self. They see all experiences with equanimity, not reacting based on ego or desire, but staying rooted in spiritual awareness.

bandhur ātmātmanas tasya yenātmaivātmanā jitaḥ
anātmanas tu śhatrutve vartetātmaiva śhatru-vat||6||

Meaning : For one who has conquered the mind, the mind becomes the best friend. But for one who has failed to control it, the mind acts as the worst enemy. Thus, the self is both friend and foe depending on one’s inner discipline.

uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet
ātmaiva hyātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ||5||

Meaning : One should uplift oneself through one’s own efforts and not allow oneself to fall. The self (mind) is one’s own best friend when controlled. But when uncontrolled, the self becomes one’s own worst enemy.

yadā hi nendriyārtheṣhu na karmasv-anuṣhajjate
sarva-saṅkalpa-sannyāsī yogārūḍhas tadochyate||4||

Meaning : When a person is not attached to sense objects or to actions, and has renounced all desires (intentions born of will), that person is said to be established in Yoga (i.e., has truly ascended to the state of Yoga).

ārurukṣhor muner yogaṁ karma kāraṇam uchyate
yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva śhamaḥ kāraṇam uchyate||3||

Meaning : For a sage who is beginning the path of yoga,
action (karma) is said to be the means;
but for one who is already established in yoga (yogārūḍha),
tranquility and stillness (śhama) is said to be the means.

For the Advanced (Yogārūḍha – One Who Has Risen in Yoga):
Stillness (śhama) becomes the means.
Here, the seeker is no longer bound by restlessness or craving.
They shift from doing to being — resting in deep inner quiet and unwavering detachment.
The mind is calm, desireless, and centered in the Self.
This is the stage of surrender — where peace is no longer sought, but lived.

For the Beginner (Ārurukṣu – One Who Desires to Rise in Yoga):
Action (karma) is the path and the discipline.
It means engaging in selfless service, disciplined living, mindful work, and spiritual practice.
Through steady and conscious effort, the mind begins to purify and slowly detaches from distractions and desires.This is the stage of inner training — where effort refines the self and prepares it for deeper truth.

yaṁ sannyāsam iti prāhur yogaṁ taṁ viddhi pāṇḍava
na hyasannyasta-saṅkalpo yogī bhavati kaśhchana||2||

Meaning : What people call renunciation (sannyāsa),
understand that to be the same as yoga (spiritual discipline), O Arjuna.
For no one becomes a true yogi who has not renounced selfish desires and personal intentions (saṅkalpa). People often think renunciation means giving up possessions or withdrawing from the world. But Krishna says: Renunciation and Yoga are the same path when understood rightly. It is not about escaping life, but about releasing the ego’s grip — acting without craving, living without clinging. Only when the mind is free from personal agendas can one walk the true path of union and inner peace.