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.

śhrī bhagavān uvācha
anāśhritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ
sa sannyāsī cha yogī cha na niragnir na chākriyaḥ||1||

Meaning : He who performs his obligatory duty without attachment to the fruits of action is a true renunciant (sannyāsī) and a yogi — not one who merely gives up rituals or refrains from activity. A person does not become truly spiritual by abandoning responsibilities or outer practices. Real renunciation and yoga happen within, when one lets go of desires and expectations, yet continues to act with sincerity. It is not about escaping life, but about living fully — without being bound by what comes or goes.