Now, here is very important point. Yaṁ sannyāsam iti prāhuḥ. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa instructs Arjuna that "Whatever is known as sannyāsa, renounced order of life, that is also yoga." Yoga system and sannyāsa, there is no difference because everything on the yoga system... This Bhagavad-gītā is also known as yoga system. You'll find here three kinds of yoga: karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, and bhakti-yoga. So just like you have got a staircase to rise up to the fifth or sixth or tenth floor, or more than that, the whole staircase or the lift service is called yoga. Now, somebody may be in the fifth floor, somebody may be in the tenth floor, somebody may be on the fiftieth floor, but the same lift service is going. You take the lift service as the yoga, connection between the highest story to the down. Anyone who has elevated himself to a certain platform... Someone is called karma-yogī, someone is called jñāna-yogī, someone is called dhyāna-yogī, someone is called bhakti-yogī. So there are different kinds of yoga in this conception. Otherwise, this lift service, yoga service, is the same. It is, the difference is between the elevation point.
So similarly, yaṁ sannyāsam iti prāhur yogaṁ taṁ viddhi pāṇḍava (BG 6.2). "Oh Arjuna." Pāṇḍava means "the son of Pāṇḍu, Arjuna." "You can understand that what is sannyāsa and what is yoga, they are the same principle." They are the same principle how? Na hy asannyasta-saṅkalpo yogī bhavati kaścana. Because without being freed from desires of sense gratification, nobody can become either a yogi or a sannyāsī. Everyone is trying to have some profit out of his activities. There are many yogis, they perform yoga system or teach yoga system for some profit, but that is not the idea of yoga system. Everything should be engaged in the service of the Lord. Everything. Whatever we do, either as ordinary worker or as sannyāsī or as yogi, or as jñānī, all our energies should be dovetailed with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is real sannyāsa, that is real yoga. Ārurukṣor muner yogaṁ karma kāraṇam ucyate. Those who are just stepping on the staircase of the yoga system, for them, karma kāraṇam ucyate, they must work. In the beginning, nobody should stop working. Nobody should stop working.
Just like you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā that Kṛṣṇa requesting Arjuna to become a yogi, but He never asked him to cease from the fight. How one can become a yogi, at the same time remain a fighter? That, a practical example you see. Kṛṣṇa is asking Arjuna, tasmād yogī bhavārjuna. "My dear Arjuna, therefore you become a yogi." But at the same time, He's asking to fight. Now, we know the yogi sits down at a place and meditates and concentrates his mind and controls his senses. How is that he is fighting, at the same time yogi? Huh? This is the mystery of Bhagavad-gītā. You can remain a fighting man, at the same time the highest yogi, highest sannyāsī. How? In Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You have to fight for Kṛṣṇa. That's all. That is the secret. That is the secret. If you fight for Kṛṣṇa, if you fight for work...work for Kṛṣṇa, if you eat for Kṛṣṇa, if you sleep for Kṛṣṇa, if you do everything for Kṛṣṇa, then you are the yogi, you are the sannyāsī, and you are everything. That is the secret of Bhagavad-gītā. It is practical example. We see that Arjuna is asked, tasmād yogī bhavārjuna. "My dear..." Now you'll find in this chapter, Kṛṣṇa will instruct Arjuna how to become a dhyāna-yogī. That is meditation, yogi in meditation. He will ask Arjuna in this chapter, and you'll find, Arjuna will say, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, it is impossible for me. It is impossible for me. This system which You recommend for meditation is not possible for me." And actually also, although the instruction of yoga system is offered to Kṛṣṇa in very full details, you'll never find in the history of Arjuna's life that ever he became a meditator. Ever. Then how he became the most perfect yogi? Oh, that is, that we'll find at the end of this chapter, that "One who is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa..."
- yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
- mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā
- śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
- sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
- (BG 6.47)
Kṛṣṇa, when He saw that Arjuna, he is (chuckles) declining, then He said, "My dear Arjuna, you are the highest yogi. You are the topmost yogi." Why? "Because you are always thinking of Me." That's all. "You have no other business than to think of Me." So this is the yoga system, this is the sannyāsa system, this is the jñāna system. All perfections of jñāna, yoga, dhyāna, and whatever, sacrifice, charity, and penance, all the recommended activities for spiritual realization ends in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So if you directly become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then you are yogi, sannyāsī, and everything. As it is stated here, sa sannyāsī ca yogī ca. "He is sannyāsī, he is yogi, and he is everything." He's everything. So this simple method, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, is the highest perfection of life. Therefore this society is established for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The techniques are there in the Bhagavad-gītā and there are Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Just try to accept this principle of life and your, this human form of life will be successful and perfect by Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So ārurukṣor muner yogaṁ karma kāraṇam ucyate. Those who are in the preliminary stage, they should always work for Kṛṣṇa. Always. They must find out always some duty, "What is there to work now for Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Karma kāraṇam ucyate. They should not remain idle for a second. Always find out some duty. That is meditation. "How I shall work for Kṛṣṇa?"
- ārurukṣor muner yogaṁ
- karma kāraṇam ucyate
- yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva
- śamaḥ kāraṇam ucyate
- (BG 6.3)
And when one is advanced in perfect stage of that Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he may not physically work, but because within himself he's always working for Kṛṣṇa... Karma kāraṇam ucyate. So in the beginning... Just like small boys and children, they are always twenty-four hours engaged in the schooling. Otherwise they'll be spoiled. Similarly, those who are in the preliminary stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness they should always engage themselves in the work. There are varieties of work. There are varieties of work.
Now, those who are actually working with our society, they practically do not find any time, any rest. There are so many work that one cannot finish. Day and night we have got work for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And we are happy to execute such work. And the students who are working with us, cooperating, they are also happy. You'll find happiness. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours, you'll never get tired, and that is the... You'll never get tired. In any other material thing, if you chant or you repeat three times, you'll get tired. It is practical test. But if you go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours, you'll never get tired. So if you engage yourself in the activity of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you'll never get tired because you are acting on the spiritual platform. Spiritual platform is absolute. The material platform is different. If you work very hard, then you get tired. So this is, these are the understandings of spiritual consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Now here it is very clearly explained:
- yadā hi nendriyārtheṣu
- na karmasv anuṣajjate
- sarva-saṅkalpa-sannyāsī
- yogārūḍhas tadocyate
- (BG 6.4)
When one becomes first-class yogi or when one is considered to be elevated in the highest yogic platform or sannyāsa platform, yadā, at that time, when, na indriyārtheṣu, a person works not for sense gratification... That's all. Everyone works for sense gratification. In the material world, everyone is working for sense gratification. Everyone works here to get some reward, some remuneration, for wages, and that is utilized for sense gratification. Now here it said, yogārūḍha. "When one is perfect yogi..." That is explained here that yadā hi na indriyārtheṣu. "When one does not work for sense gratification," na karmasv anuṣajjate, "he does not engage himself in the work simply for sense gratification." And sarva-saṅkalpa-sannyāsī, "And he has no desire to get any fruit." Because his desired thing, Kṛṣṇa, is already there. So he has no other desire. Sarva-saṅkalpa-sannyāsī yogārūḍhas tadocyate. At that time he is considered to be situated in the perfect stage of... (end)