dhyānayogaḥ · 6.1
The true saṁnyāsī and true yogī is the karma-yogī who performs the duty meant for inner growth without depending on material results.
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श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
अनाश्रितः(ख्) कर्मफलं(ङ्) कार्यं(ङ्) कर्म करोति यः ।
स संन्यासी च योगी च न निरग्निर्न चाक्रियः ॥६.१॥
śrībhagavānuvāca ।
anāśritaḥ(kh) karmaphalaṁ(ṅ) kāryaṁ(ṅ) karma karoti yaḥ ।
sa saṁnyāsī ca yogī ca na niragnirna cākriyaḥ ॥
🎧 Listen to the shloka
💡 How to understand this
Krishna is teaching Arjuna that a real yogī is not only someone who sits with closed eyes. A real yogī is someone who does the right thing with a calm and good attitude.
Suppose you help clean the classroom. You may like it if the teacher praises you. Praise is nice. But if you help only for praise, you may feel sad or angry when nobody notices. If you help because it is the right thing to do, your mind becomes happy and strong.
Krishna says: do the duty that should be done, but do not make your happiness depend only on the reward. Offer the action to Bhagavān. Then your mind becomes peaceful.
So a true yogī can be a student, a parent, a worker, or a helper. The important thing is not just sitting still. The important thing is doing the right action without being greedy for the result.
📖 A story to remember
Aarav was asked by his teacher to arrange the classroom books. The shelves were messy. Storybooks were mixed with science books, notebooks were lying sideways, and some books had fallen behind the cupboard.
Aarav began happily. “Teacher will be so proud of me,” he thought. He sorted the books, wiped the shelf, and placed labels on the boxes. After a long time, the library corner looked neat.
Just then the bell rang. The teacher had to rush to another class. She smiled and said, “Thank you, Aarav,” but there was no big praise in front of everyone.
Aarav’s face became dull. “I worked so hard,” he thought, “and nobody even clapped.”
Later, his grandfather asked, “Did the classroom become better?”
Aarav nodded. “Yes. Everyone can find the books now.”
Grandfather said, “Then your work was good. Praise is sweet, but doing the right thing gives a deeper happiness.”
The next day, Aarav saw his friends happily finding their books. He smiled. This time, he did not wait for claps. He felt happy because he had helped.
That is Krishna’s teaching. Do the right action well. Enjoy appreciation if it comes, but do not depend on it.
🤔 Think about it
◈Can I do one helpful thing today without waiting for praise?
◈When I do my homework or help at home, can I do it because it is the right thing to do?
⭐ Remember this
This verse begins the meditation chapter by showing that karma-yoga is the first general preparation for meditation. The true saṁnyāsī and yogī is the one who performs duty for inner growth without depending on material results. Bhagavān rejects two superficial ideas: mere ritual-renunciation is not saṁnyāsa, and mere inactivity is not yoga.
🎯 Challenge!
Can you explain this shloka to a friend in your own words? Try telling the story to someone in your family!