dhyānayogaḥ · 6.23
One should know this yoga as disconnection from association with sorrow, and it must be practiced with firm conviction and a mind that does not become discouraged.
तं(वँ) विद्याद्दुःखसंयोगः(ग) वियोगं(यँ) योगसंज्ञितम् ।
स निश्चयेन योक्तवयः(व्यो) योगोऽनिर्विण्णचेतसा ॥६.२३॥
taṁ(v̐) vidyādduḥkhasaṁyogaḥ(ga) viyogaṁ(y̐) yogasaṁjñitam ।
sa niścayena yoktavyaḥ(yo) yogo'nirviṇṇacetasā ॥
🎧 Listen to the shloka
💡 How to understand this
Krishna is teaching Arjuna not to give up.
Sometimes when we sit for prayer, the mind runs away. Sometimes we feel sad. Sometimes we feel, “I cannot do this.” Krishna says we should not become discouraged.
Yoga means learning not to get completely stuck to sadness. Sadness may come, but we do not have to become only sadness. We can notice it, pray, breathe, and remember Bhagavān.
It is like learning to ride a bicycle. If you fall once and say, “I will never ride again,” you will not learn. But if you get up and try again, slowly you become steady.
Krishna says: practice with confidence and do not lose heart.
📖 A story to remember
Aarohi was learning to ride a bicycle. On the first day, she wobbled and put her foot down. On the second day, she almost fell. On the third day, she cried, “I cannot do this!”
Her father said, “You are not failing. You are learning.”
Aarohi said, “But I keep wobbling.”
Father smiled. “Every time you wobble and try again, your balance grows.”
The next day, Aarohi tried again. She wobbled, but she did not stop. She remembered, “Try again.” After many tries, she rode a little farther. Then farther. One day, she rode across the whole park.
Her father said, “See? You learned because you did not give up.”
That is Krishna’s teaching. The mind also wobbles in prayer and meditation. We bring it back again and again without becoming sad or discouraged.
🤔 Think about it
◈When something is hard, do I give up quickly?
◈Can I try again when my mind runs away during prayer?
⭐ Remember this
One should know this yoga as disconnection from association with sorrow, and it must be practiced with firm conviction and a mind that does not become discouraged.
🎯 Challenge!
Can you explain this shloka to a friend in your own words? Try telling the story to someone in your family!