SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
śruti-vipratipannā te
yadā sthāsyati niścalā
samādhāv acalā buddhis
tadā yogam avāpsyasi
‘When thy reason (or will), enlightened by thy hearing (us), can unshakably be rested in thy mind, then shalt thou attain to “yoga”[1. This verse is aphoristic of all the Yoga philosophy. See Introduction.].’
Śruti=Śravanam=hearing. From thy hearing (or instruction) from us, thy reason is greatly cultured, i.e., it begins to reflect on the peerless, eternal and exceedingly subtle category (the ātmā). When this reason, intelligence or wisdom, which by nature is steadfast and uniform, can firmly be planted in the mind, – made pure by the practice of unselfish work, – then shalt thou achieve ‘yoga’ or ātmā-illumination
The purport, so far, is this: That practice of works (Karma-yoga)[2. Yoga here means method, path or means. ‘Karma-Yoga‘ is thus ‘the method of Works’ or doing deeds of virtue as inculcated in Scriptural and other ethical codes.], preceded by a knowledge of ātmā as gathered from Śāstra[7. Śāstra means laws, learning, and therefore spiritual laws or science embodied in the Vedas or Sṛutis, etc.], develops a certain illumination or consciousness called ‘sthita-prajñatā[8. This term is explained in the following verses. Vide: my ‘Inspiration’ Part II: (Ritambharā prajñā).]’. And this ‘sthita-prajñatā’ or the sustained effort of consciousness will result in ‘yoga’ i.e., Ātmā-illumination or ātmā-consciousness.
So lectured, Pārtha[9. A name of Arjuna; Epithet of Arjuna, being a descendant of Pṛithu-Chakravarti.] asks to be enlightened as to the nature of this ‘sthita-prajñatā’ – culture of concentrated will (or will-power) – conducive to ‘yoga’ or ātmā-cognition; ‘sthita-prajñatā,’ achievable by Karma-Yoga[10. Yoga here means method, path or means. ‘Karma-Yoga‘ is thus ‘the method of Works’ or doing deeds of virtue as inculcated in Scriptural and other ethical codes.] of the form of non-attachment (described in verses, ante). Arjuna questions:
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