Chapter 6: Dhyāna Yoga – Yoga through Meditation and Contemplation: Verse 16
नात्यश्नतस्तु योगोऽस्ति न चैकान्तमनश्नत: ।
न चातिस्वप्नशीलस्य जाग्रतो नैव चार्जुन ॥
nāty-aśnatas-tu yogo’sti na caikāntam-anaśnata:
na cāti-svapna-śīlasya jāgrato naiva cārjuna – 6.16
The yoga will be of no avail to one, O Arjuna, who eats excessively or takes to starving and fasting; or to one who unduly sleeps or keeps awake.
Chapter 6: Dhyāna Yoga – Yoga through Meditation and Contemplation - Verse 16
Ma Gurupriya
Krishna’s revelation makes true yoga-sādhanā applicable to all. Yoga, he says, is best practised by those given to moderation in life. Excess of anything is not desirable. It may even cause havoc. Excess eating can be dangerous.
Moderation is a paramount virtue in all fronts of human life. Here he speaks of eating, sleeping and waking.
Food and nourishment sustain our health and activity. So under-eating brings havoc. To regulate food, taking age and activities into account, is desirable, no doubt.
Equally important is sleep, when the body replenishes cells to sustain wakefulness. Insufficient sleep will adversely affect the body and the mind alike. Also, excessive sleep hinders mental health and hygiene, and should be avoided.
Moderation and evenness (samatva) are closely inter- related, a point all should understand and remember discreetly. Both should be pursued with equal importance.
