Verse 6.33

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 6.33:

योऽयं योगस् त्वया प्रोक्तः साम्येन मधुसूदन ।
एतस्याहं न पश्यामि चञ्चलत्वात् स्थितिं स्थिराम् ॥ ३३ ॥

yo'yaṃ yogas tvayā proktaḥ sāmyena madhusūdana |
etasyāhaṃ na paśyāmi cañcalatvāt sthitiṃ sthirām || 33 ||

arjuna uvāca–Arjuna said; yaḥ–which; ayam yogaḥ–this process of yoga; tvayā–by You; proktaḥ–was spoken; sāmyena–by (seeing) equally (in all circumstances); madhusūdana–O Madhusūdana; etasya–of that (process); aham–I; na paśyāmi–am unable to understand; cañcalatvāt–on account of the flickering nature (of the mind); sthitim–situation; sthirām–clear.

Arjuna said: O Madhusūdana, in the yoga You have just described, which is based on equanimity towards everyone, everywhere, I cannot see any way to steady the mind due to its restless nature.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

Thinking that the equipoised symptoms de-scribed by Śrī Bhagavān are difficult to attain, Arjuna speaks this verse beginning with the words yo’yam. “This yoga depends on being equipoised in all situations, and I do not see how one can achieve success in it, because its practice cannot always be maintained. The nature of the mind is to flicker, so one can only practise this yoga for two or three days. Additionally, You have explained equanimity by saying that one should see the happiness and misery of all people in the world as one’s own. This vision may be possible toward those who are one’s relatives or those who are neutral, but such an attitude is impossible to maintain toward one’s enemies or those who are envious and critical. It is impossible for me to see with completely equal vision the happiness and pain of me, Yudhiṣṭhira and Duryodhana. Although by proper deliberation, one can have equal vision of the jīvātmā, Paramātmā, one’s life-air and senses, one’s enemies and all embodied jīvas, this vision is difficult to maintain for more than two or three days, because the very powerful and flickering mind cannot be restrained merely by discrimination. Rather, it is seen that a mind that is attached to sense enjoyment will ultimately overpower one’s discrimination.”