Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6, Verse 33 (BG 6.33) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

# BG 6.33 As a noble man of intensely practical intellect, Arjun possessed an action-oriented nature. Therefore, he found no attraction in the complete vision of poetic beauty. He thirsted for life itself, and thus had no interest in the yoga of meditation. Yet he asks his question rightly, for the knowledge of truth described by the Blessed Lord until now appeared to him impractical. In this chapter, Sri Krishna has demonstrated that yoga is the union that dissolves the pairing of sorrow and joy. The means to attain it is to turn the mind away from sense objects and direct it toward inquiry into the Self. The principle is this: when the mind becomes steady in the nature of the Self, the ego born of ignorance of truth and all contrary notions dissolve, and the seeker becomes liberated. The goal of yoga is to attain equanimity of spirit amid all the challenges and circumstances of life—which is indeed praiseworthy. Yet to Arjun it appears that the method of practice is entirely removed from the actual condition of life, and thus impractical like a poet's fancy. In the methods described by Sri Krishna, he perceives a missing link. He questions the Blessed Lord with the conviction that he will expose before all the hollowness of their knowledge of truth. With some irony, Arjun expresses doubt regarding the practicality of this yoga of equanimity. This is the mark of a student of Vedanta: he does not accept the words of another out of blind faith. It is the duty of the teacher to resolve the doubts of seekers. Yet if the student perceives any deficiency or fault in the teacher's instruction, it becomes necessary that when asking his question, he also state the reason for it. The practice of equanimity yoga appeared difficult to Arjun, and he explains the reason: because of the restless nature of the mind, a human being cannot maintain the stable state of yoga for long. When asking his question, Arjun exercises special care. He does not say that equanimity of mind is altogether impossible, but rather expresses doubt that such a state cannot endure. The meaning is this: even if, as the fruit of many years of practice, direct experience of the Self is attained, it will be only momentary. Although even that momentary experience may be in the fullness of the Self, yet because of the restless nature of the mind, the wise person cannot make that experience permanent. To clarify his question further, Arjun speaks: