Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6, Verse 46 (BG 6.46) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

Among the many paths of spiritual advancement, the Lord here illustrates the supreme importance of meditation by instructing various types of seekers and declaring the yogi to be the greatest among them. Those of dull intellect who perform mere physical austerities without reflection are certainly inferior to the yogi. The yogi is considered superior even to the learned—and here "the learned" refers to those versed in scriptural knowledge. The yogi is also superior to those engaged in action, whether with desire or without desire. Many seekers who practice action and worship with a desireless spirit hold the conviction that through these alone they shall attain the ultimate goal. But the Lord declares that the yogi who, by severing the false identification with body, mind, and intellect, engages in self-inquiry is superior to the ascetic, the learned, and the person of action—for such a yogi stands nearest to truth. Therefore, O Arjun, become a yogi. Yet there are many types of yogis, each with different aims. Among all these, the Lord now reveals who is the supreme yogi.