Chapter 6 · Verse 16 · Dhyana Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 6.16
Sanskrit
नात्यश्नतस्तु योगोऽस्ति न चैकान्तमनश्नतः। न चातिस्वप्नशीलस्य जाग्रतो नैव चार्जुन।।6.16।।
Transliteration
nātyaśhnatastu yogo ’sti na chaikāntam anaśhnataḥ na chāti-svapna-śhīlasya jāgrato naiva chārjuna
In plain words
You may be trying to fix yourself through extremes—fasting or bingeing, staying up all night or sleeping away the pain, pushing until you break or collapsing into numbness. Krishna says: the path to peace is not found in punishment or escape, but in the small, steady rhythms that keep you alive and present. When you feed yourself with kindness, rest without shame, and move with intention, your mind settles enough to find your way.
Word by Word
Krishna here reveals that yoga is not found in extremes—neither in gluttony nor starvation, neither in excessive sleep nor sleeplessness. The Middle Path is the gateway to unity with the Divine, for extremes agitate the mind and pull us away from our true nature.
When you honor your body with moderate nourishment and rest, you create the sacred space where meditation naturally blooms. This wisdom applies today: sustainable spiritual practice requires balance in eating, sleeping, and working—not punishing asceticism or indulgent excess, but the intelligent rhythm that keeps you present and alive.
Listen
Bhagavad Gita 6.16 — BG 6.16
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