BG 6.18 — Dhyāna-Yoga — Sūtrakṛt-Gītā

Bhagavad Gītā 6.18Chapter 6 · Dhyāna-Yoga · Krishna → Arjuna · anuṣṭubh

यदा विनियतं चित्तमात्मन्येवावतिष्ठते ।

निःस्पृहः सर्वकामेभ्यो युक्त इत्युच्यते तदा ॥

yadā viniyataṃ cittam ātmany evāvatiṣṭhate

niḥspṛhaḥ sarva-kāmebhyo yukta ity ucyate tadā

spokensingle-voice recital; rendered via IndicF5 conditioned on a Sanskrit reference clip

meaning

When the mind, fully reined in, rests in the self alone and all craving for every desire has gone, that person is called integrated in yoga.

ekras · bhāṣya

The verse names the inner condition under which the yogi is called yukta. "When the chitta, fully reined in, rests in the atman alone, and craving for every kama has gone — yukta iti uchyate tada." The criterion is double: inward anchorage of the chitta and the complete absence of trishna for every kind of desire. Both conditions, simultaneously.

Shankara is precise on the doubleness. The chitta, having abandoned concern with external objects, becomes visheshena niruddha — specifically restrained — and stands established in the atman alone. But the verse pairs this with nihsprihah sarva-kamebhyah — desire-free toward every kama, both seen and unseen. Inward standing alone is not enough; the desire-streams toward what was once held attractive must also have stopped.

Ramanuja catches the structural angle: the chitta's prayojana — its proper purpose — is the atman, and chitta becomes viniyata when it settles niratishaya-prayojanataya, recognizing the atman as the unsurpassable aim. At that moment the yogi, freed from all kamas, is declared fit for yoga. The verse is the threshold-marker: from here on, the practice becomes yoga proper.

Madhusudana places the verse at a precise pivot: from samprajnata-samadhi to asamprajnata-samadhi. The chitta, emptied of all vrittis by para-vairagya, becomes sarvam-shunya, totally void of objectivity. Yet because the atman-akara — the self-luminous form of consciousness — cannot be suppressed, it shines through the transparent antahkarana-sattva.

Vallabha reads the verse as the asamprajnata state of the siddha-yogi: even yoga-aishvarya, the eight supernatural siddhis that arise as fruits, cease to attract; the yogi is then called dridhatara, of firmer yoga.

Context

where

Chapter 6 · Dhyāna-Yoga · meter anuṣṭubh

who speaks

Krishna → Arjuna

preceded by — BG 6.17

Yoga becomes the destroyer of suffering for one whose eating and movement are measured, whose effort in action is proportioned, and whose sleep and waking keep their proper times.

What's going on

When the mind, fully reined in, rests in the self alone and all craving for every desire has gone, that person is called integrated in yoga.

Sūtras through this verse (63)

RamsukhdasclassicalA

What binds you (and how to let go)between

6.1True renouncing acts; drops the inner hook.───→here6.18───→7.30Hold the Lord through every layer of life.

RāmānujaclassicalB

The śāstra is one bracket (2.12 → 18.66)between

2.39Practice seam begins.───→here6.18───→6.46The yogi outranks every other path.

MadhvaclassicalT2

Soul depends on Lord — the gap that does not closebetween

6.9Souls differ by nature not by accident alone.───→here6.18───→13.23Soul and Lord coexist in the body, not as one.

show all 63

Madhusūdanaclassicalmadhusudan_bhagavad_arpana

Madhusudan Bhagavad Arpanabetween · other

6.1Renouncer and yogi together───→here6.18───→9.22Yogakshema as offering returned

MadhusūdanaclassicalB

Different students need different teachingsbetween

6.1The renouncer and yogi are one under two views.───→here6.18───→7.16Four kinds of devotee, ranked by ripeness.

MadhusūdanaclassicalC

Action purifies before knowing can landbetween

6.1Renouncing too lives by purity of mind.───→here6.18───→16.1The dispositions decide who can even begin.

MadhusūdanaclassicalD

Offer the act to the Lord and it stops bindingbetween

6.1The fruit-unattached one is yogi and renouncer.───→here6.18───→9.22The undivided ones the Lord himself sustains.

MadhusūdanaclassicalG

Knowing and acting cannot run togetherbetween

6.1Calling a karma-yogi 'renouncer' is only a courtesy.───→here6.18───→18.1At the very end, the line still holds.

MadhusūdanaclassicalI

Liberation while alive — the body finishes its runbetween

3.1The architecture ends in living-liberation, then bodily.───→here6.18───→6.46The yogi with mind-stilled stands above mere knowing.

MadhusūdanaclassicalE

Devotion is how knowing actually arrivesapproach

───→here6.18───→7.1The chapter elaborates the prior bhajana-line.

MadhusūdanaclassicalF

Every middle chapter opens with a bow to the teacherapproach

───→here6.18───→7.1A bow to the bliss-cloud, Nanda's son, opens seven.

RamsukhdasclassicalB

This human birth — your one chance to actbetween

3.8Even keeping the body alive requires action.───→here6.18───→6.40A fallen seeker still keeps the human birth.

RamsukhdasclassicalC

Desire is the root — not actionbetween

5.26With desire gone, the goal stands on all sides.───→here6.18───→6.24Renounce every desire born of will.

RamsukhdasclassicalG

Equanimity in everythingbetween

6.8Clay, stone, and gold are all level to him.───→here6.18───→6.32Sees others' pain and joy as his own.

RamsukhdasclassicalH

All paths arrive at the same roombetween

5.4Insight and practice are not two paths.───→here6.18───→6.46The lover outranks every other yogi.

RamsukhdasclassicalK

The body is not yoursbetween

6.3Body, senses, and mind: none of them yours.───→here6.18───→13.20Nature causes the act; you only experience.

Ramsukhdasclassical

Sādhaka Sañjīvanī commentary at this versebetween

───→here6.18───→

RamsukhdasclassicalI

The Lord already inside the heartapproach

───→here6.18───→6.30See Me everywhere, I am never lost.

RāmānujaclassicalC

Three ṣaṭkas (1–6 / 7–12 / 13–18)between

6.1The renouncer and yogi are the same person.───→here6.18───→7.1Open the second ṣaṭka: mind clung to Me.

RāmānujaclassicalD

Karma-yoga as kainkarya (worship)between

6.1The renouncer is the one who acts for Me.───→here6.18───→9.27Whatever you do, do it as offering.

MadhvaclassicalT3

Ranking is real — and it never collapsesbetween

6.9Devas, asuras, mortals are three native kinds.───→here6.18───→14.27Brahman has gradations within its own form.

MadhvaclassicalT6

Citation is the spine — texts carry the loadbetween

6.6Maitrāyaṇī defines the stilled mind.───→here6.18───→7.5Doubled prakṛti named from a single śruti.

MadhvaclassicalT7

Action and knowledge — never rivalsbetween

6.1The renouncer and yogi are one person, two names.───→here6.18───→18.2The ritualists' śruti fixes the closing definition.

MadhvaclassicalT8

Direct vision — the only proximate causebetween

6.7The stilled mind sees the seated supreme self.───→here6.18───→6.46The five-rung ladder ends in love, not knowledge.

MadhvaclassicalT9

Devotion and grace — what knowledge cannot do alonebetween

2.72Many lives of bhakti precede the final crossing.───→here6.18───→6.30Devotion brings what the seeker cannot earn.

MadhvaclassicalT12

Closure by gloss — the small repertoirebetween

5.7'Self of all' resolves to the Lord himself.───→here6.18───→6.20'Self' here is not soul but the Lord within.

VallabhaclassicalC

Drop the doer, not the deedbetween

6.1Real renouncing keeps the act alive.───→here6.18───→18.1The closing chapter reopens this question.

VallabhaclassicalD

Chapter-opening preludesbetween

6.1Prelude binds yoga to puṣṭi-bhakti.───→here6.18───→7.1Seven-verse prelude opens the bhakti-ṣaṭka.

VallabhaclassicalE

Three paths, one teaching orderbetween

6.1The two paths are one through fruit-renouncing act.───→here6.18───→6.46The lover outranks the wise and the disciplined.

VallabhaclassicalH

Stilling the mind — into the Lordbetween

2.48Yoga itself is just sameness of mind.───→here6.18───→6.46The yogi closing the ṣaṭka is a mind-stiller.

RāmānujaclassicalA

World as the Lord's body (antaryāmin)approach

───→here6.18───→7.4Two natures of the Lord: matter and selves.

RāmānujaclassicalE

Bhakti as continuous recollectionapproach

───→here6.18───→7.17I am dearest to him.

RāmānujaclassicalF

Two prakṛtis · jīva as eternal aṃśaapproach

───→here6.18───→7.4Lower nature: matter.

RāmānujaclassicalJ

Śeṣa-śeṣī · pati-vrata simileapproach

───→here6.18───→7.18He is My self; I cannot hold without him.

VallabhaclassicalB

Grace alone — the technical markapproach

───→here6.18───→7.18The wise one is Myself, by grace alone.

VallabhaclassicalK

Aphorism, gloss, full commentaryapproach

───→here6.18───→6.47Six chapters of aphorism close at this verse.

Gauravmodernchaplaincy_kit_of_tools

Chaplaincy Kit Of Toolsbetween

6.11Mudra and posture. 'Shuchau deshe pratishthapya sthiram asanam atmanah.' Establi───→here6.18───→9.26Puja and havan. 'Patram pushpam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayachchhati.' Whoev

Gauravmoderncivilizational_air_conditioning

Civilizational Air Conditioningbetween

6.5'Uddhared atmanatmanam natmanam avasadayet.' Lift yourself by yourself, do not l───→here6.18───→16.21'Tri-vidham narakasyedam dvaram nashanam atmanah, kamah krodhas tatha lobhah.' T

Gauravmodernheart_leadership

Heart Leadershipbetween

6.7'Jitatmanah prashantasya paramatma samahitah.' For the self-conquered, in-peace,───→here6.18───→6.35'Asamshayam maha-baho mano durnigraham chalam, abhyasena tu Kaunteya vairagyena

Gauravmodernthree_yogas_braid

Three Yogas Braidbetween

5.5'Yat sankhyaih prapyate sthanam tad yogair api gamyate.' The place reached by sa───→here6.18───→6.46'Tapasvibhyo'dhiko yogi jnanibhyo'pi mato'dhikah, karmibhyash chadhiko yogi tasm

Gauravmodernwitness_self_neti_neti

Witness Self Neti Netibetween

2.20'Na jayate mriyate va kadachit, nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah, ajo nityah sh───→here6.18───→6.20'Yatroparamate chittam niruddham yoga-sevaya, yatra chaivatmana'tmanam pashyann

ĀnandagiriclassicalB

Three hexads = tat tvam asibetween

2.1First hexad opens, tvam-pada implicit.───→here6.18───→6.46Inner-self hexad closes; pivot prepared.

ĀnandagiriclassicalC

Adhikāra: seeker vs. fulfilledbetween

5.1Two saṃnyāsas: fruit and means.───→here6.18───→6.46Yogin vs. jñānin: not synonyms.

ĀnandagiriclassicalK

Upasaṃhāra — recap as instrumentbetween

2.39Wisdom section wound up here.───→here6.18───→6.46Dhyāna section sealed: yogin is supreme.

ĀnandagiriclassicalI

Bhakti carries jñāna, never parallelapproach

───→here6.18───→7.1Upāsya and tat-pada in apposition. Anchor.

ĀnandagiriclassicalJ

Prakṛti is never autonomousapproach

───→here6.18───→7.4Two-fold prakṛti is the Lord's own power.

Śaṅkaraclassicalshankara_jnana_nishtha

Shankara Jnana Nishthabetween · other

6.1Soft sense of renouncer───→here6.18───→18.49Naishkarmya-siddhi by sannyāsa

ŚaṅkaraclassicalB

Knowledge alone, with all action laid downbetween

6.1The fire-keeper is renouncer only in a soft sense.───→here6.18───→18.49Action-freedom comes from full renunciation.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalF

Saṅgati — anticipation-and-resolutionbetween

3.1Arjuna's question resolves 2.49's hint.───→here6.18───→6.47Top-yogin clause — the chapter-7 hinge.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalG

Three yogas — three angles on one configurationbetween

6.1The renouncer and yogi are one figure.───→here6.18───→6.46The yogi outranks tapasvi, jñāni, karmin.

ŚrīdharaclassicalL

Chapter prefaces as the bhāṣya's spinebetween

6.1Pure mind is not yet release: now meditate.───→here6.18───→8.1Now, the questions of Brahman and self.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalI

The lover and the knower are one personapproach

───→here6.18───→7.16Of the four devotees, the knower is dearest.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalB

Prapatti — bhakti's access for those the long path defeatsapproach

───→here6.18───→7.14Those who take refuge cross the māyā.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalI

9.24 — the standing citation for ārādhyaapproach

───→here6.18───→7.21Deity-worship: His self-arrangement of grace.

ŚrīdharaclassicalC

Devotion is both the way and the homeapproach

───→here6.18───→6.47Be a devotee: that is the meaning.

ŚrīdharaclassicalH

The grammar of single-pointednessapproach

───→here6.18───→7.14Undivided love crosses the great mist.

ŚrīdharaclassicalK

Death-memory as the test of daily habitapproach

───→here6.18───→8.5Whoever remembers Me at the last reaches Me.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalG

After knowing, act only to hold the worldexit

5.8I do nothing at all, says the knower.───→here6.18───→

Ekrasmodernmeditation

Meditation — the dhyāna tourbetween · v2

6.14Mind on Me───→here6.18───→6.19Lamp in a windless place

Ekrasmodernvairagya

Vairāgya — dispassion as instrumentbetween · v2

6.4Renounced in resolve───→here6.18───→6.35Practice and dispassion

Ekrasmodernbhakti

Bhakti — devotion pathapproach · v2

───→here6.18───→7.16Four kinds of bhakta

JayatīrthaclassicalC

Refuting Śaṅkara-style readings, named or unnamedbetween

6.1Householder is not figurative saṁnyāsin.───→here6.18───→7.13Why this declaration? The gloss must answer.

JayatīrthaclassicalD

Saṅgati declared at the head of every adhyāyabetween

6.1Karma-yoga is outer; samādhi-yoga inner.───→here6.18───→7.1First ṣaṭka closed; new pratijñā opens.

Śabda · lemmas (13 unique · 13 occurrences)

निःस्पृहः niḥspṛha — without longing (nis- + spṛhā 'desire') · nominative masculine singular noun
चित्तम् citta — mind, thought, consciousness, mental substance · nominative neuter singular noun · also at 12.9, 12.10
उच्यते √vac — to speak (verbal root) · present indicative pass 3rd person singular verb

show all 13

यदा yadā — when
विनियतम् vi-√niyam — (vi- + niyam: to restrain) · nominative neuter singular participle noun
आत्मनि ātman — the Self, soul; one's own self · locative masculine singular noun
एव eva — indeed, truly, only (emphatic particle)
अवतिष्ठते ava-√sthā — state, condition, situation · present indicative 3rd person singular verb
सर्व sarva — all, entire · compound
कामेभ्यः kāma — desire, lust, sensual pleasure · ablative masculine plural noun
युक्तः √yuj — to yoke, join, engage in (verbal root) · nominative masculine singular participle noun
इति iti — thus (quotative particle)
तदा tadā — then, at that time

Praśna · so what (7)

01Śaṅkara insists niḥspṛhatā must cover both dṛṣṭa (visible) and adṛṣṭa (invisible / afterlife) objects — what does it mean, practically, to lose appetite for future-life rewards, not just sensory pleasures?
02Rāmānuja's qualifier niratiśaya-prayojanatayā suggests the citta turns inward through recognition, not suppression — how does this change the practitioner's relationship to effort in meditation?

show all 7

03Vallabha extends niḥspṛhatā even to the aṣṭa-siddhis (yogic powers) — at what point does an aspiration become a kāma that blocks the very state it aims at?
04Madhusūdana's para-vairāgya as antaraṅga-sādhana implies there is an ordinary vairāgya and a supreme one — how would a practitioner know which stage they are at?
05All six commentators converge on the double criterion (inward citta + absent desire) — is niḥspṛhatā a cause, an effect, or a simultaneous co-arising with the citta's stabilization?
06Madhva's extremely spare commentary ('ātmani bhavati') may signal that this verse is, in his system, uncontroversial — what does doctrinal agreement across rival schools at this verse reveal about where Vedāntic schools genuinely diverge?
07Śrīdhara distinguishes ihika (this-worldly) from āmuṣmika (other-worldly) desire as two separate things to be relinquished — in a contemporary life, what counts as an āmuṣmika desire?

Vyavahāra · try it in your life

Advaita

In any high-focus task — writing, coding, surgical work — notice the moment when the mind stops darting toward outcome-checking and outcome-fantasizing (both dṛṣṭa and adṛṣṭa tṛṣṇā) and simply inhabits the activity. Śaṅkara's samāhita is that state. Train attention to recognize it when it happens, not only to chase it.

Viśiṣṭādvaita

Before beginning any significant work, ask: 'Is the purpose of this activity ultimately reducible to a further purpose, or am I treating it as nirataśaya — as its own sufficient ground?' Rāmānuja's logic says the citta stabilizes when it stops treating every activity as instrumental and encounters something genuinely final. Locate that in your work or relationships.

show all 6

Dvaita

When restless, rather than suppressing the restlessness, redirect it: 'In whose service is this activity?' Madhva's framework makes dependence on Hari the anchor; the practical analogue is identifying a cause or person larger than oneself to whom attention can genuinely be given, turning the citta outward-but-fixed rather than inward-and-diffuse.

Śuddhādvaita

Watch for the moment when a skill or competence you have worked hard to develop starts to feel like an identity you must protect — the yogic siddhi-trap in modern dress. Vallabha's prescription: hold even your strengths and achievements loosely, as prasāda received, not property owned. Niḥspṛhatā must include pride in one's practice.

Bhakti

Śrīdhara's ihika / āmuṣmika pairing maps onto: present-tense pleasures (social approval, sensory comfort) and future-tense rewards (career advancement, legacy, even spiritual merit). Audit your motivations for a practice or project against both columns — the yoga is niṣpanna only when neither column exerts pull.

Advaita-Bhakti

Madhusūdana's sarvam-śūnya (total void of objectivity) sounds extreme but has an accessible form: the rare moments in deep work or prayer when you are not tracking yourself — not observing how well you are doing or how the audience is receiving you. That self-monitoring cessation is a taste of vṛtti-nirodha. Cultivate activities that reliably produce it, and study what enables the transition.

Adhiṣṭhāna · substrate signature

substratev2.6-frozen

parserByT5-Sanskrit-multitask (Nehrdich/Hellwig/Keutzer EMNLP 2024)

mūlaBelvalkar critical edition (BORI 1947), via Ambuda multi-witness

show all metadata

weightsa=1 · b=0.01 · e_v=0.005 · z=0.2 · h=0 · th=0.01

anchorfit on Ramsukhdas's Sādhak Sañjīvanī (1980), frozen across the eight-commentator panel; cross-validated R@4 = 71.6% on Śaṅkara

extracted2026-04-21

methodPaper 1, Section II.B

↓ view raw per-verse object (JSON)↗ per-verse-object schema ↗ substrate code (MIT) + data (CC-BY 4.0)

The schema generalizes to any bounded-polysemy corpus with discrete primary text units, attested witness traditions, identifiable schools, and formal substrate. Port the per-verse object; refit weights on a domain-appropriate Layer-3 anchor; ship.

Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 6, Verse 18: Krishna to Arjuna — Dhyāna-Yoga