Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6, Verse 16

Chapter 6 – Dhyana Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

नात्यश्नतस्तु योगोऽस्ति न चैकान्तमनश्नतः ।
न चातिस्वप्नशीलस्य जाग्रतो नैव चार्जुन ॥

Transliteration

nātyaśnatastu yogo.asti na caikāntamanaśnataḥ .
na cātisvapnaśīlasya jāgrato naiva cārjuna ॥

Meaning

Yoga is not for one who eats too much, nor for one who does not eat at all; not for one who sleeps too much, nor for one who keeps awake too much, O Arjuna.

Word meanings

न – not
अति – too much
अश्नतः – of one who eats
तु – indeed
योगः – yoga
अस्ति – is, succeeds
च – and
एकान्तम् – altogether
अनश्नतः – of one who does not eat
अतिस्वप्नशीलस्य – of one given to too much sleep
जाग्रतः – of one who stays awake (too much)
एव – indeed
अर्जुन – O Arjuna

Anvaya (word order)

अर्जुन, अति अश्नतः तु योगः न अस्ति, एकान्तम् अनश्नतः च न, अतिस्वप्नशीलस्य च न, जाग्रतः च एव न (अस्ति) ।

Explanation

Having given the method and the fruit of meditation, Krishna now says something extremely practical: yoga is not a path of extremes but of balance. Many seekers believe that the harsher their austerities, the sooner they will succeed; many others imagine that meditation can flourish alongside a life of indulgence. Krishna rejects both.

Eating too much makes the body heavy, increases sluggishness and sleep, and fills the mind with tamas; such a person begins to doze as soon as he sits to meditate. On the other hand, eating nothing at all or fasting to excess weakens the body, keeps the mind preoccupied with food, and breeds irritability. Shankara refers here to the traditional guideline that half the stomach be filled with food, a quarter with water, and a quarter left free for the movement of air.

Likewise, too much sleep produces dullness, while too little sleep or staying awake night after night brings fatigue, restlessness and loss of concentration. In both cases the mind is unfit for meditation.

The verse shows that the yoga of the Gita is not a path of tormenting the body. The body is an instrument of practice, not its enemy. After this negative statement, the next verse gives the positive formula of a balanced, 'yukta' life.

Context

Verse 6.15 stated the fruit of meditation. This verse names the extremes in which meditation cannot succeed, and the next (6.17) gives the formula for a balanced life.

Life lesson

Take the middle path in food, sleep and effort. 'The more the better' and 'the less the holier' are both illusions. A regular, balanced daily routine keeps the mind steady and cheerful.

Key terms

Atyashnan: one who overeats
Anashnan: one who does not eat; an excessive faster
Atisvapnashila: one given to oversleeping