Chapter 15: Lord Kṛṣṇa's Description of Mystic Yoga Perfections

 

11.15.1

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

jitendriyasya yuktasya

jita-śvāsasya yoginaḥ

mayi dhārayataś ceta

upatiṣṭhanti siddhayaḥ

 

śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; jita-indriyasya — of one who has conquered his senses; yuktasya — who has steadied the mind; jita-śvāsasya — and conquered his breathing system; yoginaḥ — of such a yogī; mayi — in Me; dhārayataḥ — fixing; cetaḥ — his consciousness; upatiṣṭhanti — appear; siddhayaḥ — the mystic perfections of yoga.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, the mystic perfections of yoga are acquired by a yogī who has conquered his senses, steadied his mind, conquered the breathing process and fixed his mind on Me.

 

11.15.2

śrī-uddhava uvāca

kayā dhāraṇayā kā svit

kathaḿ vā siddhir acyuta

kati vā siddhayo brūhi

yogināḿ siddhi-do bhavān

 

śrī-uddhavaḥ uvāca — Śrī Uddhava said; kayā — by what; dhāraṇayā — process of meditation; kā svit — which indeed; katham — in what manner; vā — or; siddhiḥ — mystic perfection; acyuta — My dear Lord; kati — how many; vā — or; siddhayaḥ — perfections; brūhi — please speak; yoginām — of all yogīs; siddhi-daḥ — the giver of mystic perfections; bhavān — You.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Śrī Uddhava said: My dear Lord Acyuta, by what process can mystic perfection be achieved, and what is the nature of such perfection? How many mystic perfections are there? Please explain these things to me. Indeed, You are the bestower of all mystic perfections.

 

11.15.3

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

siddhayo 'ṣṭādaśa proktā

dhāraṇā yoga-pāra-gaiḥ

tāsām aṣṭau mat-pradhānā

daśaiva guṇa-hetavaḥ

 

śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; siddhayaḥ — mystic perfections; aṣṭādaśa — eighteen; proktāḥ — are declared; dhāraṇāḥ — meditations; yoga — of yoga; pāra-gaiḥ — by the masters; tāsām — of the eighteen; aṣṭau — eight; mat-pradhānāḥ — have their shelter in Me; daśa — ten; eva — indeed; guṇa-hetavaḥ — are manifested from the material mode of goodness.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The masters of the yoga system have declared that there are eighteen types of mystic perfection and meditation, of which eight are primary, having their shelter in Me, and ten are secondary, appearing from the material mode of goodness.

 

11.15.4-5

aṇimā mahimā mūrter

laghimā prāptir indriyaiḥ

prākāmyaḿ śruta-dṛṣṭeṣu

śakti-preraṇam īśitā

 

guṇeṣv asańgo vaśitā

yat-kāmas tad avasyati

etā me siddhayaḥ saumya

aṣṭāv autpattikā matāḥ

 

aṇimā — the perfection of becoming smaller than the smallest; mahimā — becoming greater than the greatest; mūrteḥ — of the body; laghimā — becoming lighter than the lightest; prāptiḥ — acquisition; indriyaiḥ — by the senses; prākāmyam — obtaining or performing whatever one desires; śruta — things invisible,, about which one only hears; dṛṣṭeṣu — and things visible; śakti-preraṇam — manipulating the subpotencies of māyā; īśitā — the perfection of controlling;

 

guṇeṣu — in the modes of material nature; asańgaḥ — being unobstructed; vaśitā — the power to bring others under control; yat — whatever; kāmaḥ — desire (there may be); tat — that; avasyati — one can obtain; etāḥ — these; me — My (potencies); siddhayaḥ — mystic perfections; saumya — O gentle Uddhava; aṣṭau — eight; autpattikāḥ — natural and unexcelled; matāḥ — understood to be.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Among the eight primary mystic perfections, the three by which one transforms one's own body are aṇimā, becoming smaller than the smallest; mahimā, becoming greater than the greatest; and laghimā, becoming lighter than the lightest. Through the perfection of prāpti one acquires whatever one desires, and through prākāmya-siddhi one experiences any enjoyable object, either in this world or the next. Through iśitā-siddhi one can manipulate the subpotencies of māyā, and through the controlling potency called vaśitā-siddhi one is unimpeded by the three modes of nature. One who has acquired kāmāvasāyitā-siddhi can obtain anything from anywhere, to the highest possible limit. My dear gentle Uddhava, these eight mystic perfections are considered to be naturally existing and unexcelled within this world.

 

11.15.6-7

anūrmimattvaḿ dehe 'smin

dūra-śravaṇa-darśanam

mano-javaḥ kāma-rūpaḿ

para-kāya-praveśanam

 

svacchanda-mṛtyur devānāḿ

saha-krīḍānudarśanam

yathā-sańkalpa-saḿsiddhir

ājñāpratihatā gatiḥ

 

anūrmi-mattvam — being undisturbed by hunger, thirst, etc.; dehe asmin — in this body; dūra — things very far away; śravaṇa — hearing; darśanam — and seeing; manaḥ-javaḥ — moving the body at the speed of the mind; kāma-rūpam — assuming any body that one desires; para-kāya — the bodies of others; praveśanam — entering;

 

sva-chanda — according to one's own desire; mṛtyuḥ — dying; devānām — of the demigods; saha — together with (the celestial girls); krīḍā — the sporting pastimes; anudarśanam — witnessing; yathā — according to; sańkalpa — one's determination; saḿsiddhiḥ — perfect accomplishment; ājñā — order; apratihatā — unimpeded; gatiḥ — whose progress.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The ten secondary mystic perfections arising from the modes of nature are the powers of freeing oneself from hunger and thirst and other bodily disturbances, hearing and seeing things far away, moving the body at the speed of the mind, assuming any form one desires, entering the bodies of others, dying when one desires, witnessing the pastimes between the demigods and the celestial girls called Apsarās, completely executing one's determination and giving orders whose fulfillment is unimpeded.

 

11.15.8-9

tri-kāla-jñatvam advandvaḿ

para-cittādy-abhijñatā

agny-arkāmbu-viṣādīnāḿ

pratiṣṭambho 'parājayaḥ

 

etāś coddeśataḥ proktā

yoga-dhāraṇa-siddhayaḥ

yayā dhāraṇayā yā syād

yathā vā syān nibodha me

 

tri-kāla-jñatvam — the perfection of knowing past, present and future; advandvam — being unaffected by dualities such as heat and cold; para — of others; citta — the mind; ādi — and so on; abhijñatā — knowing; agni — of fire; arka — the sun; ambu — water; viṣa — of poison; ādīnām — and so on; pratiṣṭambhaḥ — checking the potency; aparājayaḥ — not being conquered by others;

 

etāḥ — these; ca — also; uddeśataḥ — merely by mentioning their names and characteristics; proktāḥ — are described; yoga — of the yoga system; dhāraṇa — of meditation; siddhayaḥ — perfections; yayā — by which; dhāraṇayā — meditation; yā — which (perfection); syāt — may occur; yathā — by which means; vā — or; syāt — may occur; nibodha — please learn; me — from Me.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The power to know past, present and future; tolerance of heat, cold and other dualities; knowing the minds of others; checking the influence of fire, sun, water, poison, and so on; and remaining unconquered by others — these constitute five perfections of the mystic process of yoga and meditation. I am simply listing these here according to their names and characteristics. Now please learn from Me how specific mystic perfections arise from specific meditations and also of the particular processes involved.

 

11.15.10

bhūta-sūkṣmātmani mayi

tan-mātraḿ dhārayen manaḥ

aṇimānam avāpnoti

tan-mātropāsako mama

 

bhūta-sūkṣma — of the subtle elements; ātmani — in the soul; mayi — in Me; tat-mātram — on the subtle, elemental forms of perception; dhārayet — one should concentrate; manaḥ — the mind; aṇimānam — the mystic perfection called aṇimā; avāpnoti — obtains; tat-mātra — in the subtle elements; upāsakaḥ — the worshiper; mama — My.

 

TRANSLATION

 

One who worships Me in My atomic form pervading all subtle elements, fixing his mind on that alone, obtains the mystic perfection called aṇimā.

 

11.15.11

mahat-tattvātmani mayi

yathā-saḿsthaḿ mano dadhat

mahimānam avāpnoti

bhūtānāḿ ca pṛthak pṛthak

 

mahat-tattva — of the total material energy; ātmani — in the Soul; mayi — in Me; yathā — according to; saḿstham — the particular situation; manaḥ — the mind; dadhat — fixing; mahimānam — the mystic perfection called mahimā; avāpnoti — one achieves; bhūtānām — of the material elements; ca — also; pṛthak pṛthak — each one individually.

 

TRANSLATION

 

One who absorbs his mind in the particular form of the mahat-tattva and thus meditates upon Me as the Supreme Soul of the total material existence achieves the mystic perfection called mahimā. By further absorbing the mind in the situation of each individual element such as the sky, air, fire, and so on, one progressively acquires the greatness of each material element.

 

11.15.12

paramāṇu-maye cittaḿ

bhūtānāḿ mayi rañjayan

kāla-sūkṣmārthatāḿ yogī

laghimānam avāpnuyāt

 

parama-aṇu-maye — in the form of atoms; cittam — his consciousness; bhūtānām — of the material elements; mayi — in Me; rañjayan — attaching; kāla — of time; sūkṣma — subtle; arthatām — being the substance; yogī — the yogī; laghimānam — the mystic perfection laghimā; avāpnuyāt — may obtain.

 

TRANSLATION

 

I exist within everything, and I am therefore the essence of the atomic constituents of material elements. By attaching his mind to Me in this form, the yogī may achieve the perfection called laghimā, by which he realizes the subtle atomic substance of time.

 

11.15.13

dhārayan mayy ahaḿ-tattve

mano vaikārike 'khilam

sarvendriyāṇām ātmatvaḿ

prāptiḿ prāpnoti man-manāḥ

 

dhārayan — concentrating; mayi — in Me; aham-tattve — within the element of false ego; manaḥ — the mind; vaikārike — in that which is produced from the mode of goodness; akhilam — completely; sarva — of all living entities; indriyāṇām — of the senses; ātmatvam — proprietorship; prāptim — the mystic perfection of acquisition; prāpnoti — obtains; mat-manāḥ — the yogī whose mind is fixed in Me.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Fixing his mind completely in Me within the element of false ego generated from the mode of goodness, the yogī obtains the power of mystic acquisition, by which he becomes the proprietor of the senses of all living entities. He obtains such perfection because his mind is absorbed in Me.

 

11.15.14

mahaty ātmani yaḥ sūtre

dhārayen mayi mānasam

prākāmyaḿ pārameṣṭhyaḿ me

vindate 'vyakta-janmanaḥ

 

mahati — in the mahat-tattva; ātmani — in the Supersoul; yaḥ — one who; sūtre — characterized by the chain of fruitive activities; dhārayet — should concentrate; mayi — in Me; mānasam — the mental activities; prākāmyam — the mystic perfection called prākāmya; pārameṣṭhyam — most excellent; me — from Me; vindate — obtains or enjoys; avyakta-janmanaḥ — from Him whose appearance in this world cannot be materially perceived.

 

TRANSLATION

 

One who concentrates all mental activities in Me as the Supersoul of that phase of the mahat-tattva which manifests the chain of fruitive activities obtains from Me, whose appearance is beyond material perception, the most excellent mystic perfection called prākāmya.

 

11.15.15

viṣṇau try-adhīśvare cittaḿ

dhārayet kāla-vigrahe

sa īśitvam avāpnoti

kṣetrajña-kṣetra-codanām

 

viṣṇau — in Lord Viṣṇu, the Supersoul; tri-adhīśvare — the supreme controller of māyā, which consists of three modes of nature; cittam — the consciousness; dhārayet — one concentrates; kāla — of time, the prime mover; vigrahe — in the form; saḥ — he, the yogī; īśitvam — the mystic perfection of controlling; avāpnoti — obtains; kṣetra-jña — the conscious living entity; kṣetra — and the body with its designations; codanām — impelling.

 

TRANSLATION

 

One who places his consciousness on Viṣṇu, the Supersoul, the prime mover and Supreme Lord of the external energy consisting of three modes, obtains the mystic perfection of controlling other conditioned souls, their material bodies and their bodily designations.

 

11.15.16

nārāyaṇe turīyākhye

bhagavac-chabda-śabdite

mano mayy ādadhad yogī

mad-dharmā vaśitām iyāt

 

nārāyaṇe — in the Supreme Lord, Nārāyaṇa; turīya-ākhye — known as the fourth, beyond the three modes of material nature; bhagavat — full of all opulences; śabda-śabdite — known by the word; manaḥ — the mind; mayi — in Me; ādadhat — placing; yogī — the yogī; mat-dharmā — being endowed with My nature; vaśitām — the mystic opulence called vaśitā; iyāt — may obtain.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The yogī who places his mind in My form of Nārāyaṇa, known as the fourth factor, full of all opulences, becomes endowed with My nature and thus obtains the mystic perfection called vaśitā.

 

11.15.17

nirguṇe brahmaṇi mayi

dhārayan viśadaḿ manaḥ

paramānandam āpnoti

yatra kāmo 'vasīyate

 

nirguṇe — without qualities; brahmaṇi — in Brahman; mayi — in Me; dhārayan — concentrating; viśadam — pure; manaḥ — the mind; parama-ānandam — the greatest happiness; āpnoti — obtains; yatra — wherein; kāmaḥ — desire; avasīyate — is completely fulfilled.

TRANSLATION

One who fixes his pure mind on Me in My manifestation as the impersonal Brahman obtains the greatest happiness, wherein all his desires are completely fulfilled.

 

11.15.18

śvetadvīpa-patau cittaḿ

śuddhe dharma-maye mayi

dhārayañ chvetatāḿ yāti

ṣaḍ-ūrmi-rahito naraḥ

 

śveta-dvīpa — of the white island, the abode of Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu; patau — in the Lord; cittam — consciousness; śuddhe — in the personification of goodness; dharma-maye — in He who is always situated in piety; mayi — in Me; dhārayan — concentrating; śvetatām — pure existence; yāti — obtains; ṣaṭ-ūrmi — the six waves of material disturbance; rahitaḥ — freed from; naraḥ — a person.

 

TRANSLATION

 

A human being who concentrates on Me as the upholder of religious principles, the personification of purity and the Lord of Śvetadvīpa obtains the pure existence in which he is freed from the six waves of material disturbance, namely hunger, thirst, decay, death, grief and illusion.

 

11.15.19

mayy ākāśātmani prāṇe

manasā ghoṣam udvahan

tatropalabdhā bhūtānāḿ

haḿso vācaḥ śṛṇoty asau

 

mayi — in Me; ākāśa-ātmani — in the personification of the sky; prāṇe — in the life air; manasā — with the mind; ghoṣam — the transcendental sound; udvahan — concentrating on; tatra — there in the sky; upalabdhāḥ — perceived; bhūtānām — of all living entities; haḿsaḥ — the purified living entity; vācaḥ — words or speaking; śṛṇoti — hears; asau — he.

 

TRANSLATION

 

That purified living entity who fixes his mind on the extraordinary sound vibrations occurring within Me as the personified sky and total life air is then able to perceive within the sky the speaking of all living entities.

 

11.15.20

cakṣus tvaṣṭari saḿyojya

tvaṣṭāram api cakṣuṣi

māḿ tatra manasā dhyāyan

viśvaḿ paśyati dūrataḥ

 

cakṣuḥ — the eyes; tvaṣṭari — in the sun; saḿyojya — merging; tvaṣṭāram — the sun; api — also; cakṣuṣi — in one's eyes; mām — Me; tatra — there, in the mutual merging of sun and eye; manasā — with the mind; dhyāyan — meditating; viśvam — everything; paśyati — he sees; dūrataḥ — far away.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Merging one's sight into the sun planet and then the sun planet into one's eyes, one should meditate on Me as existing within the combination of sun and vision; thus one acquires the power to see any distant thing.

 

11.15.21

mano mayi su-saḿyojya

dehaḿ tad-anuvāyunā

mad-dhāraṇānubhāvena

tatrātmā yatra vai manaḥ

 

manaḥ — the mind; mayi — in Me; su-saḿyojya — completely absorbing; deham — the material body; tat — the mind; anu-vāyunā — by the wind that follows; mat-dhāraṇā — of meditation in Me; anubhāvena — by the potency; tatra — there; ātmā — the material body (goes); yatra — wherever; vai — certainly; manaḥ — the mind (goes).

 

TRANSLATION

 

The yogī who completely absorbs his mind in Me, and who then makes use of the wind that follows the mind to absorb the material body in Me, obtains through the potency of meditation on Me the mystic perfection by which his body immediately follows his mind wherever it goes.

 

11.15.22

yadā mana upādāya

yad yad rūpaḿ bubhūṣati

tat tad bhaven mano-rūpaḿ

mad-yoga-balam āśrayaḥ

 

yadā — when; manaḥ — the mind; upādāya — applying; yat yat — whatever; rūpam — form; bubhūṣati — one desires to assume; tat tat — that very form; bhavet — may appear; manaḥ-rūpam — the form desired by the mind; mat-yoga-balam — My inconceivable mystic potency, by which I manifest innumerable forms; āśrayaḥ — being the shelter.

 

TRANSLATION

 

When the yogī, applying his mind in a certain way, desires to assume a particular form, that very form immediately appears. Such perfection is possible by absorbing the mind in the shelter of My inconceivable mystic potency, by which I assume innumerable forms.

 

11.15.23

para-kāyaḿ viśan siddha

ātmānaḿ tatra bhāvayet

piṇḍaḿ hitvā viśet prāṇo

vāyu-bhūtaḥ ṣaḍańghri-vat

 

para — of another; kāyam — the body; viśan — desiring to enter; siddhaḥ — one perfected in yoga practice; ātmānam — oneself; tatra — in that body; bhāvayet — imagines; piṇḍam — one's own gross body; hitvā — giving up; viśet — one should enter; prāṇaḥ — in the subtle body; vāyu-bhūtaḥ — becoming just like the wind; ṣaṭ-ańghri-vat — like the bee, who easily moves from one flower to another.

 

TRANSLATION

 

When a perfect yogī desires to enter another's body, he should meditate upon himself within the other body, and then, giving up his own gross body, he should enter the other's body through the pathways of air, as easily as a bee leaves one flower and flies into another.

 

11.15.24

pārṣṇyāpīḍya gudaḿ prāṇaḿ

hṛd-uraḥ-kaṇṭha-mūrdhasu

āropya brahma-randhreṇa

brahma nītvotsṛjet tanum

 

pārṣṇyā — with the heel of the foot; āpīḍya — blocking; gudam — the anus; prāṇam — the vital air carrying the living entity; hṛt — from the heart; uraḥ — to the chest; kaṇṭha — to the neck; mūrdhasu — and to the head; āropya — placing; brahma-randhreṇa — by the spiritual seat at the top of the head; brahma — to the spiritual world or impersonal Brahman (or any other destination one has selected); nītvā — leading (the soul); utsṛjet — one should give up; tanum — the material body.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The yogī who has achieved the mystic perfection called svacchanda-mṛtyu blocks the anus with the heel of the foot and then lifts the soul from the heart to the chest, to the neck and finally to the head. Situated within the brahma-randhra, the yogī then gives up his material body and guides the spirit soul to the selected destination.

 

11.15.25

vihariṣyan surākrīḍe

mat-sthaḿ sattvaḿ vibhāvayet

vimānenopatiṣṭhanti

sattva-vṛttīḥ sura-striyaḥ

 

vihariṣyan — desiring to enjoy; sura — of the demigods; ākrīḍe — in the pleasure gardens; mat — in Me; stham — situated; sattvam — the mode of goodness; vibhāvayet — one should meditate on; vimānena — by airplane; upatiṣṭhanti — they arrive; sattva — in the mode of goodness; vṛttīḥ — appearing; sura — of the demigods; striyaḥ — the women.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The yogi who desires to enjoy in the pleasure gardens of the demigods should meditate on the purified mode of goodness, which is situated within Me, and then the heavenly women, generated from the mode of goodness, will approach him in airplanes.

 

11.15.26

yathā sańkalpayed buddhyā

yadā vā mat-paraḥ pumān

mayi satye mano yuñjaḿs

tathā tat samupāśnute

 

yathā — by which means; sańkalpayet — one may determine or resolve; buddhyā — by the mind; yadā — when; vā — or; mat-paraḥ — having faith in Me; pumān — the yogī; mayi — in Me; satye — whose desire always becomes truth; manaḥ — the mind; yuñjan — absorbing; tathā — by that means; tat — that very purpose; samupāśnute — he obtains.

 

TRANSLATION

 

A yogi who has faith in Me, absorbing his mind in Me and knowing that My purpose is always fulfilled, will always achieve his purpose by the very means he has determined to follow.

 

11.15.27

yo vai mad-bhāvam āpanna

īśitur vaśituḥ pumān

kutaścin na vihanyeta

tasya cājñā yathā mama

 

yaḥ — one who (a yogī); vai — indeed; mat — from Me; bhāvam — nature; āpannaḥ — achieved; īśituḥ — from the supreme ruler; vaśituḥ — the supreme controller; pumān — a person (yogī); kutaścit — in any way; na vihanyeta — cannot be frustrated; tasya — his; ca — also; ājñā — order, command; yathā — just as; mama — Mine.

 

TRANSLATION

 

A person who perfectly meditates on Me acquires My nature of being the supreme ruler and controller. His order, like Mine, can never be frustrated by any means.

 

11.15.28

mad-bhaktyā śuddha-sattvasya

yogino dhāraṇā-vidaḥ

tasya trai-kālikī buddhir

janma-mṛtyūpabṛḿhitā

 

mat-bhaktyā — by devotion to Me; śuddha-sattvasya — of one whose existence is purified; yoginaḥ — of a yogī; dhāraṇā-viduḥ — who knows the process of meditation; tasya — of him; trai-kālikī — functioning in three phases of time, namely past, present and future; buddhiḥ — intelligence; janma-mṛtyu — birth and death; upabṛḿhitā — including.

 

TRANSLATION

 

A yogī who has purified his existence by devotion to Me and who thus expertly knows the process of meditation obtains knowledge of past, present and future. He can therefore see the birth and death of himself and others.

 

11.15.29

agny-ādibhir na hanyeta

muner yoga-mayaḿ vapuḥ

mad-yoga-śānta-cittasya

yādasām udakaḿ yathā

 

agni — by fire; ādibhiḥ — and so on (sun, water, poison, etc.); na — not; hanyeta — can be injured; muneḥ — of a wise yogī; yoga-mayam — fully cultivated in yoga science; vapuḥ — the body; mat-yoga — by devotional connection with Me; śānta — pacified; cittasya — whose consciousness; yādasām — of the aquatics; udakam — water; yathā — just as.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Just as the bodies of aquatics cannot be injured by water, similarly, the body of a yogi whose consciousness is pacified by devotion to Me and who is fully developed in yoga science cannot be injured by fire, sun, water, poison, and so forth.

 

11.15.30

mad-vibhūtīr abhidhyāyan

śrīvatsāstra-vibhūṣitāḥ

dhvajātapatra-vyajanaiḥ

sa bhaved aparājitaḥ

 

mat — My; vibhūtīḥ — opulent incarnations; abhidhyāyan — meditating upon; śrīvatsa — with the Lord's Śrīvatsa opulence; astra — and weapons; vibhūṣitāḥ — decorated; dhvaja — with flags; ātapatra — with ceremonial umbrellas; vyajanaiḥ — and different types of fans; saḥ — he, the devotee-yogī; bhavet — becomes; aparājitaḥ — unconquerable by others.

 

TRANSLATION

 

My devotee becomes unconquerable by meditating on My opulent incarnations, which are decorated with Śrīvatsa and various weapons and are endowed with imperial paraphernalia such as flags, ornamental umbrellas and fans.

 

11.15.31

upāsakasya mām evaḿ

yoga-dhāraṇayā muneḥ

siddhayaḥ pūrva-kathitā

upatiṣṭhanty aśeṣataḥ

 

upāsakasya — of one who is worshiping; mām — Me; evam — thus; yoga-dhāraṇayā — by the process of mystic meditation; muneḥ — of a learned person; siddhayaḥ — the mystic perfections; pūrva — previously; kathitāḥ — described; upatiṣṭhanti — approach; aśeṣataḥ — in all respects.

 

TRANSLATION

 

A learned devotee who worships Me through yoga meditation certainly obtains in all respects the mystic perfections that I have described.

 

11.15.32

jitendriyasya dāntasya

jita-śvāsātmano muneḥ

mad-dhāraṇāḿ dhārayataḥ

kā sā siddhiḥ su-durlabhā

 

jita-indriyasya — of one who has conquered his senses; dāntasya — who is disciplined and self-controlled; jita-śvāsa — who has conquered his breathing; ātmanaḥ — and conquered the mind; muneḥ — of such a sage; mat — in Me; dhāraṇām — meditation; dhārayataḥ — who is conducting; kā — what is; sā — that; siddhiḥ — perfection; su-durlabhā — which is very difficult to achieve.

 

TRANSLATION

 

For a sage who has conquered his senses, breathing and mind, who is self-controlled and always absorbed in meditation on Me, what mystic perfection could possibly be difficult to achieve?

 

11.15.33

antarāyān vadanty etā

yuñjato yogam uttamam

mayā sampadyamānasya

kāla-kṣapaṇa-hetavaḥ

 

antarāyān — impediments; vadanti — they say; etāḥ — these mystic perfections; yuñjataḥ — of one engaging in; yogam — connection with the Absolute; uttamam — the supreme stage; mayā — with Me; sampadyamānasya — of one who is becoming completely opulent; kāla — of time; kṣapaṇa — of the interruption, waste; hetavaḥ — causes.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Learned experts in devotional service state that the mystic perfections of yoga that I have mentioned are actually impediments and are a waste of time for one who is practicing the supreme yoga, by which one achieves all perfection in life directly from Me.

 

11.15.34

janmauṣadhi-tapo-mantrair

yāvatīr iha siddhayaḥ

yogenāpnoti tāḥ sarvā

nānyair yoga-gatiḿ vrajet

 

janma — by birth; auṣadhi — herbs; tapaḥ — austerities; mantraiḥ — and by mantras; yāvatīḥ — as many as there are; iha — in this world; siddhayaḥ — perfections; yogena — by devotional service to Me; āpnoti — one obtains; tāḥ — those; sarvāḥ — all of them; na — not; anyaiḥ — by other methods; yoga-gatim — the actual perfection of yoga; vrajet — one can achieve.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Whatever mystic perfections can be achieved by good birth, herbs, austerities and mantras can all be achieved by devotional service to Me; indeed, one cannot achieve the actual perfection of yoga by any other means.

 

11.15.35

sarvāsām api siddhīnāḿ

hetuḥ patir ahaḿ prabhuḥ

ahaḿ yogasya sāńkhyasya

dharmasya brahma-vādinām

 

sarvāsām — of all of them; api — indeed; siddhīnām — of the mystic perfections; hetuḥ — the cause; patiḥ — the protector; aham — I am; prabhuḥ — the Lord; aham — I; yogasya — of unalloyed meditation on Me; sāńkhyasya — of analytic knowledge; dharmasya — of work executed without personal desire; brahma-vādinām — of the learned community of Vedic teachers.

 

TRANSLATION

 

My dear Uddhava, I am the cause, the protector and the Lord of all mystic perfections, of the yoga system, of analytic knowledge, of pure activity and of the community of learned Vedic teachers.

 

11.15.36

aham ātmāntaro bāhyo

'nāvṛtaḥ sarva-dehinām

yathā bhūtāni bhūteṣu

bahir antaḥ svayaḿ tathā

 

aham — I; ātmā — the Supreme Lord; āntaraḥ — existing within as the Supersoul; bāhyaḥ — existing externally in My all-pervading feature; anāvṛtaḥ — uncovered; sarva-dehinām — of all living entities; yathā — just as; bhūtāni — the material elements; bhūteṣu — among living entities; bahiḥ — externally; antaḥ — internally; svayam — Myself; tathā — in the same way.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Just as the same material elements exist within and outside of all material bodies, similarly, I cannot be covered by anything else. I exist within everything as the Supersoul and outside of everything in My all-pervading feature.