Bhagavad-

Bhagavad-gītā
gītā 6.4
6.4-12
-12
—
New York, September 4, 1966

Prabhupāda: Śrī-caitanya-mano 'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-

tale, svayaṁ rūpaḥkadā mahyam...

[When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within
this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya
Caitanya,, give me
shelter under his lotus feet?]

yadā hi nendriyārtheṣu
na karmasv anuṣajjate
sarva-saṅkalpa-sannyāsī
yogārūḍhas tadocyate
[Bg. 6.4]

uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ
nātmānam avasādayet
ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur
ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ
[Bg. 6.5]

Now these two ślokas, verses, we were discussing last day, that we have to
raise ourself to the spiritual standard by ourself. I have to raise myself to
the spiritual standard by myself. So I am my friend and I am my enemy.
This is the opportunity. There is a very nice verse in Cāṇakya Paṇḍita.

na kaścit kasyacin mitraṁ

 na kaścit kasyacid ripuḥ
vyavahāreṇa jāyante
mitrāṇi ripavas tathā

"Nobody is nobody's friend, nobody is nobody's enemy. But it is only the be-
havior by which one can understand who is his friend and who is his
enemy." Nobody is born enemy, nobody is born friend. But by our mutual
behavior, somebody is my friend and somebody is my enemy. Similarly, as
we have this dealing in the ordinary daily affairs, similarly, I have my dea-
ling with my self. My self. If I deal with me, myself, as friend, then I am my
friend. And if I deal with myself inimically... Then what is that friendship
and inimical? The friendship is that I am soul.Somehow or other, I have
been in contact with this material nature. So I have to get myself out of the
entanglement of this material nature. If I act in that way, then I am my
friend. But even after getting this opportunity, if I do not act in that way,
then I am my enemy. So ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur ātmaiva ātma-
no ripuḥ. So I am myself friend, my friend, and I am my enemy.

bandhur ātmātmanas tasya

yenātmaivātmanā jitaḥ
anātmanas tu śatrutve
vartetātmaiva śatruvat
[Bg. 6.6]

Now, how I can become my friend? That is explained here, that bandhur āt-
mā ātmanas tasya. Ātmā means mind, ātmā means body, and ātmā means
soul. That, these three things I have already explained the other day that
when we speak of ātmā, or self... Just like so long I have got my bodily con-
ception, when I say "my self," I think of my body. When I transcend the bo-
dily conception of life, then I think "I am mind." But actually, when I am in
the real spiritual platform, then my self means "I am pure spirit." So accor-
ding to the stage of development my conception of self are different. So so
far nirukta or dictionary is concerned, body, mind, and the spirit soul,
everything is called self. Now, here it is called bandhur ātmā ātmanas tas-
ya. Now, here one ātmā is named mind. Mind is the friend of oneself, and
mind is the enemy of oneself. So we have to train the mind. If I train my
mind for becoming my friend, then my life is successful. If I train my mind
to become my enemy, then my life is unsuccessful. Anātmanas tuśatrut-
ve vartetātmaiva śatruvat. But one who has no knowledge of the spiritual
self, then his mind acts like his enemy. One who has got the conception of
this body as "my self," his mind is his enemy. And one who has got the con-
ception of the spirit self, his mind is his friend.

So mind has nothing to do. Mind, simply training of the mind required.
And how the mind is trained up? It is by good association. Good associa-
tion, our mind is trained up. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. Kāma means desire.
Desire is the function of the mind. And saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. And accor-
ding to the association, my mind desires like that. So we have to make good
association if we want to make our mind as my friend, if I want to make my
mind as my friend, then I have to associate with sādhu. Tasmātsatsu sajye-
ta buddhimān. Buddhimān means intelligent person. He must associate
with satsu. Satsu means those who are trying for self-realization. They are
called sat. Sat and asat. Asat means who are trying for the temporary
things. Matter is temporary. My body is temporary. So if I simply engage
myself for bodily pleasures, sense gratification, then I am engaging myself
to temporary things. But if I engage myself for self-realization, the perma-
nent thing, then I am engaging myself to the sat, or to the permanent. Tas-
māt satsu sajyeta buddhimān. "Anyone who is intelligent, he should asso-
ciate with persons who are trying to elevate themselves for self-realization."
That is called sat-saṅga, good association.

And what is the result of good association? Now, because, if we make

good association, the santāḥ chindanti. Santāḥ means the persons who
are sādhu, who are pious. They can cut off by their words our attachment
with this material world. They can cut off. Just like Kṛṣṇa is speaking to Ar-
juna. What is the idea of speaking so many things? Just to cut off his attach-
ment from the so-called material affection. He is affected with something
which is stumbling his progress in his own duty. So He is, Kṛṣṇa is presen-
ting His Bhagavad-gītā just to cut off. Santā eva hi chindan-
ti uktibhiḥ. Uktibhiḥ. Chindanti means cut. Now, for cutting something we
require some sharpened instrument. But here, to cut off the mind from at-
tachment, it requires sharpened ukti. Ukti means words. Sharpened topics.
There should not be... Just like when a person cuts something, there is no
mercy, similarly when a sādhu or a person saint, speaks to his student, he
does not make, show any mercy. He speaks the truth so that his mind may
be cut off from the unreal attachment.

Just like Kṛṣṇa is saying. Kṛṣṇa... Arjuna first addressed to Arjuna. He

said, aśocyānanvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase [Bg. 2.11]. "Oh, you
are talking like a very learned man, but you are fool number one." You see.
How strong word He has used. So so far, if we want detachment from this
material world, then we should be prepared to accept such cutting words
from the master. Santāḥ pasya(?) chindanti uktibhiḥ. Uktibhiḥ. We should
not make compromise: "Oh, don't speak such strong words." Required, it is
required. So bandhur ātmā. Anātmanas tu śatrutve vartetātmaiva śatru-
vat. Anātmanaḥ. Those who have no self-realization, his mind... One who
has not realized what he is. We are generally conception of this bodily con-
ception of our life. But the intelligent person who has made association
with saintly persons, he can understand that "I am not this body." And the
material conception of life is condemned in so many places. Yasyātma-
buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ yat-
tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile [SB 10.84.13]. In so many ways. One who has got the
conception of his personal self with this body made of three elements, then
one who thinks that the land in which he is born or the relatives who is con-
nected with this body, "They are all, everything," then that man is no better
than ass and cow. It is said like that.

So we should have by good association, by study of good books like Bha-

gavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we should realize ourself. Otherwise, our
mind will remain always an enemy, an enemy. And enemy, as the enemy is
always prepared to do harm, so my mind will drag me to things which will
make me entangled more and more in this material miserable
life. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati [Bg. 15.7]. We are strug-
gling very hard with this mind and six senses. So we have to make the mind
our friend. Now, Kṛṣṇa is gradually making progress to explain to Arju-
na how the mind can be made friend.

jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya
paramātmā samāhitaḥ
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu
tathā mānāpamānayoḥ
[Bg. 6.7]
 jñāna-vijñāna-tṛptātmā
kūṭastho vijitendriyaḥ
yukta ity ucyate yogī
sama-loṣṭrāśma-kāñcanaḥ
[Bg. 6.8]

Now by training the mind, jitātmana, one who has conquered over the
mind, jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya... Praśānta means he has become in equili-
brium, praśānta. Praśānta. Because mind is dragging me always in nonper-
manent things. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā manorathenāsati dhā-
vato bahiḥ [SB 5.18.12]. Asatimanorathena. By the chariot of the mind. So
long we are seated on the chariot of the untrained mind, unbridled mind,
the mind will drag me to things which are nonpermanent. But my whole bu-
siness is that I am permanent, I am eternal. Somehow or other, I have got
this attachment for nonpermanent things. So I have to get out of this entan-
glement. So if my mind is not trained up, then the mind's business will be
to drag me to nonpermanent things. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-
guṇāḥ. But this mind, as I told you the other day, can be very easily trained
up if we fix up in our minds, on the fort of the mind, a great soldier, Kṛṣṇa.
Just like if the fort is defended by a great general, then there is no question
of entering of the enemy, similarly, if we put Kṛṣṇa on the fort of the mind,
then there is no chance of entering of the enemies. Sa vaimanaḥ kṛṣṇa-
padāravindayoḥ [SB 9.4.18]. That day we have explained.

And if we do not do that harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. Mahad-

guṇāḥ means the material acquisition, material education, material wealth,
or so many material qualification. That will not help me to control my
mind. That is not possible. Only thing is that if I put on the mind Kṛṣṇa, or
God, harāv abhakta..., Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then my mind will be very ea-
sily conquered.

So jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya. Praśānta means who has ceased to desire

material enjoyment. Bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraṁ praśānta-niḥśeṣa-
mano-rathāntaram. A devotee to the Lord, bhavantam evānucaran niranta-
ram, that "When I shall be able to act twenty-four hours in Your service, or
when I shall be able to think of You cent percent?" And praśānta-niḥśeṣa-
mano-rathāntaram. Mano-rathāntaram means mind is dragging me in so
many imaginations; so many plan-making business we have got, so many
plan-making business. That is called mano-rathāntaram. Just like I go on
some chariot, on some car, in several places. So mind is... The same thing is
described. Māyā....yantrārūḍhāni māyayā [Bg. 18.61]. So we are traveling li-
ke that, that way. But as soon as I am able to fix my mind on the lotus feet
of Kṛṣṇa in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it become jitātmanaḥ. Jitātmanaḥ means
conquered. And then my mind becomes clear of all the engagements of non-
permanent things. Praśāntasya. Jitātmanaḥ praśāntasyaparamāt-
mā samāhitaḥ. That is possible...

Paramātmā means Supersoul. We have several times told you that Para-
mātmā is with me. The same thing. Paramātmā is sitting with me in the
heart. I, the soul, the atomic spark, spirit spark, that is also in this heart,
and side by side, in the similar smallest way, the Supreme Lord is also with
me. Paramātmā samāhitaḥ. This paramātmā samāhitaḥ is the yoga.
Now, Kṛṣṇa will gradually come, Paramātmā. The yoga system is, medita-
tion means to control all the senses and concentrate the mind to focus on
the Paramātmā. That is the whole yoga system. So here it is hinted, para-
mātmā samāhitaḥ, "completely absorbed in the Paramātmā." Praśānta. Pra-
śāntameans ceases, cease from all nonpermanent activities.
And jitātmanaḥ. Jitātmanaḥ means conquered over the senses. So

jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya
paramātmā samāhitaḥ
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu
tathā mānāpamānayoḥ
[Bg. 6.7]

Śītoṣṇa-sukha... Duality. Duality. We have got in this material world dua-

lity. Just like this is now summer season; then again we will have winter
season, snowfall. Śīta uṣṇa. Śīta means winter season, and uṣṇa means
summer season. Śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu. Similarly, happiness and dis-
tress. Happiness and distress. Tathā mānāpamānayoḥ. Similarly, honor and
dishonor. Because in this world, the world of duality, dual world, everyt-
hing is to be understood by duality. We cannot understand what is honor if
there is no dishonor. If I am not insulted, I cannot understand what is ho-
nor. So mānāpamānayoḥ. Similarly, I cannot understand what is misery if I
have not tasted happiness. Or I cannot understand what is happiness if I
have not understood misery. So similarly... I cannot understand what is
cold if I have not tasted hot. This world is, world is of duality. So one has to
transcend. So long this body is there, this duality feeling will continue.

So because I am trying to get out of this body, bodily conception—not

exactly out of the body, but bodily conception—so I will have to practice to
tolerate these dualities. As in the Second Chapter we have, Kṛṣṇa has advi-
sed Arjuna, mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteyaśītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ [Bg. 2.14]
. This duality of distress and happiness, this is due to the skin. This is skin
disease. Just like itching, itching of the skin. So because there is itching, I
should not be mad after it. I should tolerate. There are so many. Nowadays
mosquito bite is going on. So we should not be mad. We should not give up
our duty because mosquito is biting or some bed bug is biting. So so many
dualities that we have to tolerate.

So if my mind is always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then these dualities can

be practiced very easily. Śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ. Jñāna-vijñāna-
tṛptātmā kūṭastho vijitendriyaḥ. Why he will be able to understand, to tole-
rate? Because jñāna-vijñāna-tṛptātmā. Jñāna means knowledge. Theoreti-
cal knowledge is called jñāna, and practical knowledge is called vijñāna. Vij-
ñāna. Just like a science student has to study theoretical and appear theore-
tical examination as well as practical examination. If a science student has
to pass his examination, then he has to prac... Simply theoretical knowledge
that so much quantity of hydrogen and so much quantity of oxygen will ma-
ke water will not help him. He has to practically show in the laboratory that
so much quantity of oxygen gas and so much quantity of hydrogen gas mi-
xed and water is produced. That is called vijñāna. Vijñāna.

So jñāna-vijñāna-tṛptātmā. One should have not only theoretical know-

ledge, but practical knowledge. Practical knowledge. Simply understanding
that "I am not this body, I am not body," then I am doing all nonsense of
this body. I am discussing... There are so many societies. They are very se-
riously discussing Vedānta philosophy and smoking, with wine glass, and
very enjoying life. You see. So that sort of jñāna, that sort of knowledge, is
not necessary. You see? So jñāna-vijñāna. One should have knowledge per-
fectly, and it must be demonstrated. Demonstrated in practical field. Yes.
But that means one who has actually felt himself that "I am not this body,"
then naturally his bodily necessities will be reduced to the minimum. Will
be reduced to the minimum. That is practical. If I am going to increase the
demands of my body and I am simply theoretically thinking that "I am not
this body," oh, that is not required. Jñāna-vijñāna-tṛptātmā.

A man, a person, will be satisfied when there is jñāna, knowledge, and

science side by side. Jñāna-vijñāna, practical knowledge. Kūṭastho
vijitendriyaḥ. Then he's conquered over the senses.

jñāna-vijñāna-tṛptātmā
kūṭastho vijitendriyaḥ
yukta ity ucyate yogī
sama-loṣṭrāśma-kāñcanaḥ
[Bg. 6.8]

So when he is situated in that practical status of spiritual realization, then

he is to be understood that he is actually situated in the yoga. Not that I am
going to a class and, weekly or twice weekly attending yoga class, and I re-
main the same thing for the so many years. No. There should be practical
realization. What is that practical realization? Praśāntātmā. Praśāntāt-
mā. The mind is calm and quiet, no more agitated by the attraction of this
material encirclement. You see? So jñāna-vijñāna...kūṭastho
vijitendriyaḥ. The first qualification is called vijitendriyaḥ, sense control.
Advancement in the yoga system means yoga indriya-
saṁyamaḥ. Yoga means to... Because our whole life is disturbed due to the
senses. Senses. This material life means sense gratification. That's all. The
sum and substance of materialistic life means sense gratification. Therefore
advancement of material science means giving you products for your sense
gratification. Unnecessarily, so many things are produced just to satisfy my
senses. That is the material advancement.

So material life means sense gratification, and spiritual life means deta-
ched from sense gratification. So vijitendriyaḥ. Yukta ity ucyate yogī sama-
loṣṭrāśma-kāñcanaḥ.And when he is in that position of equilibrium, then
for him, sama-loṣṭrāśma-kāñcanaḥ. Kāñcana means gold, and loṣṭra means,
what is called, rubbles of stone. They are the same thing. So sama-
loṣṭrāśma-kāñcanaḥ. And again,
 suhṛn-mitrāry-udāsīna-
madhyastha-dveṣya-bandhuṣu
sādhuṣv api ca pāpeṣu
sama-buddhir viśiṣyate
[Bg. 6.9]

We have got our relationship in this world, we call that: "He is my

friend." Suhṛt and mitra. There are two kinds of friends. Suhṛt means better
friend. Actually who is always desiring my welfare, he is called suhṛt. And
friend means we have got good will, ordinary friends. Suhṛn mitra udāsī-
na. Udāsīna means neutral, neither friend nor enemy. We have got rela-
tionship within this world. Somebody is my very good well-wisher, some-
body is my friend, and somebody is neither friend nor enemy. And some-
body, madhyastha, mediator, and somebody actually doing some good. So-
mebody I think, "Oh, here is a nice gentleman, saintly person." And some-
body I think, "Oh, here is a sinful man." According to my calculation, some-
body my friend, somebody my enemy, somebody neutral, somebody, I
mean to say, a saintly person, somebody my, a sinful person. Now, all these,
when you are on the yoga-yukta, when you are in the platform of transcen-
dence, then these distinctions, this friend, enemy, sādhu, saintly, and sinful,
that will all be closed. No more. No more. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-
darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]. Paṇḍitāḥ. When one becomes actually learned, he does
not see any enemy or any friend because nobody is enemy, nobody is friend,
nobody is my son, nobody is my mother, nobody is... We are all different li-
ving entities.

We are just playing on the platform under the dress of father, mother,
wife children friend, enemy. Just like in a drama we set up some character
to play, so... But out of the stage we are all friends. Nobody... In the stage I
say, "Oh, you are enemy. I shall kill you." And so many things I do. But
when out of the stage, we are all friends. Similarly, in this world, in this ma-
terial world, with this dress, with this dress of material body, we are playing
on the stage of material world that enemy and friend and father, mother,
son. I cannot beget any son. It is not possible. I simply beget this body. You
see. The living entity, that is not my power. Simply by my sex intercourse
with my wife, I cannot produce unless that living entity is placed in that
emulsification of two secretion. These are stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgava-
tam. So this is only stage play.

So actually, when one is situated in proper knowledge, one who is ac-

tually a yogi, for him, this distinction altogether disappears. Yogī yuñjīta sa-
tatam ātmānaṁ rahasisthitaḥ [Bg. 6.10]. Now, now here is the beginning of
the yoga system, how one should perform yoga. Now, you will understand
from the description of Bhagavad-gītā that what is yoga system. In your
city, New York City, the yoga is very popular. Everyone is performing yoga.
There are so many groups of yoga schools, but just see what the yogasystem
is. You just, you can understand from Bhagavad-gītā. What is that? The
first is yogī yuñjīta satatam ātmānaṁ rahasi sthitaḥ. The yogi's business is
always to remain alone in a secluded place. Alone and secluded pla-
ce. Yoga cannot be performed in assembly. Just like we are in assembly. He-
re you are performing yoga, I am performing yoga in the yoga class, and so-
mebody is teaching, "Do like this. Do like that. Do like that." That is not yo-
ga system. At least, according to Bhagavad-gītā. Here it is clearly said
that yogī yuñjīta satatam ātmānaṁ rahasi sthitaḥ. He should always be en-
gaged in his, I mean to say, focusing his mind towards the Paramātmā. And
that is possible, rahasi. Rahasi means in a secluded place. In a secluded pla-
ce. It is not... I cannot concentrate my mind in the hubble-bubble of this so-
ciety or in a big city.

The yoga system, you will find that all the yogis formerly... Still in India
there are many yogis. They come at Kumbhamela. We have seen some of
them. They are some of them are 700 years old, and you'll see him just like
a boy of 25 years. They are doing something, yoga. So they, rarely they co-
me when there is some special function. In India there are four places. Just
like in the modern days there are conferences of different parties, similarly,
in India there are still about thirty hundred thousands of saintly persons.
Not one, two. And they, not all, but at least, major portion of them, they
meet together after twelve years in some particular places. There are four
places. One at Prayāga. You have heard the name of Allahabad city. That is
called Prayāga. And one at Hardwar, and at Kanchi. In this way they have
got four places. That means every four years they have meeting. So in that
meeting many yogis come. And when... Not in my this renounced order,
when I was living for some time at Allahabad... Not some time. I lived there
for thirteen years, at Allahabad. So I was seeing this Mela. Although it was
taking at at least 12 years, I have seen twice or thrice. So these yogis, they
are so calm and quiet and looking... Of course, I do not know. Somebody
said this man is 700 years old, this man is 300 years old, but they look like
young boys.

So they, such yogis, as it is recommended here, yogī yuñjīta satatam āt-

mānam. One who is actually ascendent on the yogic principles, his first
function is that he remains alone. He has no society. He cannot remain in
society. Yogī yuñjīta satataṁ rahasisthitaḥ, ekākī. Ekākī means alone. Or
more clearly it is stated. Ekākī yata-cittātmānirā-
śīr aparigrahaḥ. Nirāśīḥ, there is no expectation that "By functioning yoga, I
shall achieve this power." And aparigraha, and he does not take anything
from anybody. Who is going to give him? He is ekākī, he is alone in a seclu-
ded place, in, sometimes in jungle, in forest, in mountain. And who is going
to give him anything? He doesn't expect because he is firmly convinced that
"For whom I have become yogi...I am not alone. My Paramātmā is always
with me." He's a yogi of... Unless..., what kind of yogihe is? He is... Alt-
hough he remains superficially alone, but he knows that "Wherever I go,
my Paramātmā friend, who is sitting with me on my heart, He is with me.
So I have nothing to fear. So I have nothing to fear." Yata-cittātmā. Ekā-
kī yata-cittātmā nirāśīr aparigrahaḥ. He does not accept anything for anyo-
ne.

Now, just see the yogi, yogic principle, for this age, how much it is diffi-
cult for us. If we want to perform real yoga system, then it is very difficult.
Nobody... We are sitting here, so many ladies and gentlemen, is it possible
for us to live alone in a secluded place in a mountain? You have got in your,
outside your New York City there are so many mountains and jungles. Can
you live there alone? Oh, no. At the present moment, the modern way of
our civilization, mode of our life... Just like I am a sannyāsī, I am renounced
order of life, but still, I have come to a city, New York City, the largest city
of the world. From Bombay city or Calcutta city I have come. So life has be-
come so changed that in this age actually what is called yoga, it is not possi-
ble. It is not... First condition is that ekākī yata-cittātmā, he should remain
alone, he should perform yoga system alone, not in with friends and many
other yogis. No. Yata-cittātmā nirāśīr aparigrahaḥ. And he should have no
desire in his mind. And aparigraha. He does not want anything from any-
body, anybody else. This is the first condition.

Then next condition:

śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya

sthiram āsanam ātmanaḥ
 nāty-ucchritaṁ nātinīcaṁ
cailājina-kuśottaram
[Bg. 6.11-12]

The yogi has to fix up his sitting place. What is that? Śucau deśe. He should
select a place which is very, very pure. Now, that means a place like Hard-
war. Our young friend, Mr. Howard, he has been to Hardwar. He has seen
how nicely that place is. River Ganges is flowing and very nice, calm, quiet.
You'll find three miles after, four miles after, one yogi is sitting nicely there
and meditating. That is yoga system. You see? So śucau deśe, in a place
where..., the sanctified place. So these places are especially selected, just li-
ke Hardwar, Kanchi and Prayāga. They are, from time immemorial, in Ve-
dic age, those places are sanctified. Just like this Bhagavad-gītā was spoken
in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Dharma-kṣetre, the land of religiosity.
Even war was performed. Because this war was not ordinary war. That was
religious war. Religious war. This Kurukṣetra battle, that was religious war.
Don't you find in the warfield where Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, is present, do you think it is ordinary war? No. It is not ordinary
war. And it was performed in a place which is called dharma-kṣetra. So so-
metimes war is also performed in terms of religiosity. That is prescribed.
That is required.

So here, śucau deśe, perfectly sanctified place. Śu-

cau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya. He must be situated in a very sanctified place. Sthi-
ram āsanam ātmanaḥ. And the āsanam, and the sitting place should not be
changed. The same āsana. He should perform yoga, meditation, on the sa-
me place and the same sitting place. Ātmanaḥ. And how that place, the sit-
ting place, should be selected? Na ati ucchritam. Not too much raised, nor
too much low. Nāty-ucchritam. And cailājina-kuśottaram. Caila. Cai-
la means cotton something, cotton sitting place. Then skin. Deerskin
means... You know yogis, they sit on the skin of tiger and skin of deer?
Why? Because they are in a secluded place. This has got some chemical ef-
fect. If you sit on tiger skin and deer skin, then the reptiles, the snakes, they
won't disturb you. It has got some, I mean to say, physical effect. There are
so many medical effect in so many things. We do not know. But God has
created everything for our use. We do not know. Every plant, every herb is a
medicine. It is meant for some particular disease, for some particular pro-
tection. We do not know that. So cailājina. It is not a fashion. It is... Because
they sit down in a secluded place in a jungle, so you are meditating, so some
snake may come. There are so many snakes, so many reptiles. So therefo-
re, cailājina-kuśottaram. And straw. The three things: straw, and the skin,
and some cotton āsana. These things are required.

Then what is the next process? The next process is

tatraikāgram manaḥ kṛtvā

yata-cittendriya-kriyaḥ
upaviśyāsane yuñjyād
yogam ātma-viśuddhaye
[Bg. 6.11-12]

Ātma-viśuddhaye. The whole process is, yoga system is, for purif-
ying ātmā. Purifying ātmā... You always remember that ātmā means this
body, ātmā means the mind, ātmāmeans the soul. So purifying these things.
So yoga system is made not that cheaply I want some power. Sometimes the
yogis they achieve very wonderful power. Aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga. Aṣṭa-sidd-
hi, eight kinds of perfect, material perfection, they can attain. Not for that
purpose yoga sys... Although they attain that power, real yogis, they do not
exhibit it. They do not exhibit it. They have got the powers, so many won-
derful powers, but he doesn't... His only aim is ātma-viśuddhaye: "I am now
contaminated by this material atmosphere; so I have to purify myself." So
that purification process we shall discuss next day. But I may say in this
connection that so much difficult process for purifying the ātmā is very ea-
sily done, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12], by chanting
this Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rā-
maRāma Rāma Hare Hare. Because the sound, this transcendental sound
vibration, is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is absolute. His name is not
different from Him. So when you chant His name with devotion, that
means Kṛṣṇa is with you. And Kṛṣṇa, when Kṛṣṇa is with you, how you can
remain impure? You become pure. The purest. That is the whole system.
Now, if there is any questions, you can ask. (end)