Chapter VI · Śloka 3
आरुरुक्षोर्मुनेर्योगं कर्म कारणमुच्यते |
योगारूढस्य तस्यैव शमः कारणमुच्यते ||
योगारूढस्य तस्यैव शमः कारणमुच्यते ||
ārurukṣor muner yogaṃ karma kāraṇam ucyate |
yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva śamaḥ kāraṇam ucyate ||
yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva śamaḥ kāraṇam ucyate ||
For the sage who wishes to ascend to yoga, action is said to be the means; for one who has already ascended to yoga, tranquility is said to be the means.
The path has two distinct phases: in the beginning, disciplined action purifies the mind and burns out restlessness; once that purification is sufficiently deep, quietude — śama — becomes the natural ground of practice. Forcing silence prematurely is as futile as forcing action once silence has arrived.