Chapter VI · Śloka 36
असंयतात्मना योगो दुष्प्राप इति मे मतिः ।
वश्यात्मना तु यतता शक्योऽवाप्तुमुपायतः ॥
वश्यात्मना तु यतता शक्योऽवाप्तुमुपायतः ॥
asaṃyatātmanā yogo
duṣprāpa iti me matiḥ |
vaśyātmanā tu yatatā
śakyo 'vāptum upāyataḥ ||
duṣprāpa iti me matiḥ |
vaśyātmanā tu yatatā
śakyo 'vāptum upāyataḥ ||
Yoga is hard to attain, I hold, for one whose self is uncontrolled; but for one who strives with a subdued self, it is attainable through the right means.
Self-mastery is both the path and the prerequisite: without beginning to rein in the mind, no further progress is possible; once that effort is undertaken sincerely, the goal — though lofty — is genuinely within reach.