Chapter VI · Śloka 44
पूर्वाभ्यासेन तेनैव ह्रियते ह्यवशोऽपि सः ।
जिज्ञासुरपि योगस्य शब्दब्रह्मातिवर्तते ॥
जिज्ञासुरपि योगस्य शब्दब्रह्मातिवर्तते ॥
pūrvābhyāsena tenaiva
hriyate hy avaśo 'pi saḥ |
jijñāsur api yogasya
śabda-brahmātivartate ||
hriyate hy avaśo 'pi saḥ |
jijñāsur api yogasya
śabda-brahmātivartate ||
By the very force of his previous practice he is carried forward even involuntarily; even a mere seeker of yoga transcends the Vedic realm of ritual results.
Prior practice creates a gravitational pull toward liberation that operates below the level of conscious choice — the yogi is 'carried' toward realisation almost despite himself. Even intellectual inquiry into yoga elevates one beyond the purely ritual dimension of the Vedas.