tam imaṁ te pravakṣyāmi

tam imaṁ te pravakṣyāmi

yam avocaṁ purānaghe

ṛṣīṇāṁ śrotu-kāmānāṁ

yogaṁ sarvāṅga-naipuṇam

I will explain to you that yoga, whose many parts are easy to perform, which I previously explained to the sages eager to hear.

He explained this to sages such as Nārada. The many aṅgas of this yoga are easy to perform.

|| 3.25.15 ||

cetaḥ khalv asya bandhāya

muktaye cātmano matam

guṇeṣu saktaṁ bandhāya

rataṁ vā puṁsi muktaye

The mind is the cause of bondage and liberation for the jīva. Attachment to the guṇas causes bondage but attraction for the Lord causes liberation.

 

The mind of the jīvas binds him up by bad association, and liberates him by good association. That is explained here. The method of bondage is mentioned. Attachment to the guṇas, which create bondage, produces bondage for the jīva. Attachment or rati (ratam) to the Lord (pumsi) who is without material guṇas, the destroyer of the bondage of guṇas, produces liberation. Vā means “but” in the sentence. The cause of rati for the Supreme Lord is bhakti alone, not jñāna or yoga. Pure bhakti alone is recommended for liberation.

|| 3.25.16-18 ||

ahaṁ mamābhimānotthaiḥ

kāma-lobhādibhir malaiḥ

vītaṁ yadā manaḥ śuddham

aduḥkham asukhaṁ samam

tadā puruṣa ātmānaṁ

kevalaṁ prakṛteḥ param

nirantaraṁ svayaṁ-jyotir

aṇimānam akhaṇḍitam

jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena

bhakti-yuktena cātmanā

paripaśyaty udāsīnaṁ

prakṛtiṁ ca hataujasam

When the mind is free of the contamination of lust and greed arising from the false identity of I and mine, and becomes pure, without grief, without joy and peaceful, the jīva sees himself different from ignorance, full of knowledge, devoid of coverings, subtle, undivided, and unattached, as well as sees ignorance devoid of power to affect him, by a mind endowed with jñana and vairāgya, and principally with bhakti.

Jñāna and yoga only assist bhakti in giving liberation. This is expressed in three verses. The mind becomes free (vītam) of the contaminations by śama and dama (process of jñana) and by yama and niyama (process of yoga). These are the aṅgas of jñāna and yoga. The effects of purification are described: being without sorrow, without happiness, peaceful. At that time the jīva (puruṣaḥ) sees himself separate from ignorance (prakṛteḥ param). He is devoid of the obstacles of gross and subtle bodies (nirantaram). He has uncovered knowledge (svayaṁjyotiḥ).  He is subtle (aṇimānam). The Lord himself says sūkṣāṇām apy ahaṁ jīvaḥ: of subtle objects I am the jīva. (SB 11.16.11)  This means by nature the jīva is a very small particle. He is undivided by material desires (akhaṇḍitam).

By the mind endowed with jñana and vairāgya, and by bhakti to which jñāna and vairāgya are mere assistants (indicated by the word ca), and with out which they can bear no results, the jīva sees himself unattached. He sees his own ignorance (prakṛtim) which is unable to do anything to him (hataujasam).

|| 3.25.19 ||