English Commentary By practice of yoga one becomes gradually detached from material concepts. This is the primary characteristic of the yoga principle. And after this, one becomes situated in trance, or sam─Бdhi, which means that the yog─л realizes the Supersoul through transcendental mind and intelligence, without any of the misgivings of identifying the self with the Superself. Yoga practice is more or less based on the principles of the Pata├▒jali system. Some unauthorized commentators try to identify the individual soul with the Supersoul, and the monists think this to be liberation, but they do not understand the real purpose of the Pata├▒jali system of yoga. There is an acceptance of transcendental pleasure in the Pata├▒jali system, but the monists do not accept this transcendental pleasure, out of fear of jeopardizing the theory of oneness. The duality of knowledge and knower is not accepted by the nondualist, but in this verse transcendental pleasure тАУ realized through transcendental senses тАУ is accepted. And this is corroborated by Pata├▒jali Muni, the famous exponent of the yoga system. The great sage declares in his Yoga-s┼лtras (4.33): puruс╣г─Бrtha-┼Ы┼лny─Бn─Бс╣Б guс╣З─Бn─Бс╣Б pratiprasavaс╕е kaivalyaс╣Б svar┼лpa-pratiс╣гс╣нh─Б v─Б citi-┼Ыaktir iti. This citi-┼Ыakti, or internal potency, is transcendental. Puruс╣г─Бrtha means material religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and, at the end, the attempt to become one with the Supreme. This тАЬoneness with the SupremeтАЭ is called kaivalyam by the monist. But according to Pata├▒jali, this kaivalyam is an internal, or transcendental, potency by which the living entity becomes aware of his constitutional position. In the words of Lord Caitanya, this state of affairs is called ceto-darpaс╣Зa-m─Бrjanam, or clearance of the impure mirror of the mind. This тАЬclearanceтАЭ is actually liberation, or bhava-mah─Б-d─Бv─Бgni-nirv─Бpaс╣Зam. The theory of nirv─Бс╣Зa тАУ also preliminary тАУ corresponds with this principle. In the Bh─Бgavatam (2.10.6) this is called svar┼лpeс╣Зa vyavasthitiс╕е. The Bhagavad-g─лt─Б also confirms this situation in this verse. After nirv─Бс╣Зa, or material cessation, there is the manifestation of spiritual activities, or devotional service to the Lord, known as Kс╣Ыс╣гс╣Зa consciousness. In the words of the Bh─Бgavatam , svar┼лpeс╣Зa vyavasthitiс╕е: this is the тАЬreal life of the living entity.тАЭ M─Бy─Б, or illusion, is the condition of spiritual life contaminated by material infection. Liberation from this material infection does not mean destruction of the original eternal position of the living entity. Pata├▒jali also accepts this by his words kaivalyaс╣Б svar┼лpa-pratiс╣гс╣нh─Б v─Б citi-┼Ыaktir iti. This citi-┼Ыakti, or transcendental pleasure, is real life. This is confirmed in the Ved─Бnta-s┼лtra (1.1.12) as ─Бnanda-mayo тАЩbhy─Бs─Бt. This natural transcendental pleasure is the ultimate goal of yoga and is easily achieved by execution of devotional service, or bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga will be vividly described in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-g─лt─Б . In the yoga system, as described in this chapter, there are two kinds of sam─Бdhi, called sampraj├▒─Бta-sam─Бdhi and asampraj├▒─Бta-sam─Бdhi. When one becomes situated in the transcendental position by various philosophical researches, he is said to have achieved sampraj├▒─Бta-sam─Бdhi. In the asampraj├▒─Бta-sam─Бdhi there is no longer any connection with mundane pleasure, for one is then transcendental to all sorts of happiness derived from the senses. When the yog─л is once situated in that transcendental position, he is never shaken from it. Unless the yog─л is able to reach this position, he is unsuccessful. TodayтАЩs so-called yoga practice, which involves various sense pleasures, is contradictory. A yog─л indulging in sex and intoxication is a mockery. Even those yog─лs who are attracted by the siddhis (perfections) in the process of yoga are not perfectly situated. If yog─лs are attracted by the by-products of yoga, then they cannot attain the stage of perfection, as is stated in this verse. Persons, therefore, indulging in the make-show practice of gymnastic feats or siddhis should know that the aim of yoga is lost in that way. The best practice of yoga in this age is Kс╣Ыс╣гс╣Зa consciousness, which is not baffling. A Kс╣Ыс╣гс╣Зa conscious person is so happy in his occupation that he does not aspire after any other happiness. There are many impediments, especially in this age of hypocrisy, to practicing haс╣нha-yoga, dhy─Бna-yoga and j├▒─Бna-yoga, but there is no such problem in executing karma-yoga or bhakti-yoga. As long as the material body exists, one has to meet the demands of the body, namely eating, sleeping, defending and mating. But a person who is in pure bhakti-yoga, or in Kс╣Ыс╣гс╣Зa consciousness, does not arouse the senses while meeting the demands of the body. Rather, he accepts the bare necessities of life, making the best use of a bad bargain, and enjoys transcendental happiness in Kс╣Ыс╣гс╣Зa consciousness. He is callous toward incidental occurrences тАУ such as accidents, disease, scarcity and even the death of a most dear relative тАУ but he is always alert to execute his duties in Kс╣Ыс╣гс╣Зa consciousness, or bhakti-yoga. Accidents never deviate him from his duty. As stated in the Bhagavad-g─лt─Б (2.14) , ─Бgam─Бp─Бyino тАЩnity─Бs t─Бс╣Бs titikс╣гasva bh─Бrata. He endures all such incidental occurrences because he knows that they come and go and do not affect his duties. In this way he achieves the highest perfection in yoga practice.