Gita 6.2

Dhyana Yoga

यं संन्यासमिति प्राहुर्योगं तं विद्धि पाण्डव | न ह्यसंन्यस्तसङ्कल्पो योगी भवति कश्चन ||६.२||

yaṁ sannyāsam iti prāhur yogaṁ taṁ viddhi pāṇḍava | na hy asannyasta-saṅkalpo yogī bhavati kaścana ||6.2||

In essence: Sannyasa and Yoga are not two paths—they are one; and the key that opens both doors is the renunciation of sankalpa, the selfish scheming of the ego-mind.

A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply

Sadhak-Guru Dialogue

Sadhak: "Guruji, you say sannyasa and yoga are the same. But sannyasis leave the world; yogis engage with it. How can opposite approaches be identical?"

Guru: "Tell me—why does the sannyasi leave the world?"

Sadhak: "To be free from attachments, desires, worldly entanglements."

Guru: "And why does the yogi practice discipline while engaging with the world?"

Sadhak: "To... also be free from attachments and desires, I suppose. While remaining active."

Guru: "So both seek the same freedom. One changes the external situation, hoping the internal will follow. The other changes the internal directly, making the external irrelevant. The destination is identical."

Sadhak: "But Krishna specifically mentions sankalpa—selfish intention. Why this particular thing?"

Guru: "What is the engine of all bondage? The mind says: 'I want this. This should be mine. This must happen for me.' Every sankalpa is a thread tying you to an outcome. Accumulate enough threads, and you're a puppet."

Sadhak: "But we need intentions to function! How can I work without intention?"

Guru: "Notice Krishna says sankalpa—self-referential intention, ego-scheming. Not all intention. When you intend to serve, to fulfill duty, to offer your action to something larger—this is different. The bondage-creating sankalpa is 'I want this for me, and I must have it.' Feel the grasping quality?"

Sadhak: "Yes... there's a tightness in self-centered wanting that isn't there in selfless intention."

Guru: "That tightness is the bondage. Release the sankalpa, and you can still have preference, still have direction, still act purposefully—but without the grasping. This is what both sannyasi and yogi must achieve. Call it what you will; the experience is the same."

Sadhak: "So when I notice self-centered scheming in my mind, that's the moment to practice?"

Guru: "Precisely. Every sankalpa recognized is an opportunity for yoga. Every grasping intention released is a moment of sannyasa. You don't need ochre robes or a Himalayan cave—just awareness of your own mind's movements."

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🌅 Daily Practice

🌅 Morning

Upon waking, before the mind accelerates into planning mode, observe the sankalpas already forming. The mind naturally generates 'I want' and 'I must achieve' thoughts even before you leave bed. Don't suppress them—just notice. 'Ah, sankalpa arising.' For each major self-centered intention you notice, practice a conscious release: 'I notice this wanting. I release my grip on this outcome. I will act today, but my peace does not depend on getting this.' This morning recognition creates a pattern-interrupt before sankalpas solidify into anxiety-producing demands. You're not planning less; you're planning with less grasping.

☀️ Daytime

Sankalpa-watching is the practice. Multiple times during the day, pause and ask: 'What am I grasping at right now? What outcome am I treating as essential to my wellbeing?' When you find one, examine it directly. Feel the tightness, the anxiety, the 'I must have this' quality. Then consciously release: 'I prefer this outcome, but I am whole without it.' If the sankalpa returns (it will), release it again. This isn't suppression—you're not pretending you don't want it. You're decoupling your inner peace from the outer result. The wanting may remain; the grasping relaxes. Practice especially when you notice yourself mentally rehearsing scenarios of success or failure, scheming about how to get what you want, or worrying about not getting it.

🌙 Evening

Before sleep, conduct a sankalpa audit of the day. What did you grasp at? Where did you suffer because an outcome didn't match your scheme? Where did you release successfully and experience freedom? For the particularly sticky sankalpas—the ones you couldn't release—sit with them. Ask: 'What do I believe will happen if I don't get this? What am I really afraid of?' Often sankalpas are fear in disguise. By understanding the fear, you can address it directly rather than through grasping at external outcomes. Conclude by setting an intention (not a sankalpa!) for tomorrow: 'I intend to notice my grasping and practice release. I don't demand success; I commit to practice.' Sleep with open palms—literally and metaphorically.

Common Questions

What's the difference between sankalpa (selfish intention) and healthy goals or aspirations? Should I stop having any intentions?

The distinction is subtle but important. Sankalpa refers to ego-centered, grasping intention—'I must have this, and my wellbeing depends on getting it.' Healthy goals or aspirations can exist without this grasping quality. You can aspire to help others, to create something beautiful, to serve dharma—these intentions don't have the self-referential neediness of sankalpa. The test is: does this intention have a 'me-centered' quality? Is there anxiety about getting it? Would failure devastate your sense of self? If yes, it's sankalpa to be renounced. If the intention is held lightly—'I'll work toward this, but I'm okay either way'—it's not the bondage-creating sankalpa Krishna warns against. Don't stop having direction; stop grasping at outcomes.

This seems to suggest that all wanting is wrong. But isn't desire natural and even necessary?

Krishna isn't condemning desire itself but the ego's relationship to desire. Natural desires arise—hunger, thirst, the wish for connection, the impulse to create. These aren't problematic in themselves. The problem is when the ego co-opts these desires and adds the grasping quality: 'I must have this specific thing in this specific way, and until I get it, I cannot be at peace.' This addictive relationship to desire is sankalpa. The sage also has preferences, also works toward outcomes—but without the mental death-grip. Think of it as the difference between enjoying food when it comes and being unable to function until you get exactly what you're craving. Same desire, radically different internal quality.

How can someone function in the competitive modern world without strong selfish intentions? Won't they be walked over?

This is a profound misunderstanding. Releasing sankalpa doesn't mean becoming passive or unassertive. It means acting with full energy and intelligence without being internally enslaved to outcomes. Paradoxically, people free from sankalpa often perform better in competitive environments: they're not distracted by anxiety, not paralyzed by fear of failure, not blinded by desperate need to win. They can assess situations clearly, respond appropriately, even be fiercely competitive in action—while remaining free inside. The chess master who must win is worse than the chess master who loves the game. Release of sankalpa is not weakness; it's the removal of the internal obstacles that limit effectiveness. True strength comes from freedom, not from desperation.

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