Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 6, Verse 3

आरुरुक्षोर्मुनेर्योगं कर्म कारणमुच्यते । योगारूढस्य तस्यैव शमः कारणमुच्यते

ārurukṣormuneryogaṃ karma kāraṇamucyate | yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva śamaḥ kāraṇamucyate

Translation

For a devotee who wishes to attain to Yoga, action is said to be the means. For the same (devotee), when he has attained to Yoga, quiescence (śama) is said to be the means.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

ārurukṣoḥ

(of the) wishing to ascend

muneḥ

of (a) muni

yogam

yoga

karma

action

kāraṇam

the cause

ucyate

is called

yogārūḍhasya

to yoga, of the ascended

tasya

of him

eva

even

śamaḥ

peacefulness

kāraṇam

the cause

ucyate

is called

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

For a devotee (muni) who has given up the fruit of action, and who wishes to attain to Yoga — i.e., who has not already risen to it, who is unable to remain steady in Dhyāna-Yoga — action (karma) is said to be the means of attaining his end. For the same devotee, on the other hand, when he has attained to Yoga, quiescence — i.e., the abstaining from all action — is said to be the means. The more thoroughly does he abstain from action, the more free he is from trouble, the more the senses are controlled, and the more steadfast his mind remains. Then he becomes a Yogārūḍha, one who has attained to Yoga.