yuktāhāra-vihārasya
yukta-ceṣṭasya karmasu
yukta-svapnāvabodhasya
yogo bhavati duḥkha-hā
Translation of Bhagavad Gita 6.17
He who is regulated in his habits of eating, sleeping, recreation and work can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system.
Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
Yukta here means “controlled.” One who controls eating and walking (ahara, vihara), and controls actions such as speech (cesta) during execution of both material and spiritual duties (karmasu), performs yoga without suffering.
Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:
6.17 The ‘yoga which destroys all sorrows,’ i.e., unties bondages, is successfully practised by him who is temperate in eating and recreation, temperate in exertion, and temperate in sleep and vigil.
Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:
What kind of person is able to begin the practice of yoga or the science of the individual consciousness attaining communion with the ultimate consciousness? The answer is the person who is moderate, restrained and regulated in all activities. Thus Lord Krishna states that such persons are eligible to practice yoga.
Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:
Lord Krishna uses the compound word yuktahara-viharasya means one who is temperate and regulated in their eating habits so that the efforts to feed oneself are minimised allowing the effort to achieve perfection in meditation to be maximised.
Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:
Lord Krishna declares that those who are moderate, restrained and regulated are eligible candidates to practice yoga or the science of the individual consciousness attaining communion with the ultimate consciousness.
Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:
6.17 Yogah bhavati, Yoga becomes; duhkha-ha, a destroyer of sorrow-that which destroys (hanti) all sorrows (duhkhani)-, i.e., Yoga destroys all worldly sorrows; yukta-ahara-viharasya, of one whose eating and movements are regulated- ahara (lit. food) means all that is gathered in, [According to the Commentator, ahara, which also means food, includes mental ‘food as well. See Ch. 7.26.2.-Tr.] and vihara means moving about, walking; one for whom these two are regulated (yukta) is yukta-ahara-vihara-; and also yukta-cestasya, of one whose effort (cesta) is moderate (yukta); karmasu, in works; similarly, yukta-svapna-avabodhasya, of one whose sleep (svapna) and wakefulness (avabodha) are temperate (yukta), have regulated periods. To him whose eating and movements are regulated, whose effort in work is moderate, whose sleep and wakefulness are temperate, Yoga becomes a destroyer of sorrows. When does a man become concentrated? That is being presently stated:
Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:
6.16-17 Yogosti etc. Yuktahara etc. For foods : for sense-objects that are being brought [by sense-organs]. Effort : activity for enjoying [them]. Its appropriateness is neither to have unlimited indulgence, nor to have unlimited abstention. The same is in all cases. The rest [of the text] is clear. On the authority of the Sage [Vyasa], the form jagaratah etc. [may be viewed correct] as those in the Vedic literature. The same is in other similar instances also.
Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:
yukta — regulated; āhāra — eating; vihārasya — recreation; yukta — regulated; ceṣṭasya — of one who works for maintenance; karmasu — in discharging duties; yukta — regulated; svapna-avabodhasya — sleep and wakefulness; yogaḥ — practice of yoga; bhavati — becomes; duḥkha-hā — diminishing pains.
