Bhagavad Gita
← OneRightAI
तपस्विभ्योऽधिको योगी ज्ञानिभ्योऽपि मतोऽधिकः। कर्मिभ्यश्चाधिको योगी तस्माद्योगी भवार्जुन।।6.46।।
Verse Audio
tapasvibhyo ’dhiko yogī jñānibhyo ’pi mato ’dhikaḥ karmibhyaśh chādhiko yogī tasmād yogī bhavārjuna
Core Philosophical Concepts
hierarchy of paths
supremacy of yoga
devotional contemplation
steady faith
highest yogi
Word-by-Word Meanings
tapasvibhyaḥ (tapasvibhyaḥ)than the ascetics; adhikaḥ (adhikaḥ)superior; yogī (yogī)a yogi; jñānibhyaḥ (jñānibhyaḥ)than the persons of learning; api (api)even; mataḥ (mataḥ)considered; adhikaḥ (adhikaḥ)superior; karmibhyaḥ (karmibhyaḥ)than the ritualistic performers; cha (cha)and; adhikaḥ (adhikaḥ)superior; yogī (yogī)a yogi; tasmāt (tasmāt)therefore; yogī (yogī)a yogi; bhava (bhava)just become; arjuna (arjuna)Arjun;
Translation (English)

The yogi is thought to be superior to the ascetics, even superior to those who have knowledge obtained through the study of scriptures; he is also superior to men of action; therefore, be thou a yogi, O Arjuna.

Translation (Hindi)

।।6.46।। क्योंकि योगी तपस्वियों से श्रेष्ठ है और (केवल शास्त्र के) ज्ञान वालों से भी श्रेष्ठ माना गया है तथा कर्म करने वालों से भी योगी श्रेष्ठ है, इसलिए हे अर्जुन तुम योगी बनो।।

Verse Summary(English)

The yogi is thought to be superior to the ascetics, even superior to those who have knowledge obtained through the study of scriptures; he is also superior to men of action; therefore, be thou a yogi, O Arjuna. It assures continuity of sincere effort and culminates in the ideal of the devoted yogi.

Verse Summary(Hindi)

क्योंकि योगी तपस्वियों से श्रेष्ठ है और (केवल शास्त्र के) ज्ञान वालों से भी श्रेष्ठ माना गया है तथा कर्म करने वालों से भी योगी श्रेष्ठ है, इसलिए हे अर्जुन तुम योगी बनो।। यह समापन योगी की श्रेष्ठता और श्रद्धायुक्त भगवद्-चिन्तन को सर्वोच्च साधना बताता है।

This verse in Chapter 6 develops the discipline of Dhyana Yoga in practical and psychological terms. It says: The yogi is thought to be superior to the ascetics, even superior to those who have knowledge obtained through the study of scriptures; he is also superior to men of action; therefore, be thou a yogi, O Arjuna.. The central themes include hierarchy of paths, supremacy of yoga, devotional contemplation, steady faith, indicating that meditation in the Gita is not escape but trained integration of life, mind, and duty. Krishna repeatedly links inner stillness with ethical steadiness. A restless mind amplifies craving, aversion, and confusion, while a disciplined mind supports clarity and responsible action. That is why Chapter 6 includes concrete instruction: regulation of habits, moderation in living, posture, attention, and repeated return of awareness. Yoga here is both method and maturity, where continuity matters more than dramatic experience. In ordinary life, this verse asks us to stop treating peace as accidental. Stability is cultivated through repeated, patient alignment of thought, motive, and action. When practice is steady and attachment is gradually reduced, the mind becomes an ally, and spiritual insight becomes sustainable rather than occasional.

In Gita 6.46, Krishna refines yoga into a rigorous psychology of liberation where discipline of mind, not mere external renunciation, is decisive. The verse states: The yogi is thought to be superior to the ascetics, even superior to those who have knowledge obtained through the study of scriptures; he is also superior to men of action; therefore, be thou a yogi, O Arjuna.. Its Sanskrit framing, "तपस्विभ्योऽधिको योगी ज्ञानिभ्योऽपि मतोऽधिकः।", anchors the teaching in lived experience and foregrounds hierarchy of paths; supremacy of yoga; devotional contemplation. A contemplative reading highlights the chapter's structural claim: mind can function as both instrument of ascent and mechanism of self-sabotage. Thus yogic progress requires not episodic inspiration but methodical conditioning through abhyasa and vairagya. An ethical reading complements this by showing that meditation is not socially inert; equanimity and self-command improve judgment, reduce reactive harm, and sustain responsibility under pressure. A devotional reading then completes the arc by orienting concentrated awareness toward the Divine, converting mental discipline into relational surrender rather than self-enclosure. Chapter 6 therefore rejects simplistic binaries between action and contemplation. True yoga is dynamic stillness: engagement without fragmentation, interior quiet without passivity, and effort without despair when setbacks occur. The doctrine of yogabhrashta further protects the practitioner from nihilism by affirming continuity of sincere effort across interruptions and lifetimes. In this way, the verse invites a long-view spirituality in which patience, regulation, and trust become the ecology within which realization matures. It is precisely this long horizon that makes Chapter 6 psychologically realistic and spiritually demanding at once.

इस श्लोक में छठे अध्याय की मूल दिशा स्पष्ट होती है, जहाँ ध्यानयोग को जीवन के अनुशासन और मनोनिग्रह के साथ जोड़ा गया है। श्लोक का भाव है: क्योंकि योगी तपस्वियों से श्रेष्ठ है और (केवल शास्त्र के) ज्ञान वालों से भी श्रेष्ठ माना गया है तथा कर्म करने वालों से भी योगी श्रेष्ठ है, इसलिए हे अर्जुन तुम योगी बनो।।। इसका केंद्र hierarchy of paths, supremacy of yoga, devotional contemplation, steady faith जैसे विषय हैं, जो बताते हैं कि योग केवल बैठने की क्रिया नहीं, बल्कि समूचे जीवन की सही संरचना है। गीता के अनुसार मनुष्य का मन ही उसे ऊपर उठाता भी है और नीचे गिराता भी है। इसलिए अभ्यास, वैराग्य, संयमित आहार-विहार, नियमित साधना और भावनात्मक संतुलन अनिवार्य हैं। जब मन इंद्रिय-विक्षेप से हटकर स्थिर होता है, तब व्यक्ति अपने भीतर शांति, स्पष्टता और करुणा का अनुभव करता है। यही ध्यानयोग का व्यावहारिक स्वरूप है, जो धीरे-धीरे जीवन के हर क्षेत्र में परिपक्वता लाता है। व्यवहार में यह शिक्षा बहुत उपयोगी है। कठिन परिस्थितियों, असफलताओं या मानसिक चंचलता के समय साधक को निराश होने के बजाय अभ्यास जारी रखना चाहिए। यह अध्याय सिखाता है कि निरंतर प्रयास कभी व्यर्थ नहीं जाता। जो व्यक्ति धैर्य, श्रद्धा और संतुलन के साथ साधना करता है, वही अंततः स्थिर बुद्धि और गहरी ईश्वर-संबद्धता प्राप्त करता है।

Verse
6.46