Chapter 6 Shlokas 11, 12

शुचौ देशे प्रतिष्ठाप्य स्थिरमासनमात्मन:।

नात्युच्छ्रितं नातिनीचं चैलाजिनकुशोत्तरम्।।११।।

तत्रैकाग्रं मन: कृत्वा यतचित्तेन्द्रियक्रिय:।

उपविश्यासने युञ्ज्याद्योगमात्मविशुद्धये।।१२।।

Speaking of the requisite seat for the practice of yoga, the Lord says:

Placing his cloth, deer skin and kusha grass in the correct manner upon purified soil, and fixing his seat in a spot not too high, nor too low, the Yogi should seat himself with a focused mind, having controlled the activity of the mind-stuff and sense organs. Then he should practice Yoga for self-purification.

Chapter 6 Shlokas 11, 12

शुचौ देशे प्रतिष्ठाप्य स्थिरमासनमात्मन:।

नात्युच्छ्रितं नातिनीचं चैलाजिनकुशोत्तरम्।।११।।

तत्रैकाग्रं मन: कृत्वा यतचित्तेन्द्रियक्रिय:।

उपविश्यासने युञ्ज्याद्योगमात्मविशुद्धये।।१२।।

Speaking of the requisite seat for the practice of yoga, the Lord says:

Placing his cloth, deer skin and kusha grass in the correct manner upon purified soil, and fixing his seat in a spot not too high, nor too low, the Yogi should seat himself with a focused mind, having controlled the activity of the mind-stuff and sense organs. Then he should practice Yoga for self-purification.

Kamla Bhabhi, now hear what those who practice yoga say:

Shuchau Deshey (शुचौ देशे) – Sanctified soil

a) Seated on the purified ground of his inner self;

b) with thoughts unsullied;

c) steadfast in the pristine attitude of selflessness;

d) with his mind, the abode of sadhana, purged of impurities, detached and free of all doubts;

e) seated in this attitude, with a mind imbued with faith in the Truth, the aspirant should make every effort to practice yoga.

Vastra (वस्त्र) – Cloth

a) Place the fabric of the discerning intellect upon all sense objects,

b) cloak yourself with the sheet of detachment against the onslaught of the sensory world,

c) annihilate all feelings of ‘me’ and ‘mine’ with external contacts,

d) place the sheet of Truth over all hopes and cravings,

e) and cover all attachments and moha with the sheet of detachment.

Ajin (अजिन्) – Deer skin

Thereafter, place upon it:

a) the ‘hide’ of the idea of doership;

b) in other words prepare to seat yourself upon this carcass – your body;

c) thus position yourself over this attitude of doership and identification with the body;

d) make your ‘seat’ upon the ego which rules this body and quell this all powerful, strong and resolute master of the body.

Thus having placed the ‘garments’ that form the external trappings of the mind, spread upon them the ‘hide’ of the body idea and prepare the seat further with Kusha.

Kusha (कुशा) – Grass

Thereafter, place upon it:

a) your sinful intellect that has all along supported sin, and make it steady;

b) that sharp intellect – as piercing as the kusha grass.

c) that ego which is brimming with pride.

You have to take your seat upon all this; whatever knowledge the ego acquires, you have to remain detached from it.

Kusha is analogous with ‘sharp, shrewd, piercing’. Therefore it is used as synonymous with the intellect.

1. Seat yourself on the intellect, subjugate it.

2. Discard the intellect that is partial to the mind.

3. These thought processes belong to the mind – not the intellect; sit on them, silence them.

4. The mind is not objective – take your seat over it to subjugate it.

5. This mind has not helped to unite you with the Supreme – in fact it has distanced you further. Suppress and quell this mind beneath you.

Having made such a seat upon the sanctified soil of your inner being, seat yourself on that dais and control all the faculties. Conquer them all.

This ‘seat’ should not be too ‘high’ nor too ‘low’. It should be ‘steady’, so that it does not ‘shake’.

Once the sadhak has thus controlled desire, he never lets it free again.

a) He does not become unsteady with the fear of any situation.

b) He remains steadfast even in opposition.

c) He does not get perturbed even if obstacles come his way.

d) He must thus subjugate his own ego and remain ever vigilant.

Now such a one should fix his concentration on the Supreme.

Little one, the Lord says, “Sitting upon such a seat, having controlled his mind and sense faculties, the practicant should practice yoga for self purification.”

The latencies or sanskars of previous lives and of the present one are washed away with such practice.

Whilst practising yoga, the sadhak must endeavour:

a) to fix his mind-stuff in the Supreme;

b) to establish himself in the Atma;

c) to renounce what he is not. i.e. the anatma;

d) to focus his concentration on what he is in reality and to establish himself in that Atma;

e) to prove the Lord’s Word through the example of his life;

f) to understand the correct connotation of the Lord’s word through the example of the Lord’s life.

This is the practice of yoga.