आरुरुक्षोर्मुनेर्योगं कर्म कारणमुच्यते ।
योगारूढस्य तस्यैव शमः कारणमुच्यते ।। ६.३ ।।

ārurukṣor-muner-yogaṃ karma kāraṇam-ucyate |
yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva śama: kāraṇam-ucyate ||6.3||

Krishna then points out the exceptional situation in which even physical renunciation may become relevant:

For one who aspires to ascend the pedestal of yoga, actional involvement is necessary, appropriate. For one who has already reached that pedestal, withdrawal from such involvement will become relevant.

Nature’s compulsion for being active cannot be set aside or dishonoured. To attempt to flout it will be gravely disharmonious and will only invite undesirable consequences. Knowing this, the right course will be to fall in line with Nature and be active. For the striving soul, to be attuned to the normal activities is the harmonious option.

In order to have the spiritual aim fulfilled what the seeker should do is to discerningly sublimate his mind and intelligence through such active pursuits. Herein comes the role of yoga, as Krishna has described it – samatvam yoga ucyate ( 2.48).

Let the seeker continue to be active. When his nature has become sublime and pure, and the urge for actions and indulgences in passions and prejudices gets toned down adequately, he can think of taking to physical withdrawal from active life. Samah is the discipline of overcoming desires and fascinations. Instead of being motivated by desires, the seeker tries to be desire-free and to look for the comfort that arises from such an inward orientation.

When a desired object is gained, the satisfaction that follows is generated by the internal mind, not by the external object. By the right understanding and sublimation of desires, that mind which used to generate joy through a desired object, now begins to bestow joy by the process of ‘no-desires’. This is sama-sukha. The other is called kamasukha. When sama-sukha takes precedence, and kama-sukha ceases to be of interest, then is physical renunciation harmonious. No step at physical withdrawal from the usual active pursuits is to be attempted until the seeker has advanced in yogic orientation and has reached a stage when sama-sukha appeals to him, in preference to kama-sukha. This is a very clear lesson Krishna drives home here.