यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम् ।
यतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतसः ॥ १५.११ ॥

yatanto yoginaścainam paśyanty-ātmany-avasthitam |
yatanto’py-akṛtātmāno nainam paśyanty-acetasa: || 15.11 ||

Ātmā, the Self, was the focus of Krishna’s exposition right from the beginning. He began with the pregnant words that the enlightened people (paṇḍitāḥ) would not grieve either about the dead or the living. Life force is present in any living body only for a period. The tenure of life is limited. Embodiment is but ephemeral. So, those with the eye of wisdom are not deluded.

The enlightened are imbued with sama-darśana, equal vision, grounded on the Immortal Spirit that animates the body.

Pursuit through purity and discrimination

In any living body, what one should obviously sense is the Soul. Our body is the only expression of the Soul, which enables us to infer and feel the Soul’s presence in it. “There was no time when I was not. This is true of you and also of all those around (na tveva-aham jātu nāsam na tvam neme janādhipāḥ – 2.12)”, adding, “equally so, there will not be any time when we shall cease to be (na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ)”.

The key and clue to the Supreme is one’s own living body. But alas, despite all the power of observation and understanding, every one invariably fails to grasp the immortal presence in it and its glory shining everywhere.

Krishna calls this common inability as sheer delusion. Those deluded alone (vimūḍhāḥ) miss this great perception (na-anupaśyanti). And those who have acquired the eye of discrimination and wisdom (jñānacakṣuṣaḥ), certainly succeed in discovering and realizing the Supreme.

Krishna pinpoints again that the only place where this great spiritual perception can be gained, the locus of this great Realization, is within oneself:

Striving seekers do perceive the supreme Reality in themselves. Those lacking purity and discrimination fail to realize it.

Yatantaḥ yoginaḥ, meaning ‘striving seekers’, spiritual sādhakas, see the Infinitude of the Soul right in their own being. The emphasis he makes is on striving, meaning the sādhanā, consistent spiritual effort, of the seeker. Such effort is first of all to get exposed to the Self as the supreme Presence in the body. Self is not something to be perceived by the senses.

Senses can only perceive external objects, ranging from earth to space. The Self, neither an object nor reigning outside, does not come within their range. Its locus is within the body, hence inaccessible to the senses. The striving, Krishna speaks about, is thus beyond sensory level. The seeker has to delve into his mind, intelligence and ego, to unearth the Self and gain Its perception.

Perception normally commences from the senses and ends with their objects. Whenever you want to perceive a colourful object with the eye, the thought and persuasion first arise in the mind, which then employs the eyes and gains an imprint of the object.

Though eyes effect the seeing, the process is willed and instituted by the inner instruments of consciousness. It becomes complete when the inner consciousness takes in it an impression of the object sensed. Selfperception is not anything akin. Yet it is perception, no doubt.

When the genesis of perception itself is gone into, explored and discovered in fullness, the Self-perception or Self-realization will also, in truth, take place.

Spiritual striving is fully an inner process. In the whole of spiritual pursuit, śravaṇa, manana and nididhyāsana (hearing, reflection and meditation) alone matter. Whatever helps this process, is welcome as an aid. śravaṇa, hearing, exposes the seeker to the existence, nature, greatness and magnitude of the Self. To facilitate śravaṇa (hearing), we have the scriptural compositions. They are to be handled by exponents who have the requisite authority of realization of the scriptural Truths.

When heard from the right Teacher, hearing becomes fully effective. The words conveying wisdom inspire and involve the mind of the seeker. They institute the process of manana (reflective thinking). When manana deepens, it leads to nididhyāsana, the last phase of meditation and realization.

Krishna by explaining the points consistently to Arjuna, provided powerful exposure, śravaṇa. Arjuna grasped what was exposed and introspected. This resulted in clearing his delusion and providing the clarity, strength and persuasion he was thirsting for.

So the words yatanto yoginaḥ are very significant in the context of spiritual sādhanā, its rightful fruition. Viewed from any angle, Krishna’s words have but one focus – the inner Self. Here too he emphasizes that the striving yogins perceive the supreme Presence in themselves, within their body.

Though many enquirers or seekers pursue some sādhanā or other, they do not succeed in their effort. Krishna is concerned with this general plight and he explains its cause quite precisely. He also pinpoints the negative traits the seeker should avoid or do away with. Herein lies the effectiveness of Krishna’s gospel.

Yatanto-api-akṛtātmāno nainam paśyanti acetasaḥ. Failure in comprehending the Truth is solely due to two reasons: i) Lack of necessary cultural purity and sublimity (akṛtātmānaḥ) in the seeker, and ii) lack of the requisite viveka, discrimination (acetasaḥ).

It is viveka that empowers our buddhi (intelligence) to distinguish the Soul from the body, discern the supreme Presence in and through the manifold existence around. Viveka is a kind of sharpness, astuteness, subtlety and rarity, which equips the intelligence to probe into one’s own within, as it would into any external existence. Purity is the sublimity adorning one’s inner being (antaḥkaraṇa), whereby it becomes free of worldly blemishes and taints like untruthfulness, infidelity, greed and possessiveness.

The sole purpose of all religious and spiritual efforts is to make the mind and intelligence pure. Such purity will instantly reflect, nay radiate the glory of the Immortal Spirit within. Otherwise, like muddy water, the mind and intelligence will only remain opaque and spread gloom.