यदा ते मोहकलिलं बुद्धिर्व्यतितरिष्यति ।
तदा गन्तासि निर्वेदं श्रोतव्यस्य श्रुतस्य च ॥ २-५२ ॥

yadā te moha-kalilaṁ buddhir-vyatitariṣyati |
tadā gantāsi nirvedaṁ śrotavyasya śrutasya ca || 2.52 ||

The mind’s constriction and delusion will not leave until the intelligence disapproves them and for that purpose it takes up a proper introspection on the Soul, no matter how emergent the pressure of the outside world is. Whether it is sitting on the throne or wielding weapons in the battlefield, the introspection must remain predominant. Only then man will find his timely inner strength and inspiration. 

Krishna’s call for introspection did have its effect. Arjuna became thoughtful. When his thoughtfulness turned into enquiry, the entire scene and purpose before him changed drastically. Thus Krishna exposed the Sankhya and Karma Yoga pursuits, finding Arjuna a full spiritual enquirer posed to hear and know more about the fullness of spiritual wisdom and the efficacy of yoga pursuit.

With verse 38 Krishna concluded the Sankhya exposition, and now with verse 51 he also concludes the Karma Yoga narration. Yoga, you will find, begins through introspection and grows through deeper enquiry. But when and how does it conclude or terminate? It is a natural question that arises in the mind of any listener or reader.

Without waiting for another opportunity or delaying matters, Krishna, seeing Arjuna’s curiosity, now provides sufficient clues to know when and how the yogic pursuit takes one to its destined fruition.

Every effort, in any field, is meant to generate a certain outcome. It will be completed only when the intended outcome is gained. The effort and its outcome are thus inseparable, a point we have stressed earlier. The yogic pursuit also is a clear effort. When rightly pursued, it must lead the seeker to the destined outcome. In the case of spiritual effort, whatever it aims at or brings about is quite experiential. There is no scope for doubt or indefiniteness at all like the heavenly rewards of ritualistic pursuits. The effort of yoga, whether it is Sankhya Yoga or Karma Yoga, takes one to a state of inner clarity and fullness, so much so that he will not, Krishna says, be agitated by whatever has been heard in the form of scriptural statements or hearsay, and whatever he may hear in future. As the mind becomes rid of all its grief and agitation, the intelligence also will beam with clarity and steadiness.

Thus in the next verse Krishna explains how the yogic seeker attains his inner state of clarity, lightness and poise, and how such attainment can be identified:

Krishna’s words are a yardstick to measure the progress of one’s yoga-sadhana. This verse sets forth two propositions: One is about transcending delusion, and the other about growing indifferent about what has been heard and what may likely be heard. This indicates how clear and firm the buddhi of a yogi would be when the yogic refinement graces him in sufficient measure. There cannot be any vagueness in the matter.

Usually, a man does not have any clear or conclusive idea about what life is or what should one’s aim verily be. There is indecisiveness about practically everything around. Religious belief and adherence only make matters worse. There is so much talk about the other worldly life and the promises and rewards relating to it. Heaven, hell, the Satyaloka, Brahmaloka and many other allied spheres –– all hold their charm, fear, allurement and what not. Many matters are also arrayed which go to influence the present life and its course and outcomes. Altogether there is a mess and confusion. Krishna already pinpointed how important the decisive nature of the buddhi is when he referred to ‘vyavasayatmika buddhih’ as the only reckonable factor in the pursuit of Karmayoga. The non-resolute buddhi, he said, will remain attracted to and involved in multiple interests and pursuits, finding no finality and fulfilment in any of them.

How will the buddhi become clear and resolute? It should begin to introspect, enquire and gain viveka (discrimination) about what life is, where lies its real fulfilment and what should overall be the attempt to achieve this. The introspection itself becomes an involvement and pursuit (inner and wholesome) and it will bring about its effects too. The yogabuddhi is the net result of all this. The yogabuddhi has already been defined in the Sankhya and Karma yoga discussions. The yogabuddhi finally removes the delusion of the seeker. It makes him firmly indifferent to whatever he has heard, read or otherwise understood from various sources, and likewise whatever he may yet come to hear about in future.

The differing views of varied sources in fact serve only to create doubts and conflicts in the buddhi. All this vanishes like mist before the sun, in the light of the yogabuddhi. As the eyes see broad daylight, so the buddhi now perceives life, its nature and fulfilment clearly. Multiple interests and focuses lose their meaning and relevance. At best they serve to distract man and make his pursuit wayward. The only effort worth taking up to fulfil all the needs of life is to gain spiritual refinement through yogic discipline and pursuit. All cravings including those for knowing will come to an end, when the right yogic advancement is gained. This is the state of ‘rising above delusion’.