FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.25.13

श्रीभगवानुवाच योग आध्यात्मिक: पुंसां मतो नि:श्रेयसाय मे । अत्यन्तोपरतिर्यत्र दु:खस्य च सुखस्य च ॥ १३ ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
[shree-bhagavaan uvaacha]
yoga ādhyātmikaḥ puṁsāṁ
[yoga aadhyaatmikah pumsaam]
mato niḥśreyasāya me
[mato nihshreyasaaya me]
atyantoparatir yatra
[atyantoparatir yatra]
duḥkhasya ca sukhasya ca
[duhkhasya cha sukhasya cha]
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Personality of Godhead said yogaḥ — the yoga system ādhyātmikaḥ — relating to the soul puṁsām — of living entities mataḥ — is approved niḥśreyasāya — for the ultimate benefit me — by Me atyanta — complete uparatiḥ — detachment yatra — where duḥkhasya — from distress ca — and sukhasya — from happiness ca — and.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
the Personality of Godhead said
yoga ādhyātmikaḥ puṁsāṁ
yogaḥ
the yoga system
ādhyātmikaḥ
relating to the soul
puṁsām
of living entities
mato niḥśreyasāya me
mataḥ
is approved
niḥśreyasāya
for the ultimate benefit
me
by Me
atyantoparatir yatra
atyanta
complete
uparatiḥ
detachment
yatra
where
duḥkhasya ca sukhasya ca
duḥkhasya
from distress
ca
and
sukhasya
from happiness
ca
and.
The Personality of Godhead answered: The yoga system which relates to the Lord and the individual soul, which is meant for the ultimate benefit of the living entity, and which causes detachment from all happiness and distress in the material world, is the highest yoga system.

In the material world, everyone is trying to get some material happiness, but as soon as we get some material happiness, there is also material distress. In the material world one cannot have unadulterated happiness. Any kind of happiness one has is contaminated by distress also. For example, if we want to drink milk then we have to bother to maintain a cow and keep her fit to supply milk. Drinking milk is very nice; it is also pleasure. But for the sake of drinking milk one has to accept so much trouble. The yoga system, as here stated by the Lord, is meant to end all material happiness and material distress. The best yoga, as taught in Bhagavad-gītā by Kṛṣṇa, is bhakti-yoga. It is also mentioned in the Gītā that one should try to be tolerant and not be disturbed by material happiness or distress. Of course, one may say that he is not disturbed by material happiness, but he does not know that just after one enjoys so-called material happiness, material distress will follow. This is the law of the material world. Lord Kapila states that the yoga system is the science of the spirit. One practices yoga in order to attain perfection on the spiritual platform. There is no question of material happiness or distress. It is transcendental. Lord Kapila will eventually explain how it is transcendental, but the preliminary introduction is given here.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The Supreme Lord said: I approve of yoga concerning the ātmā for giving one personal benefit. By that, there is complete uprooting of material happiness and distress. Yoga concerning the jīvātmā (ādhyātmikaḥ) is approved as the most beneficial method for oneself (niḥśreyasāya). It has three types: bhakti, jñana and aṣtāṅga-yoga. For bhakti, benefit for oneself is a secondary effect. Being situated in this yoga, one uproots material happiness and distress.
Suffering is treated here as structural, not accidental. Once we stop expecting the material world to cooperate, we can begin actually using it for spiritual progress.
Reflection Questions
  • Which recurring problem in your life keeps promising 'just one more fix' before it ends?
  • Where is māyā's hand most active in your week, and how could you cooperate with reality instead?
📝 My note

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