Shloka 17
अक्षरब्रह्मयोगः | Akṣara-Brahma-Yoga
The Yoga of the Imperishable Brahman
हे अर्जुन! यह योग< न तो बहुत खानेवालेका, न बिलकुल न खानेवालेका, न बहुत शयन करनेके स्वभाव-वालेका और न सदा जागनेवालेका ही सिद्ध होता है? ।। युक्ताहारविहारस्य युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु । युक्तस्वप्रावबोधस्य योगो भवति दुःखहा,दुःखोंका नाश करनेवाला योग तो यथायोग्य आहार-विहार करनेवालेका,* कर्मोमें यथायोग्य चेष्टा करनेवालेका* और यथायोग्य सोने तथा जागनेवालेका* ही सिद्ध होता है
na aty-aśnatas tu yogo 'sti na ca ekāntam anaśnataḥ | na ca ati-svapna-śīlasya jāgrato na eva cārjuna || yuktāhāra-vihārasya yukta-ceṣṭasya karmasu | yukta-svapnāvabodhasya yogo bhavati duḥkha-hā ||
हे अर्जुन! नात्यश्नतस्तु योगोऽस्ति न चैकान्तमनश्नतः। न चातिस्वप्नशीलस्य जाग्रतो नैव चार्जुन॥ युक्ताहारविहारस्य युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु। युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य योगो भवति दुःखहा॥
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Yoga succeeds through moderation: regulated eating and recreation, measured effort in one’s duties, and balanced sleep and wakefulness. Extremes—overindulgence or harsh deprivation—disturb steadiness of mind and obstruct the removal of sorrow.
In the midst of the Kurukṣetra context, the dialogue turns to practical discipline. Arjuna voices (and the teaching emphasizes) that inner steadiness is supported by an orderly daily life, linking spiritual practice to ethical self-regulation rather than ascetic extremes.