Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6 - Dhyana Yoga - Sloka 44

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of The Bhagavad Gita, published by Ramakrishna Mission.

The Fate of the Imperfect Yogi 37-45

1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 6 - Dhyana Yoga - Sloka 44

Poorva abhyasena tenaiva hriyate hi avashah apisah I

Jigyasuh api yogasya shabda brahma ativartate II sloka 44

पूर्व अभ्यासेन तेनैव ह्रियते हि अवशः अपिसः ।

जिज्ञासुः अपि योगस्य शब्द ब्रह्म अति वर्तते ।। श्लोक ४४

By that very former practice he is led on in spite of himself. Even he who merely wishes to know of yoga rises superior to the performer of vedic rites.

A man pressingly caught up in the midst of a marching multitude, is bound to be pushed on to the destination without much effort on his part. Similarly, the yoga propensity stored up in the mind in the previous births, combined with the present favourable and augmenting atmosphere, rapidly carries the yogi on towards the goal.

Two soldiers in the war front were taken prisoners by the enemy and forced to work for him. One of the two got himself reconciled to his captivity and chose to be a careerist under the enemy, while the other earnestly studied the ways and means of his escape, in the midst of his toiling for the enemy. People of the world are like the first prisoner, intent on making the best of the earthly life. The yoga jignasu  or enquirer into yoga  is superior like the second prisoner in as much as he gives thought to self-emancipation. The chanters of the vedas and those others engaged in the vedic rites are concerned  with enjoyments on earth and in heaven. Being bound to life in the senses, they are inferior. The scope of the  ritualistic vedas also is limited to the senses. The vedas merely promote and prolong the wheel of birth and death. The enquirer of yoga gets to know of the possibilities of liberating himself from the wheel of birth and death. He is therefore greater than the earth bound man. He who practises yoga is greater still; for he is progressing towards perfection and liberation.

In what respect is the yogi, progressing in his sadhana, superior to the man given to th vedic rites? the elucidation comes in the next sloka