Bg. 8.13

This verse speaks of the method of yoga. One should control all the external doors of knowledge (the senses such as the ear), withdrawing them (pratyahara) from the sense objects such as sound, receiving the sense objects by senses disinterested in enjoyment by repeatedly seeing their faults. But even in controlling the senses, the mind will wander. Therefore, concentrate the mind, the door to internal knowledge, upon Me, situated in the heart, even though by the mind one remembers the sense objects. Then, one should control the prāṇa, the door to actions, in the lotus of the heart, and then one should gradually, as one gains control, establish it at the ājṣā cakra and then at the top of the head (mūrdhṇy ādhāya), on the path of the suṣumna moving upwards, under the instruction of the guru. Doing this, one should carry out the practice of thinking (yoga dhāraṇām) of Me (ātmanaḥ) from foot to head. One should pronounce internally om, representing brahman. Om is praised with the words eka akṣaram. Om is the chief sound (eka) which is indestructible (akṣaram). Then one should meditate (anusmaran means dhyāna) on Me, paramātmā, indicated by that sound. Meditating in this way, when he departs, giving up the body, he attains liberation in the form of attaining My planet—sālokya (paramam gatim). [Note: Perhaps there is a distinction between the yoga miśra bhakta and the aṣṭaṅga yogī described in chapter 6, who attained liberation through vision of ātmā and paramātmā.]