Verse 6.16

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 6.16:

नात्यश्नतस् तु योगोऽस्ति न चैकान्तम् अनश्नतः ।
न चाति-स्वप्न-शीलस्य जाग्रतो नैव चार्जुन ॥ १६ ॥

nātyaśnatas tu yogo'sti na caikāntam anaśnataḥ |
na cāti-svapna-śīlasya jāgrato naiva cārjuna || 16 ||

na–not; ati-aśnataḥ–for one who eats excessively; tu–however; yogaḥ–union with the Paramātmā; asti–is; na–not; ca–and; eka-antam anaśnataḥ–for one who completely abstains from eating; na–not; ca–and; ati-svapna-śīlasya–by one who sleeps excessively; jāgrataḥ–by one who does not sleep enough; na–nor; eva–certainly; ca–and; arjuna–O Arjuna.

O Arjuna, yoga cannot be perfected by one who abstains from eating or by one who eats excessively, nor by one who sleeps too much or one by who sleeps too little.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

In two verses, Śrī Bhagavān is explaining the symptoms of a person who has become steadfast in the practice of yoga. Atyaśnatah means ‘one who eats too much’.

It is said in yoga-śāstra:

pūryed aśanenārdhaṃ tṛtīyam udakena tu
vāyoḥ sañcaraṇārthaṃ tu caturtham avaśeṣayet

One should half-fill the belly with food and quarter fill it with water, leaving one quarter empty for the movement of air.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

To attain perfection in sādhana, a yogī should not practise yoga when he is hungry or tired, or when his mind is disturbed. A person should not practise yoga when he is too cold, too hot or in a hurry, because in doing so, he will not attain perfection. While chanting hari-nāma and following the various limbs of bhakti, and specifically while remembering Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, one should carefully observe the above principles. In order to keep the mind concentrated, the sādhaka should spend some time chanting the holy names of the Lord in a solitary place and with one-pointed attention. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has given instructions like this in Harināma-cintāmaṇi.