Bhagavad Gītā · Chapter 6, Verse 16
नात्यश्नतस्तु योगोऽस्ति न चैकान्तमनश्नतः।
न चातिस्वप्नशीलस्य जाग्रतो नैव चार्जुन।।
न चातिस्वप्नशीलस्य जाग्रतो नैव चार्जुन।।
nātyaśnatastu yogo ’sti na caikāntam anaśnataḥ
na cāti-svapna-śīlasya jāgrato naiva cārjuna
also searched as "natyasnatastu yogo 'sti na caikantam anasnatah"
Translation
Yoga is not for him who overeats, nor for him who fasts excessively; not for him, O Arjuna, who sleeps too much, nor for him who stays awake too long.
Vāṇi's rendering
This yoga is not for one who eats too much or too little, sleeps too much or too little.
Word by word
| Sanskrit & transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|
| नna | not |
| अतिati | too much, in excess (joined in sandhi as nātyaśnataḥ) |
| अश्नतःaśnataḥ | of one who eats |
| तुtu | indeed, but |
| योगःyogaḥ | yoga (appears as yogo before the next word) |
| अस्तिasti | is, exists (elided to 'sti) |
| नna | not |
| चca | and (joined in sandhi as caikāntam) |
| एकान्तम्ekāntam | entirely, altogether |
| अनश्नतःanaśnataḥ | of one who does not eat |
| नna | not |
| चca | and (joined in sandhi as cāti) |
| अतिस्वप्नशीलस्यati-svapna-śīlasya | of one given to too much sleep |
| जाग्रतःjāgrataḥ | of one who stays awake |
| नna | not |
| एवeva | even, indeed (joined in sandhi as naiva) |
| चca | and (joined in sandhi as cārjuna) |
| अर्जुनarjuna | O Arjuna |
Frequently asked
What does Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6 Verse 16 mean?
It means yoga fails at both extremes. Too much food and too little, too much sleep and too little — each leaves the body clamouring for notice. Krishna is not praising austerity here; he is removing an obstacle. A body that is neither stuffed nor starving simply stops interrupting.
What is the meaning of natyashnatastu yogosti na chaikantam anashnatah?
The line says plainly: yoga is not for one who eats too much, nor for one who abstains altogether. Fasting is named as a failure alongside feasting. Krishna addresses Arjuna directly, a warrior who knows what a body needs, and refuses to let discipline become self-punishment.
Does the Gita recommend fasting for spiritual practice?
Not as extremity. This verse puts excessive fasting on the same list as overeating — both unfit for yoga. The measure is not how little you can survive on but whether the body has grown quiet enough to be forgotten. Whatever amount does that is your amount.
Why does Krishna talk about food and sleep in the middle of teaching meditation?
Because meditation is attempted with a body, and the body sets the terms. Krishna has described the seat and the gaze; now he describes the conditions under which any of it works. The instruction is not less spiritual for being practical. Your evening habits are already shaping tomorrow's sitting.
Themes in this verse
Read every verse this way, held — inside Vāṇi.
View on the App Store
Commentary
Krishna has just described the seat, the posture, the steady gaze — and now he talks about dinner. Nothing lofty. How much you eat, how much you sleep. The extremes look different but fail the same way: the body becomes loud, and a loud body cannot be forgotten. Overfed, it is heavy; starved, it goes faint. Oversleeping dulls, sleeplessness frays. Yoga asks only that the body stop asking for attention. That is all moderation is for — not virtue, not purity, just quiet. Before you go looking for stillness in the mind, check what time you went to bed.