The yogin is greater than those given to austerity; greater too than the knowers, knowledge here meaning learning in the meaning of the scriptures, held to be greater even than those who possess such learning; and greater than the doers of works, works such as the fire-oblation, greater than those who possess them is the yogin, the more distinguished. Since this is so, become a yogin, Arjuna.

Than the human goal accomplished by austerities alone, and by the knowledges other than knowledge of the self, and by the rites alone, the horse-sacrifice and the rest, the discipline, being the means to a higher human goal than all of these, makes the yogin higher than the men of austerity, the men of knowledge, and the men of rites. Therefore become a yogin, Arjuna. Thus the beholding of the inner self, which is an auxiliary to the higher knowledge and is declared by the word of Prajapati, has been told. Now the Lord opens the higher knowledge.

'Than the men of knowledge' means than those who know yoga; 'than the men of austerity' means than those who practise the harsh penance and the rest. And it is said in the Garuda, 'meditative yoga is more excellent than the harsh penance, sacrifice and the rest; and there too, the meditation on Hari is declared to be ten million times greater than meditation on Shesha, Sri, Brahma, Shiva and the rest, or greater still, for those who seek release'. And the Naradiya says, 'than the meditation of one who meditates without knowing, knowledge itself is more excellent; than the mere knowledge of one who has known, meditation; than meditation, the seeing; and than the seeing, devotion; there is no means higher than that at all'.