नारायणपरो योगो नारायणपरं तपः ।
नारायणपरं ज्ञानं नारायणपरा गतिः ॥१६॥

nÄrÄyaṇa-paro yogo
nÄrÄyaṇa-paraá¹ tapaḥ
nÄrÄyaṇa-paraá¹ jñÄnaá¹
nÄrÄyaṇa-parÄ gatiḥ

 nÄrÄyaṇa-paraḥ - just to know NÄrÄyaṇa; yogaḥ - concentration of mind; nÄrÄyaṇa-param - just with an aim to achieve NÄrÄyaṇa; tapaḥ - austerity; nÄrÄyaṇa-param - just to realize a glimpse of NÄrÄyaṇa; jñÄnam - culture of transcendental knowledge; nÄrÄyaṇa-parÄ - the path of salvation ends by entering the kingdom of NÄrÄyaṇa; gatiḥ - progressive path.


Text

All different types of meditation or mysticism are means for realizing NÄrÄyaṇa. All austerities are aimed at achieving NÄrÄyaṇa. Culture of transcendental knowledge is for getting a glimpse of NÄrÄyaṇa, and ultimately salvation is entering the kingdom of NÄrÄyaṇa.

Purport

In meditation, there are two systems of yoga, namely aṣṭÄá¹…ga-yoga and sÄá¹…khya-yoga. AṣṭÄá¹…ga-yoga is practice in concentrating the mind, releasing oneself from all engagements by the regulative processes of meditation, concentration, sitting postures, blocking the movements of the internal circulation of air, etc. SÄá¹…khya-yoga is meant to distinguish the truth from ephemerals. But ultimately both systems are meant for realizing the impersonal Brahman, which is but a partial representation of NÄrÄyaṇa, the Personality of Godhead. As we have explained before, the impersonal Brahman effulgence is only a part of the Personality of Godhead. Impersonal Brahman is situated on the person of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and, as such, Brahman is the glorification of the Personality of the Godhead. This is confirmed both in the Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ and in the Matsya PurÄṇa. Gati refers to the ultimate destination, or the last word in liberation. Oneness with the impersonal brahmajyoti is not ultimate liberation; superior to that is the sublime association of the Personality of Godhead in one of the innumerable spiritual planets in the Vaikuṇṭha sky. Therefore the conclusion is that NÄrÄyaṇa, or the Personality of Godhead, is the ultimate destination for all kinds of yoga systems as well as all kinds of liberation.