yadā hi nendriyārtheṣu na karmasv anuṣajjate sarva-saṅkalpa-sannyāsī yogārūḍhas tadocyate
"When one is attached neither to sense objects nor to actions, having renounced all selfish intentions—then one is said to be established in yoga."
What This Means:
You've truly arrived at yoga when sense pleasures don't pull you and you're not attached to your actions. It's not suppression but genuine freedom—these things simply lose their grip on you.
Going Deeper:
Notice the double freedom: from sense objects (external world) and from actions themselves (internal identity with doership). The sarva-sankalpa-sannyasi has transcended both the desire for pleasure and the ego's need to be the 'doer.' This is genuine establishment in yoga.
How To Apply This:
This is the goal, not the starting point. Use it as a measure of progress. Are you less reactive to sense pleasures than before? Less identified with being the 'doer'? Progress is gradual but measurable.
Key Sanskrit Terms: