The mind as the epicenter of all experience. It is not the outer world that determines our reality, but the quality of our mind that perceives it. This opening verse establishes the fundamental premise: yogic work is, ultimately, mental work.

The duality between mokṣa (liberation) and bhoga (enjoyment) presents two possible paths of the mind. Curiously, both are “under the mind” (manodhinau), suggesting that even spirituality and worldliness are mental constructions. The ṣaṭkarma practice that follows aims to purify not only the physical body but also its subtle correspondences in the mind.

The term tīrtha (sacred place, ford) is significant. Generally associated with pilgrimage places like the Ganges, here it applies to the mind itself. We need not travel to any external place; the true sanctuary lies within.