Bhagavad Gita 2.60यततो ह्यपि कौन्तेय पुरुषस्य विपश्चितः।इन्द्रियाणि प्रमाथीनि हरन्ति प्रसभं मनः ॥
yatato hyapi kaunteya puruṣhasya vipaśhchitaḥ
indriyāṇi pramāthīni haranti prasabhaṁ manaḥ
Sanskrit recitation
A steady mind in a noisy world · 2.54–2.72 · Teaching
Translation
The turbulent senses, O Arjuna, can violently carry away the mind of a wise person, even though they are striving to control them.
Hindi translation
हे कुन्तीनन्दन! (रसबुद्धि रहनेसे) यत्न करते हुए विद्वान् मनुष्यकी भी प्रमथनशील इन्द्रियाँ उसके मनको बलपूर्वक हर लेती हैं।
Meaning
The aspirant should first bring the senses under his control. The senses are like horses. If you keep the horses under your perfect control you can reach your destinaton safely. Turbulent horses will throw you down on the way. Even so the turbulent senses will hurl you down into the objects of the senses and you cannot reach your spiritual destination, viz., Param Dhama (the supreme abode) or the abode of eternal peace and immortality or Moksha (final liberation). (Cf.III.33V.14).
After Swami Sivananda
A steady mind in a noisy world· 2.54–2.72→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 2.54Arjuna said, "O Krishna, what is the description of one who has steady wisdom and is…
- 2.55The Blessed Lord said, "When a man completely casts off, O Arjuna, all the desires of the…
- 2.56He whose mind is not shaken by adversity, who does not long for pleasures, and is free…
- 2.57He who is everywhere without attachment, upon encountering anything good or bad, neither…
- 2.58When, like the tortoise which withdraws all its limbs on all sides, he withdraws his…
- 2.59The objects of the senses turn away from the abstinent man, leaving the longing behind;…
2.60The turbulent senses, O Arjuna, can violently carry away the mind of a wise person, even…
- 2.61Having restrained them all, he should sit steadfast, intent on Me; his wisdom is steady…
- 2.62When one thinks of objects, attachment to them arises; from attachment, desire is born;…
- 2.63Anger leads to delusion, which causes loss of memory; this, in turn, leads to the…
- 2.64But the self-controlled man, moving among objects with the senses restrained and free from…
- 2.65In that peace, all pains are destroyed; for the intellect of the tranquil-minded soon…
- 2.66There is no knowledge of the Self for the unsteady, and no meditation is possible for the…
- 2.67For the mind, which follows in the wake of the wandering senses, carries away his…
- 2.68Therefore, O mighty-armed Arjuna, his knowledge is steady whose senses are completely…
- 2.69That which is night to all beings, in that the self-controlled man is awake; when all…
- 2.70He attains peace into whom all desires enter, just as waters enter the ocean which, filled…
- 2.71That person attains peace who, abandoning all desires, moves about without longing,…
- 2.72O son of Pritha, this is the eternal state, the Brahmic seat. Attaining this, one is not…
Word-by-word→
- hi
- for
- api
- even
- haranti
- carry away
- manaḥ
- the mind
- kaunteya
- Arjun, the son of Kunti
- prasabham
- forcibly
- yatataḥ
- while practicing self-control
- indriyāṇi
- the senses
- pramāthīni
- turbulent
- puruṣhasya
- of a person
- vipaśhchitaḥ
- one endowed with discrimination
Read this when you feel
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- 5.1Arjuna said, "O Krishna, you praise renunciation of actions and also yoga. Please tell me…
- 6.14Serene-minded, fearless, firm in the vow of a Brahmachari, having controlled their mind,…
- 14.2Those who, having taken refuge in this knowledge, have attained unity with Me, are neither…