Bhagavad Gita 6.35 · Asanshayam Mahabahoश्री भगवानुवाच असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलं।अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते ॥
śhrī bhagavān uvācha asanśhayaṁ mahā-bāho mano
durnigrahaṁ chalam abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa cha gṛihyate
Sanskrit recitation
When the mind will not stay · 6.33–6.47 · Teaching
Translation
The Blessed Lord said, "Undoubtedly, O mighty-armed Arjuna, the mind is difficult to control and restless; but with practice and dispassion, it can be restrained."
Hindi translation
श्रीभगवान् बोले -- हे महाबाहो ! यह मन बड़ा चञ्चल है और इसका निग्रह करना भी बड़ा कठिन है -- यह तुम्हारा कहना बिलकुल ठीक है। परन्तु हे कुन्तीनन्दन ! अभ्यास और वैराग्यके द्वारा इसका निग्रह किया जाता है।
Meaning
The constant or repeated effort to keep the wandering mind steady by constant meditation on the Lakshya (centre, ideal, goal or object of meditation) is Abhyasa or practice. The same idea or thought of the Self or God is constantly repeated. This constant repetition destroys Vikshepa or the vacillation of the mind and desires, and makes it steady and onepointed.Vairagya is dispassion or indifference to senseobjects in this world or in the other, here or hereafter, seen or unseen, heard or unheard, achieved through constantly looking into the evil in them (DoshaDrishti). You will have to train the mind by constant reflection on the immortal, allblissful Self. You must make the mind realise the transitory nature of the wordly enjoyments. You must suggest to the mind to look for its enjoyment not in the perishable and changing external objects but in the immortal, changeless Self within. Gradually the mind will be withdrawn from the external objects.
After Swami Sivananda
When the mind will not stay· 6.33–6.47→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 6.33Arjuna said, "O Krishna, I do not see how this Yoga of equanimity, which you have taught…
- 6.34The mind is indeed restless, turbulent, strong, and unyielding, O Krishna; I consider it…
6.35The Blessed Lord said, "Undoubtedly, O mighty-armed Arjuna, the mind is difficult to…
- 6.36I think Yoga is hard to be attained by one with an uncontrolled self, but the…
- 6.37Arjuna said, "He who is unable to control himself, even though he has faith, and whose…
- 6.38Fallen from both, does he not perish like a rent cloud, supportless, O mighty-armed one,…
- 6.39O Krishna, please completely dispel this doubt of mine, for it is not possible for anyone…
- 6.40The Blessed Lord said, "O Arjuna, neither in this world nor in the next will there be…
- 6.41Having attained to the worlds of the righteous and having dwelt there for everlasting…
- 6.42Or he is born in a family of even the wisest of yogis; verily, such a birth is very…
- 6.43Then he comes into contact with the knowledge acquired in his former body and strives even…
- 6.44By that same former practice, he is borne on in spite of himself. Even he who merely…
- 6.45But the Yogi who strives assiduously, purified of sins and perfected gradually over many…
- 6.46The yogi is thought to be superior to the ascetics, even superior to those who have…
- 6.47And among all the Yogis, he who, full of faith and with his inner self merged in Me,…
Word-by-word→
- tu
- but
- cha
- and
- chalam
- restless
- manaḥ
- the mind
- kaunteya
- Arjun, the son of Kunti
- abhyāsena
- by practice
- gṛihyate
- can be controlled
- asanśhayam
- undoubtedly
- durnigraham
- difficult to restrain
- mahā-bāho
- mighty-armed one
- vairāgyeṇa
- by detachment
- śhrī-bhagavān uvācha
- Lord Krishna said
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