Bhagavad Gita 12.9अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम्।अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाप्तुं धनञ्जय ॥
atha chittaṁ samādhātuṁ na śhaknoṣhi mayi
sthiram abhyāsa-yogena tato mām ichchhāptuṁ dhanañjaya
Sanskrit recitation
Many paths, one devotion · 12.1–12.12 · Teaching
Translation
If you are unable to fix your mind steadily on Me, then seek to reach Me through the yoga of constant practice, O Arjuna.
Hindi translation
अगर तू मनको मेरेमें अचलभावसे स्थिर (अर्पण) करनेमें समर्थ नहीं है, तो हे धनञ्जय ! अभ्यासयोगके द्वारा तू मेरी प्राप्तिकी इच्छा कर।
Meaning
Abhyasa Yoga Abhyasa is constant practice to steady the mind and fix it on one point the practice of repeatedly withdrawing the mind from all sorts of sensual objects and fixing it again and again on one particular object or the Self. The constant effort to separate or detach oneself from the illusory five sheaths and identify oneself with the Atman is also Abhyasa. If you are not able to fix your mind and intellect wholly on the Lord all the time, then do it for some time at least. If your mind wanders much, try to fix it on the Lord through the continous practice of remembrance. Resort to the worship of the images of God, feeling His Living Presence in them. This will also help you.Why did Lord Krishna address Arjuna by the name Dhananjaya here Surely there is some significance. Arjuna conered many people and brought immense wealth for the Rajasuya Yajna performed by Yudhishthira. For such a man of great powers and splendour, it is not difficult to conquer this mind, and obtain the spiritual wealth of knowledge of the Self. This is what Lord Krishna meant when He addressed Arjuna by the name Dhananjaya.
After Swami Sivananda
Many paths, one devotion· 12.1–12.12→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 12.1Arjuna said, "Which of them are better versed in Yoga—those who steadfastly worship You,…
- 12.2The Blessed Lord said, "In My opinion, those who fix their minds on Me, worship Me ever…
- 12.3Those who worship the imperishable, the indefinable, the unmanifest, the omnipresent, the…
- 12.4Having restrained all the senses, being even-minded everywhere, and intent on the welfare…
- 12.5Greater is their trouble whose minds are set on the unmanifested, for the goal of the…
- 12.6But to those who worship Me, renouncing all actions in Me, regarding Me as the supreme…
- 12.7To those whose minds are set on Me, O Arjuna, verily I soon become the savior out of the…
- 12.8Fix your mind on Me, and your intellect in Me. Then you will certainly live in Me alone…
12.9If you are unable to fix your mind steadily on Me, then seek to reach Me through the yoga…
- 12.10If you are unable to practice even this Abhyasa Yoga, be intent on doing actions for My…
- 12.11If you are unable to do even this, then, resort to union with Me and renounce the fruits…
- 12.12Better indeed is knowledge than practice; better than knowledge is meditation; better than…
Word-by-word→
- atha
- if
- mayi
- on me
- mām
- me
- āptum
- to attain
- chittam
- mind
- sthiram
- steadily
- tataḥ
- then
- ichchhā
- desire
- dhanañjaya
- Arjun, the conqueror of wealth
- samādhātum
- to fix
- abhyāsa-yogena
- by uniting with God through repeated practice
- na śhaknoṣhi
- (you) are unable
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