Bhagavad Gītā › Chapter 6 › Verse 26
Bhagavad Gītā 6.26: Gently bring the mind back
यतो यतो निश्चरति मनश्चञ्चलमस्थिरम् ।
ततस्ततो नियम्यैतदात्मन्येव वशं नयेत् ॥
yato yato niścarati manaścañcalamasthiram
tatastato niyamyaitadātmanyeva vaśaṃ nayet
Meaning
Wherever the restless and unsteady mind wanders, from there one should restrain it and bring it back under control in the self alone. It is practical instruction from Kṛṣṇa’s teaching on meditation in chapter 6; 6.35 adds that practice and dispassion make this possible.
For children
Krishna says: “Your mind likes to run away, like a puppy. Every time it runs off, gently call it back.”
In chapter 6 Kṛṣṇa teaches Arjuna how to sit and meditate. This verse is about the moment every meditator meets: the mind wandering away.
Word by word
यतो यतो निश्चरति — Wherever it wanders off,
- yataḥ yataḥ: wherever, from wherever
- niścarati: wanders off
मनश्चञ्चलमस्थिरम् — the restless, unsteady mind
- manas: mind
- cañcala: restless, flickering
- asthira: unsteady
ततस्ततो नियम्यैतद् — from there, hold it back
- tataḥ tataḥ: from there
- niyamya: having held back, restraining
- etat: this (the mind)
आत्मन्येव वशं नयेत् — and bring it home to the self
- ātman: the self
- vaśa: control
- nayet: should bring
Kṛṣṇa speaks this verse. The Sanskrit is checked against four editions; meanings and word notes are simple learning aids written for MahaPrabha Gurukul, awaiting review by a Sanskrit teacher.