Bhagavad Gītā › Chapter 6 › Verse 35
Bhagavad Gītā 6.35: Practice makes it steady
असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलम् ।
अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते ॥
asaṃśayaṃ mahābāho mano durnigrahaṃ calam
abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate
Meaning
Undoubtedly, O mighty-armed, the mind is restless and hard to restrain; but by practice and by dispassion, O son of Kuntī, it is restrained. It answers Arjuna’s doubt in 6.34.
For children
Arjuna said his mind jumps around like a monkey. Krishna smiles: “Yes, it does! But if you practise a little every day, your mind becomes calm.”
Arjuna has just said the mind is as hard to control as the wind (6.34). Kṛṣṇa agrees, and tells him how.
Word by word
असंशयं महाबाहो — Without doubt, mighty-armed one,
- asaṃśaya: without doubt
- mahābāhu: mighty-armed (Arjuna)
मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलम् — the mind is restless and hard to hold
- manas: mind
- durnigraha: hard to control
- cala: restless, moving
अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय — but by practice, Arjuna,
- abhyāsa: practice
- kaunteya: son of Kuntī (Arjuna)
वैराग्येण च गृह्यते — and by letting go, it is held steady
- vairāgya: letting go, non-attachment
- gṛhyate: is held, is controlled
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.