Vishnu Mind & Self-Control Bhagavad Gita Verse
Bhagavad Gita 6.35: Krishna agrees the mind is restless and hard to hold, and says it can be steadied by practice and detachment. Sanskrit and meaning.
Sanskrit
असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलम् ।
अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते ॥
In the Gita this verse is introduced by the words “śrī bhagavān uvāca” (the Lord said). Those words are not part of the verse and are not shown above.
Transliteration (IAST)
asaṃśayaṃ mahābāho mano durnigrahaṃ calam |
abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate ||
Meaning
Without doubt, mighty-armed one, the mind is restless and hard to hold. But, son of Kunti, it can be held by practice and by detachment.
Source / Textual Reference
Bhagavad Gita 6.35 (Chapter 6, verse 35)
The Bhagavad Gita is part of the Mahabharata. It records a talk between Krishna and the warrior Arjuna on the field of Kurukshetra, just before a great battle. Krishna is the speaker here, answering Arjuna’s question in verse 6.34.
Traditional Significance
Just before this, Arjuna said that the mind is restless, strong and stubborn, as hard to control as the wind (Gita 6.34). Krishna agrees, and then names two means: abhyāsa, steady practice, and vairāgya, not clinging to what pulls the mind away.
The same two means are named by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras (1.12) as the way to quiet the mind.
Traditional Practice
The verse is read, studied and reflected on. It is often quoted in talks on meditation and yoga. There is no fixed time or number of repetitions.