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Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 6.26
यतो यतो निश्चलति मनश्चञ्चलमस्थिरम् ।
ततस्ततो नियम्यैतदात्मन्येव वशं नयेत् ॥ २६ ॥
yato yato niścalati
manaś cañcalam asthiram
tatas tato niyamyaitad
ātmany eva vaśaṁ nayet
From wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the Self.
Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.ioWhat this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.
3 study points
Whenever the unsteady mind wanders, bring it back under the control of the self.
Prabhupāda explains that serving Kṛṣṇa with purified senses brings them under full control and is the highest perfection of yoga.
When your mind wanders, bring it back and engage your senses in serving Kṛṣṇa.
Texts 6.25 & 6.26
defined as serving Krishna with purified senses (6.26) The means of success is next described. (b) How one can become fixed in the quality of Brahman – fix mind on the lotus feet of the Lord. (c) Self realization – defined as knowing ones constitutional position in relationship with the Supreme. Text 6.26 THEME: Means of Success • Nature of mind – The mind is ‘flickering’ and ‘unsteady’ • Mind will fly away in beginning, but should not give up hope • Bring mind back under the control of the self
Texts 6.26 & 6.27
In text 6.26 Krishna uses three adjectives to describe the mind. Niscalati (wandering), cancalam (flickering) and asthiram (unsteady). By steady intelligence the yogi must overcome all those mental tendencies. He cannot indulge his mind and gratify his senses. He must know for certain that yielding to the mind will destroy his tranquility. Rather, he should be fixed in the Self, not in his thoughts, which may be influenced by his previous passionate conditioning
Krishna describes the practices of astanga-yoga
The result are ‘Yogarudha (the perfectional stage)’ and ultimately ‘the vision of the Supersoul’.
Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.
The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.
Meditation
Bring the wandering mind back under control.
Take one thing from this verse into your day.
What does BG 6.26 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to mind & yoga?
Sit quietly for ten minutes and gently return the mind.
Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.
Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.
Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.