śrībhagavānuvāca .
asaṃśayaṃ mahābāho mano durnigrahaṃ calam .
abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate ||6-35||
The Blessed Lord said Undoubtedly, O mighty-armed Arjuna, the mind is difficult to control and restless; but by practice and by dispassion it may be restrained.
In simple words
Krishna agrees but offers hope: "You are absolutely right, Arjuna — the mind is very hard to control and very restless. But it can be done through two things: consistent practice and letting go of attachment."
Word-by-word meanings
असंशयम्undoubtedlyमहाबाहोO mightyarmedमनःthe mindदुर्निग्रहम्difficult to controlचलम्restlessअभ्यासेनby practiceतुbutकौन्तेयO Kaunteyaवैराग्येणby dispassionचandगृह्यतेis restrained.
Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.
Swami Sivananda
6.35 असंशयम् undoubtedly? महाबाहो O mightyarmed? मनः the mind? दुर्निग्रहम् difficult to control? चलम् restless? अभ्यासेन by practice? तु but? कौन्तेय O Kaunteya? वैराग्येण by dispassion? च and? गृह्यते is restrained. Commentary The constant or repeated effort to keep the wandering mind steady by constant meditation on the Lakshya (centre? ideal? goal or object of meditation) is Abhyasa or practice. The same idea or thought of the Self or God is constantly repeated. This constant repetition destroys Vikshepa or the vacillation of the mind and desires? and makes it steady and onepointed.Vairagya is dispassion or indifference to senseobjects in this world or in the other? here or hereafter? seen or unseen? heard or unheard? achieved through constantly looking into the evil in them (DoshaDrishti). You will have to train the mind by constant reflection on the immortal? allblissful Self. You must make the mind realise the transitory nature of the wordly enjoyments. You must suggest to the mind to look for its enjoyment not in the perishable and changing external objects but in the immortal? changeless Self within. Gradually the mind will be withdrawn from the external objects.
Swami Chinmayananda
This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.
# BG 6.35
The Blessed Lord Sri Krishna knew Arjuna completely—he was a valiant warrior, a man of action, courageous and pragmatic. When a person of such extraordinary character, having heard the teachings of truth from his teacher, doubts their validity or practical application, the teacher must possess not only mental equilibrium but also the exceptional capacity to understand and illuminate the rebellious intellect of the disciple. At this point in the Gita, the situation is briefly this: according to the Lord's teaching, self-realization comes when the mind becomes steady, yet Arjuna contends that the restless mind cannot become steady, and therefore self-realization is impossible. When a capable person like Arjuna becomes firmly convinced of a particular view, the best method to guide him is to initially acknowledge his perspective. In philosophical discourse, compromise is the secret to victory, especially in situations filled with prejudice—which is natural for the ignorant. Thus, the great psychologist Sri Krishna, by beginning his answer with "assuredly," disarms his formidable opponent from the very first word, and then, by addressing him as "mighty-armed one," awakens his sense of honor. The Lord acknowledges that mastering the mind is difficult, and therefore lasting peace and equanimity of mind cannot be easily attained. By this acknowledgment, Arjuna feels recognized. Through the words "mighty-armed one," the Lord reminds him that he is a valiant warrior. There is a subtle irony in the Lord's statement: true greatness of a powerful person lies in accomplishing difficult and seemingly impossible tasks, not in plucking a few flowers from one's own garden. Undoubtedly, the mind is a formidable enemy, but the greater the enemy, the more glorious the victory over it. In the second line, Sri Krishna carefully chooses appropriate words to calm and steady Arjuna's mind: "O son of Kunti, the mind can be mastered. Through practice and dispassion, one can initially bring it under control and establish oneself completely in the Self." This is the Lord's reassuring and clear declaration. Attachment to external objects and stubborn clinging to the fruits of action are the two primary causes of mental distraction. Because of these, mastering the mind becomes difficult. Here, the word "dispassion" signifies the renunciation of these very attachments. According to Sri Shankara, practice means the repetition of mental focus upon the object of meditation. Generally, in meditation practice, the repeated arising of desires constantly interrupts this continuous flow of attention. The result is that the mind repeatedly wanders to objects other than the meditative focus, and the person's inner balance and personality become fragmented. From this perspective, practice strengthens dispassion, and dispassion strengthens practice. When both become firm, success is assured. One should pay attention to the order of words used in scriptural texts, for they are arranged in a descending hierarchy of importance. Sometimes, seekers wonder whether they should wait for natural dispassion to arise in the mind or begin the practice of meditation immediately. Most people uselessly wait for dispassion to come. By giving priority to practice, the Gita makes clear that waiting for dispassion before practice is as absurd as waiting for a harvest without sowing seeds. We should continually analyze life and reflect upon our experiences, constantly knowing what we have done and what we have gained in life. If we discover that we have suffered more loss than gain, naturally we will consider how to organize life in a well-planned manner and obtain the greatest happiness. In this process, the study of scripture will then begin, which will teach us the wonder of life's ideals, the peace of moral values, the joy of self-restraint, the thrill of self-development, and the suffocating sorrows of a life confined by ego. The moment we become conscious of our way of life, that moment should be understood as the beginning of practice. As a result, the feeling of non-attachment that arises naturally and spontaneously is true and lasting dispassion. Otherwise, dispassion is merely a false display of the life of deluded ascetics, which makes a person narrow-minded and, moreover, so distorts the intellect that one becomes prey to madness and other painful mental afflictions. Dispassion born from the practice of discrimination is the means of spiritual advancement. Through intellectual maturity, knowledge of a higher purpose, and correct evaluation of things, persons, circumstances, and life's events, our attachment to objects should naturally fall away. When right practice and lasting dispassion come into life, in the absence of other causes of distraction, the mind comes under one's control, and thereafter it knows only one world—the world of balance and equanimity. Then, what becomes of the person without self-mastery?