Word meanings
- śrī-bhagavān uvāca
- Lord Krishna said
- asanśayam
- undoubtedly
- mahā-bāho
- mighty-armed one
- manaḥ
- the mind
- durnigraham
- difficult to restrain
- calam
- restless
- abhyāsena
- by practice
- tu
- but
- kaunteya
- Arjun, the son of Kunti
- vairāgyeṇa
- by detachment
- ca
- and
- gṛhyate
- can be controlled
Translations
The Blessed Lord said, "Undoubtedly, O mighty-armed Arjuna, the mind is difficult to control and restless; but with practice and dispassion, it can be restrained."
Lord Shri Krishna replied: Doubtless, O Mighty One, the mind is fickle and exceedingly difficult to restrain; however, O Son of Kunti, with practice and renunciation, it can be done.
The Blessed Lord said, O mighty-armed one, undoubtedly the mind is untamable and restless. But, O son of Kunti, it can be brought under control through practice and detachment.
श्रीभगवान् बोले -- हे महाबाहो ! यह मन बड़ा चञ्चल है और इसका निग्रह करना भी बड़ा कठिन है -- यह तुम्हारा कहना बिलकुल ठीक है। परन्तु हे कुन्तीनन्दन ! अभ्यास और वैराग्यके द्वारा इसका निग्रह किया जाता है।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 (Dosha-Drishti).
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 Gradually the mind will be withdrawn from the external objects.