Verse 6.35
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलम्। अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते॥
Transliteration (IAST)
asaṁśayaṁ mahā-bāho mano durnigrahaṁ calam abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate
Word-by-Word Meanings
asaṁśayam-undoubtedly
manaḥ-mind
durnigraham-difficult to control
calam-restless
abhyāsena-by practice
vairāgyeṇa-by detachment
gṛhyate-can be controlled
Translation
Undoubtedly, O mighty-armed one, the mind is restless and difficult to control. But it can be controlled through practice and detachment, O son of Kunti.
Commentary
Krishna's answer is both validating and empowering. He agrees the mind is difficult (asaṁśayam) but offers the twin solution: abhyāsa (repeated practice) and vairāgya (dispassion). This mirrors Patanjali's Yoga Sutra 1.12 exactly, showing the Gita's alignment with classical yoga methodology.
Themes
yogasurrender