क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् ।
अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दुःखं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते ॥
अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दुःखं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
अव्यक्तमें आसक्त चित्तवाले उन साधकोंको अपने साधनमें कष्ट अधिक होता है क्योंकि देहाभिमानियोंके द्वारा अव्यक्तविषयक गति कठिनतासे प्राप्त की जाती है ॥
English
For those whose minds cling to the unmanifest, the struggle is greater. The unmanifest path is hard to reach for embodied beings.
What this verse means
Holding the unmanifest as your focus is harder than it looks. For people still identified with the body, that subtle path is difficult to reach.
Context & commentary
Krishna is still answering Arjuna on the battlefield, where a warrior frozen by doubt needs a clear map. After describing the unmanifest path, Krishna warns that it is especially hard for people still bound to bodily identity, so Arjuna can see why devotion to a personal focus is easier.
Why this verse still matters
You sit in silence trying to “just empty the mind,” and the harder you try, the tighter everything feels. Some practices are subtle enough to become a struggle before they become a refuge.
The takeaway
Not every noble aim is equally easy. Some paths ask for more patience, steadiness, and inner refinement.
Word-by-word translation
क्लेशः (difficulty) / अधिकतरः (greater) / तेषाम् (for them) / अव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् (of those whose minds are attached to the unmanifest) । अव्यक्ता (unmanifest) / हि (indeed) / गतिः (path/goal) / दुःखम् (painful/difficult) / देहवद्भिः (by embodied beings) / अवाप्यते (is reached)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12: Bhakti Yoga — The Yoga of Devotion, which contains 20 verses.
Explore related themes: bhakti (69 verses), indriya nigraha (14 verses), avyakta (10 verses)