A core teaching · calming in mood · a little context helps
“Stillness comes by degrees when the mind stops feeding itself.”
Little by little, the mind should be quieted by steady discernment. Fix the mind in the true self and think of nothing else.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallylittle by little · should become quiet · by the discerning mind · held by firmness · established in the true self · the mind · having made · not · anything at all · should think
The mind should be calmed gradually with firm understanding. Once it rests in the true self, it should stop chasing thoughts.
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Dhyana Yoga" (The Yoga of Meditation).
Verse 25 sits in Chapter 6 of the Bhagavad Gita — Dhyana Yoga, "The Yoga of Meditation". The chapter has 47 verses in total.
You sit in a parked car after a hard conversation, replaying every sentence. The answer is not to wrestle the mind harder, but to bring it back, gently, until the loop loosens.
Did you like this verse?
It teaches you to calm thought through gradual restraint, not sudden suppression.
What this verse means
The mind should be calmed gradually with firm understanding. Once it rests in the true self, it should stop chasing thoughts.
Context & commentary
On Kurukshetra, Arjuna needs more than advice about battle — he needs a mind that can hold still. Krishna now gives the method: steady the mind gradually, place it in the true self, and stop feeding it new thoughts.
Why this verse still matters
You sit in a parked car after a hard conversation, replaying every sentence. The answer is not to wrestle the mind harder, but to bring it back, gently, until the loop loosens.
“Progress can be gentle. You do not have to win against the mind in one struggle.”
Explore related themes: manas (49 verses), dhyana (31 verses), buddhi (26 verses)