The mind is hard to control, but it is mastered through practice and detachment.
— Krishna
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Bhagavad Gita · 6.35
Hindi · हिन्दी
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 ॥
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Tap a word to focus on it.
असंशयम्without doubtमहाबाहोmighty-armed oneमनःmindदुर्निग्रहम्hard to restrainचलम्restlessअभ्यासेनthrough practiceतुbutकौन्तेयO son of Kuntiवैराग्येणthrough detachmentचandगृह्यतेis mastered
Read literallywithout doubt · mighty-armed one · mind · hard to restrain · restless · through practice · but · O son of Kunti · through detachment · and · is mastered
Understanding the verse
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Krishna agrees the mind is hard to control, then names the remedy: abhyasa and vairagya, practice and detachment.
The mind really is restless and difficult to control, but steady practice and letting go of cravings can bring it under control.
02
On the battlefield
Context & commentary
Arjuna has admitted that his mind feels wild and ungovernable. Krishna answers with reassurance: Arjuna is right, but the mind can still be trained through steady practice and non-attachment.
03
In your life
What it looks like today
Learning the harmonium at forty, your fingers keep slipping back to the wrong keys. Krishna's answer to Arjuna fits here: admit it is hard, practise daily, and stop needing each session to go well.
The takeaway
“You are not stuck with a chaotic mind forever. Repeated practice can change what once felt impossible.”
The mind really is restless and difficult to control, but steady practice and letting go of cravings can bring it under control.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 6.35?
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Dhyana Yoga" (The Yoga of Meditation).
Which chapter of the Bhagavad Gita contains verse 6.35?
Verse 35 sits in Chapter 6 of the Bhagavad Gita — Dhyana Yoga, "The Yoga of Meditation". The chapter has 47 verses in total.
Why does Bhagavad Gita 6.35 matter today?
Learning the harmonium at forty, your fingers keep slipping back to the wrong keys. Krishna's answer to Arjuna fits here: admit it is hard, practise daily, and stop needing each session to go well.
Krishna agrees the mind is hard to control, then names the remedy: abhyasa and vairagya, practice and detachment.
What this verse means
The mind really is restless and difficult to control, but steady practice and letting go of cravings can bring it under control.
Context & commentary
Arjuna has admitted that his mind feels wild and ungovernable. Krishna answers with reassurance: Arjuna is right, but the mind can still be trained through steady practice and non-attachment.
What it looks like today
Learning the harmonium at forty, your fingers keep slipping back to the wrong keys. Krishna's answer to Arjuna fits here: admit it is hard, practise daily, and stop needing each session to go well.
“You are not stuck with a chaotic mind forever. Repeated practice can change what once felt impossible.”
Explore related themes: vairagya (51 verses), manas (49 verses), dhyana (31 verses)