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Bhagavad-gītā 6.18

यदा विनियतं चित्तमात्मन्येवावतिष्ठते । निस्पृह: सर्वकामेभ्यो युक्त इत्युच्यते तदा ॥ १८ ॥
yadā viniyataṁ cittam
[yadaa viniyatam chittam]
ātmany evāvatiṣṭhate
[aatmany evaavatishthate]
nispṛhaḥ sarva-kāmebhyo
[nisprihah sarva-kaamebhyo]
yukta ity ucyate tadā
[yukta ity uchyate tadaa]
Word-for-word
yadā — when viniyatam — particularly disciplined cittam — the mind and its activities ātmani — in the transcendence eva — certainly avatiṣṭhate — becomes situated nispṛhaḥ — devoid of desire sarva — for all kinds of kāmebhyaḥ — material sense gratification yuktaḥ — well situated in yoga iti — thus ucyate — is said to be tadā — at that time .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yadā viniyataṁ cittam
yadā
when
viniyatam
particularly disciplined
cittam
the mind and its activities
ātmany evāvatiṣṭhate
ātmani
in the transcendence
eva
certainly
avatiṣṭhate
becomes situated
nispṛhaḥ sarva-kāmebhyo
nispṛhaḥ
devoid of desire
sarva
for all kinds of
kāmebhyaḥ
material sense gratification
yukta ity ucyate tadā
yuktaḥ
well situated in yoga
iti
thus
ucyate
is said to be
tadā
at that time .
Important Words
  • viniyatam — particularly disciplined
    Vi-ni-yatam — 'thoroughly bound down.' The double prefix intensifies the participle. Not merely controlled, but completely brought under rule.
  • cittam — the mind and its activities
    From √cit, 'to perceive, to think.' Citta is the field of mental activity. The verb avatiṣṭhate that follows belongs to it — the field itself comes to rest.
  • ātmani — in the transcendence
    Locative of ātman. The disciplined citta does not rest in a void; it rests in the ātman. The destination is positive, not the mere absence of activity.
  • nispṛhaḥ — devoid of desire
    Niḥ-spṛhā — 'without longing.' Spṛhā is the subtle, refined form of desire — not appetite but yearning. Even this finer hunger is gone.
  • sarva-kāmebhyaḥ — for all kinds of material sense gratification
    Sarva — 'all.' No exception clause. The verse closes every back door: every type of kāma has been laid down. This is the yukta state.
  • yuktaḥ — well situated in yoga
    The verse's titular word — the same yuktaḥ that runs through the chapter. The whole chapter is teaching the meaning of this one term. Here it is given its formal definition.
When the yogī, by practice of yoga, disciplines his mental activities and becomes situated in transcendence – devoid of all material desires – he is said to be well established in yoga.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Operational criterion for yukta-status: chitta rests inside the Self with no leakage outward toward any kāma. Both conditions must hold simultaneously — inward repose and outward non-craving.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Echoes 2.55's sthita-prajña definition. Avātiṣṭhate (ātm.) implies a settled, voluntary resting — not a forced hold. Sets the cognitive baseline against which the simile in 6.19 (lamp in a windless place) will land.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
यदा विनियतं चित्तम् आत्मनि एव अवतिष्ठते, सर्व-कामेभ्यः निःस्पृहः (पुरुषः) तदा युक्तः इति उच्यते।
yadā viniyataṃ cittam ātmani eva avatiṣṭhate, sarva-kāmebhyaḥ niḥspṛhaḥ (puruṣaḥ) tadā yuktaḥ iti ucyate|
When the well-restrained thought rests in the Self alone, and (the practitioner is) without longing for any desires, then he is called yukta — united.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
यदा विनियतं चित्तम् आत्मनि एव अवतिष्ठते । निःस्पृहः सर्व-कामेभ्यः युक्तः इति उच्यते तदा ॥
yadā viniyataṃ cittam ātmani eva avatiṣṭhate | niḥspṛhaḥ sarva-kāmebhyaḥ yuktaḥ iti ucyate tadā ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
यदा yadā ind. (indeclinable) when
विनियतम् viniyatam वि + नि + √यम् p.p.p. (past passive participle) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. fully restrained
चित्तम् cittam चित्त (n.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) thought
आत्मनि ātmani आत्मन् (m.) loc.sg. (locative singular) in the Self
एव eva ind. (indeclinable) emphatic alone
अवतिष्ठते avatiṣṭhate अव + √स्था pres. (present) 3sg.ātm. (ātmanepada / middle voice) rests
निःस्पृहः niḥspṛhaḥ निस् + स्पृह् (adj.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m., bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound) without longing
सर्व-कामेभ्यः sarva-kāmebhyaḥ सर्व + काम (m.) abl.pl. (ablative plural), karmadhāraya cpd. (compound) from all desires
युक्तः yuktaḥ √युज् p.p.p. (past passive participle) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. united
तदा tadā ind. (indeclinable) then
Purport

The activities of the yogī are distinguished from those of an ordinary person by his characteristic cessation from all kinds of material desires – of which sex is the chief. A perfect yogī is so well disciplined in the activities of the mind that he can no longer be disturbed by any kind of material desire. This perfectional stage can automatically be attained by persons in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (9.4.18–20) : sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane karau harer mandira-mārjanādiṣu śrutiṁ cakārācyuta-sat-kathodaye mukunda-liṅgālaya-darśane dṛśau tad-bhṛtya-gātra-sparśe ’ṅga-saṅgamam ghrāṇaṁ ca tat-pāda-saroja-saurabhe śrīmat-tulasyā rasanāṁ tad-arpite pādau hareḥ kṣetra-padānusarpaṇe śiro hṛṣīkeśa-padābhivandane kāmaṁ ca dāsye na tu kāma-kāmyayā yathottama-śloka-janāśrayā ratiḥ “King Ambarīṣa first of all engaged his mind on the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa; then, one after another, he engaged his words in describing the transcendental qualities of the Lord, his hands in mopping the temple of the Lord, his ears in hearing of the activities of the Lord, his eyes in seeing the transcendental forms of the Lord, his body in touching the bodies of the devotees, his sense of smell in smelling the scents of the lotus flowers offered to the Lord, his tongue in tasting the tulasī leaf offered at the lotus feet of the Lord, his legs in going to places of pilgrimage and the temple of the Lord, his head in offering obeisances unto the Lord, and his desires in executing the mission of the Lord. All these transcendental activities are quite befitting a pure devotee.” This transcendental stage may be inexpressible subjectively by the followers of the impersonalist path, but it becomes very easy and practical for a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as is apparent in the above description of the engagements of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. Unless the mind is fixed on the lotus feet of the Lord by constant remembrance, such transcendental engagements are not practical. In the devotional service of the Lord, therefore, these prescribed activities are called arcana, or engaging all the senses in the service of the Lord. The senses and the mind require engagements. Simple abnegation is not practical. Therefore, for people in general – especially those who are not in the renounced order of life – transcendental engagement of the senses and the mind as described above is the perfect process for transcendental achievement, which is called yukta in the Bhagavad-gītā.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
18. When the motionless consciousness fixes itself in the self alone, free from desires for all objects of enjoyment, one is said to be perfect in yoga.
Commentary

When does the yogī perfect that yoga? This verse describes that situation. When the consciousness stops all movement (viniyataṁ cittam), and is firmly fixed without distraction in the self alone (ātmani avatiṣṭhate), it is said to be perfect yoga.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
18. When the controlled consciousness fixes itself in the self alone, free from desires for all objects of enjoyment, one is said to be perfect in yoga.
Commentary

When will that person accomplish yoga? When the consciousness of the person practicing yoga, fully under control (vinayatam), always remains firmly situated only in his own ātmā, and the person is devoid of all desires other than ātmā, the yoga is said to be complete (yuktaḥ).

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Here is a yogi who is on that level:

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

A yogi becomes perfect when his consciousness remains perfectly fixed in the self.

Criteria for perfection of yoga:
All mental activities disciplined
Situated in transcendence
Free of all material desires:

Focus of Learning

(a) Freedom from material desires

This is the distinguishing characteristic of Yogi and ordinary man – especially the sex desire.
This is automatic, easy and practical for Krishna conscious person – e.g. Ambarish Maharajs (all senses engaged)

(b) Archana – prescribed activities in devotional service which is the process of engaging all senses in

the service of the Lord

(c) Perfect process for transcendental achievement for any ordinary man – Transcendental

engagement of mind and senses which is called ‘yukta’ in Bhagavad-gita

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
6.18 A yogi, nihsprhah, who has become free from hankering, thirst; sarva-kamhyah, for all desirable objects, seen and unseen; is tada, then; ucyate, said to be; yuktah, Self-absorbed; yada, when; the viniyatam, controlled; cittam, mind, the mind that has been made fully one-pointed by giving up thought of external objects; avatisthate, rests; atmani eva, in the non-dual Self alone, i.e. he gets established in his own Self. An illustration in being given for the mind of that yogi which has become Self-absorbed:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
6.18 When the mind which usually goes after sense enjoyments, abandons such desires and 'rests on the self alone,' i.e., becomes well-settled on account of discerning unsurpassable good in the self alone and rests there alone steadily, without movement - then, being 'free of yearning for all desires,' one is said to be integrated. He is said to be fit for Yoga.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
6.18 Yada etc. The distinguishing mark of this man of Yoga is : Havnig his mind controlled in nothing but the Self, he does not crave at all [for anything].
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
6.18 When the perfectly controlled mind rests in the Self only, free from longing for all the objects of desires, then it is said, 'He is united'.
Commentary

6.18 यदा when? विनियतम् perfectly controlled? चित्तम् mind? आत्मनि in the Self? एव only? अवतिष्ठते rests? निःस्पृहः free from longing? सर्वकामेभ्यः from all (objects of) desires? युक्तः united? इति thus? उच्यते is said? तदा then.Commentary Perfectly controlled mind The mind with onepointedness.When all desires for the objects of pleasure seen or unseen die? the mind becomes very peaceful and rests steadily in the Supreme Self within. As the Yogi is perfectly harmonised? as he has attained to oneness with the Self and as he has become identical with Brahman? sense phenomena and bodily affections do not disturb him. He is conscious of his immortal? imperishable and invincible nature.Yukta means united (with the Self) or harmonised or balanced. Without union with the Self neither harmony nor balance nor Samadhi is possible. (Cf.V.23VI.8)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
6.18 A man who has become free from hankering for all desirable objects is then said to be Self-absorbed when the controlled mind rests in the Self alone.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
6.18 When the mind, completely controlled, is centered in the Self, and free from all earthly desires, then is the man truly spiritual.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Arjava (Simplicity / Straightforwardness)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)
Related verses
BG 2.55 BG 6.20 BG 12.9 SB 11.15.17 SB 3.28.34 SB 11.14.27 CC Madhya 22.128 CC Madhya 23.111 CC Madhya 19.149 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.3.10Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.8
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
When the controlled mind is established in the Self alone, free from longing for sense-gratification — he is established in yoga.
Practical Applications
  • Notice when the mind is genuinely 'in the Self' versus merely quiet.
  • Use longing as a diagnostic — its absence is the marker.
  • Don't mistake numbness for established yoga.
Reflection Questions
  • What 'longing' have I substituted for material desires that's really the same?
  • What is my closest experience of being 'in the Self'?
Analogy

A bird that has flown over the ocean and found no shore at last returns to the ship's mast and sits there, no longer scanning the horizon. The mind that has wandered through every sense-object and found no shore at last sits in the ātman. The marker is not stillness; it is the end of the searching glance.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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