FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 6.35

श्रीभगवानुवाच असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलम् । अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते ॥ ३५ ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
[shree-bhagavaan uvaacha]
asaṁśayaṁ mahā-bāho
[asamshayam mahaa-baaho]
mano durnigrahaṁ calam
[mano durnigraham chalam]
abhyāsena tu kaunteya
[abhyaasena tu kaunteya]
vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate
[vairaagyena cha grihyate]
Word-for-word
śrī - bhagavān uvāca — the Personality of Godhead said asaṁśayam — undoubtedly mahā - bāho — O mighty-armed one manaḥ — the mind durnigraham — difficult to curb calam — flickering abhyāsena — by practice tu — but kaunteya — O son of Kuntī vairāgyeṇa — by detachment ca — also gṛhyate — can be so controlled .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
śrī - bhagavān uvāca
the Personality of Godhead said
asaṁśayaṁ mahā-bāho
asaṁśayam
undoubtedly
mahā - bāho
O mighty-armed one
mano durnigrahaṁ calam
manaḥ
the mind
durnigraham
difficult to curb
calam
flickering
abhyāsena tu kaunteya
abhyāsena
by practice
tu
but
kaunteya
O son of Kuntī
vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate
vairāgyeṇa
by detachment
ca
also
gṛhyate
can be so controlled .
Important Words
  • asaṁśayam — undoubtedly
    A-sam-śaya, 'without doubt.' Kṛṣṇa opens by conceding the difficulty completely. He does not minimize Arjuna's complaint — He affirms it. Yes, undoubtedly difficult. The teacher dignifies the student's honesty.
  • durnigraham — difficult to curb
    Dur-ni-graha — 'hard to seize-and-hold.' The same root as Arjuna's nigraham two verses earlier. Kṛṣṇa accepts Arjuna's word for the problem; what He will change is the prognosis. The vocative mahā-bāho frames the answer: a great-armed warrior knows that difficulty is not impossibility.
  • calam — flickering
    Echoes 6.34's cañcalam. Kṛṣṇa concedes every adjective Arjuna applied. The mind is restless, strong, difficult to curb — and yet.
  • abhyāsena — by practice
    Instrumental of abhyāsa — 'repeated effort.' The first of the two prescribed instruments. Note the suffix: it is the practice itself, not the result of practice, that does the work. Repeating is sufficient.
  • vairāgyeṇa — by detachment
    Instrumental of vairāgya — 'absence of coloring.' Rāga is coloring (literally), the dyeing of the mind by attraction. Vairāgya is its bleaching. Practice plus bleaching. The two-word formula of the chapter.
  • gṛhyate — can be so controlled
    Passive of √grah — 'is grasped, is seized.' Kṛṣṇa returns to Arjuna's metaphor of catching the wind, and quietly answers: yes, the wind can in fact be caught — by these two.
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: O mighty-armed son of Kuntī, it is undoubtedly very difficult to curb the restless mind, but it is possible by suitable practice and by detachment.
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)
Kṛṣṇa first concedes — yes, mind is restless and hard to restrain. Then He prescribes the famous two-handed grip: abhyāsa (repeated effort) and vairāgya (dispassion). Without either, the mind escapes; together, they catch it.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
This verse is the direct source for Patañjali Yoga-sūtra 1.12 (abhyāsa-vairāgyābhyāṁ tan-nirodhaḥ). Two vocatives — mahā-bāho, kaunteya — flatter Arjuna's strength while underscoring that this work is doable. Gṛhyate ('it is gripped') chooses a passive verb deliberately: the mind yields, you do not crush it.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे महा-बाहो! हे कौन्तेय! असंशयं मनः चलं दुर्निग्रहं (अस्ति); तु अभ्यासेन वैराग्येण च गृह्यते।
he mahā-bāho! he kaunteya! asaṃśayaṃ manaḥ calaṃ durnigrahaṃ (asti); tu abhyāsena vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate|
O mighty-armed one, son of Kuntī, without doubt the mind is restless and hard to restrain; yet it is captured by practice and by dispassion.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
श्रीभगवान् उवाच
śrībhagavān uvāca
असंशयं महा-बाहो मनः दुर्निग्रहं चलम् । अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते ॥
asaṃśayaṃ mahā-bāho manaḥ durnigrahaṃ calam | abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
असंशयम् asaṃśayam ind. (indeclinable) without doubt
महा-बाहो mahā-bāho महत् + बाहु (m.) voc.sg. (vocative singular), bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound) O mighty-armed
मनः manaḥ मनस् (n.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) the mind
दुर्निग्रहम् durnigraham दुस् + निग्रह (adj.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. hard to restrain
चलम् calam चल (adj.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. unsteady
अभ्यासेन abhyāsena अभ्यास (m.) ins.sg. (instrumental singular) by repeated practice
तु tu ind. (indeclinable) but, yet
कौन्तेय kaunteya कौन्तेय (m.) voc.sg. (vocative singular) O son of Kuntī
वैराग्येण vairāgyeṇa वैराग्य (n.) ins.sg. (instrumental singular) by dispassion
च ca ind. (indeclinable) and
गृह्यते gṛhyate √ग्रह् pass. (passive) pres. (present) 3sg. is captured, gripped
Purport

The difficulty of controlling the obstinate mind, as expressed by Arjuna, is accepted by the Personality of Godhead. But at the same time He suggests that by practice and detachment it is possible. What is that practice? In the present age no one can observe the strict rules and regulations of placing oneself in a sacred place, focusing the mind on the Supersoul, restraining the senses and mind, observing celibacy, remaining alone, etc. By the practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, however, one engages in nine types of devotional service to the Lord. The first and foremost of such devotional engagements is hearing about Kṛṣṇa. This is a very powerful transcendental method for purging the mind of all misgivings. The more one hears about Kṛṣṇa, the more one becomes enlightened and detached from everything that draws the mind away from Kṛṣṇa. By detaching the mind from activities not devoted to the Lord, one can very easily learn vairāgya. Vairāgya means detachment from matter and engagement of the mind in spirit. Impersonal spiritual detachment is more difficult than attaching the mind to the activities of Kṛṣṇa. This is practical because by hearing about Kṛṣṇa one becomes automatically attached to the Supreme Spirit. This attachment is called pareśānubhava, spiritual satisfaction. It is just like the feeling of satisfaction a hungry man has for every morsel of food he eats. The more one eats while hungry, the more one feels satisfaction and strength. Similarly, by discharge of devotional service one feels transcendental satisfaction as the mind becomes detached from material objectives. It is something like curing a disease by expert treatment and appropriate diet. Hearing of the transcendental activities of Lord Kṛṣṇa is therefore expert treatment for the mad mind, and eating the foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa is the appropriate diet for the suffering patient. This treatment is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
35. The Lord said: O Mighty-armed, certainly the mind is difficult to control and fickle. But it can be controlled by repeated practice and by detachment.
Commentary

Accepting what Arjuna has said, Kṛṣṇa gives a conclusion. What you have said is certainly true. But though a disease may be very serious, by taking the right medicine according to the doctor’s prescription repeatedly, after a long time the disease gets cured. Similarly, thought the mind is difficult to control, it is possible to control it by repeated practice according to the direction of the guru, by constant application of the process of meditation on the Supreme Lord (abhyāsena) and by dissociation from the objects of enjoyment (vairagyeṇa). Patañjali says in his sūtras, abhyāsa-vairāgyābhyāṁ tan-nirodhaḥ (Yoga Sūtras 1.12): the mind is controlled by practice and detachment. Since you defeated many great warriors in battle (mahā-baho), and even defeated Lord Śiva, can you not defeat the mind? If you are able to defeat the soldier called the mind by the weapon of the great process of yoga, then you can be called “mighty-armed.” O Kaunteya, you should not fear: as you are the son of My aunt Kuntī, it is proper that I help you.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
35. The Lord said: O Mighty-armed, certainly the mind is difficult to control and fickle. But it can be controlled by repeated practice and by detachment.
Commentary

Accepting the meaning of what Arjuna spoke, the Lord replies. Certainly the mind is difficult to control. However, the mind can be controlled by renunciation arising from seeing the fault in sense objects which are different from the ātmā and by practice directed to the qualities of ātmā, with focuses solely on the self-manifesting happiness of the ātmā. The mind devoid of unsteadiness becomes easy to control. This is accomplished by counteracting the mind’s spiritual indifference with the practice of tasting the bliss of the ātmā and by counteracting its restless nature by giving up the taste for material sense objects. As disease is cured after a long time by constant application of the correct medicine under the proper directions of the expert doctor, the uncontrollable mind is controlled by practice of constant meditation on the Supreme Lord under the directions of the authorized guru and by avoiding association with the sense objects. It is possible to bring the mind within ones grasp. Patañjali confirms this. abhyāsa-vairāgyābhyāṁ tan-nirodhaḥ One stops the functions of the mind by practice and renunciation. Pataṣljali Yoga Sūtra 1.12 O mighty- armed Arjuna, you defeated the bravest warriors in battle, and even defeated Śiva. Will you be defeated by the mind? You are really mighty-armed if you can defeat the best of warriors, the chief combatant, the mind, with the weapon of yoga. O son of Kuntī, you should not fear to do this. I will certainly help the son of my father’s sister, Kuntī.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Krsna agrees with Arjuna, with his analysis of the mind's conditions. But through 'abhyasa', suitable practice and 'vairagya', detachment, it can be controlled. Even if a desease is advanced, if the patient is under the care of an expert physician by regular, continuous tratment, and the right medicine (vairagya) , then even such an advanced desease can be cured. The expert physician has to be there ‑ the guru ‑ and the regular, continuous treatment ‑ the practice (abhyasa) and then detachment (vairagya). Srila Prabhupada says in his Purport: "The difficulty of controlling the obstinate mind, as expressed by Arjuna, is accepted by the Personality of Godhead. But at the same time He suggests that by practice and detachment it is possible. What is that practice? In the present age no one can observe the strict rules and regulations of placing oneself in a sacred place, focusing the mind on the Supersoul, restraining the senses and mind, observing celibacy, remaining alone, etc. By the practice of Krsna consciousness, however, one engages in nine types of devotional service to the Lord. The first and foremost of such devotional engagements is hearing about Krsna. This is a very powerful transcendental method for purging the mind of all misgivings. The more one hears about Krsna, the more one becomes enlightened and detached from everything that draws the mind away from Krsna. By detaching the mind from activities not devoted to the Lord, one can very easily learn vairagya. Vairagya means detachment from matter and engagement of the mind in spirit." And Krsna continues to explain further, about the mind,

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

Solution to mind-control – Krishna agrees that mind control is very difficult, but suggests the

possibility of control by suitable practice and detachment

Focus of Learning

(a) ‘Practice’ recommended for modern age – nine types of devotional service

First and foremost practice is hearing (sravanam)
Hearing is a powerful method for purging the mind of all misgivings
Effect of hearing – The more one hears, the more one becomes enlightened and detached from everything that draws the mind away from Krishna

(b) ‘Detachment’ – It implies detachment from matter and engagement of the mind in spirit

By detaching the mind from activities not devoted to the Lord and getting attached to devotional activities, one can very easily learn vairagya
Impersonal spiritual detachment is more difficult than attaching the mind to the activities of Krishna

(a) Mind is restless and turbulent like the wind –

For a man in the practical world who has to fight so many opposing elements, it is very difficult to control the mind
Artificially one may establish a mental equilibrium towards friends and enemies, but ultimately no worldly man can do so, for this is more difficult than controlling the raging wind

(b) Mind as strong and obstinate – Intelligence is supposed to direct the mind but the mind often

overcomes one’s own intelligence

Analogy: Just like an acute infection may surpass the efficacy of medicine, a strong mind may overcome one’s own intelligence

(c) Analogy: Mind as driving instrument of a chariot (Ref. Katha Upanisad 1.3.3–1.3.4)

Individual soul – Passenger of the chariot
Body – Chariot
Intelligence – Driver
Mind – Driving instrument
Senses – Horses

(d) Easiest way to control the mind – Chant Hare Krishna in all humility

As suggested by Lord Caitanya
Ref. SB 9.4.18-20 “sa vai manah...” Ambarisha Maharaja fixed his mind on Krishna

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 6.35 & 6.36:

Krishna continues instructing Arjuna on the importance of mind control in the next verse.

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
6.35 Mahabaho, O mighty-armed one; asamsayam, undoubtedly-there is no doubt with regard to this; that the manah, mind; is durnigraham, untractable; and calm, restless. Tu, but; it-the modifications of the mind in the form of distractions-grhyate, is brought under control; abhyasena, through practice- abhyasa means repetition of some idea or thought of the mind one some mental plane ['Some mental plane' suggests some object of concentration.]-; and vairagyena, through detachment-vairagya means absence of hankering for enjoyment of desirable things, seen or unseen, as a result of the practice of discerning their defect. That mind is thus brought undr control, restrained, i.e. completely subdued. By him, however, who has not controlled his mind-
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
6.35 The Lord said No doubt, the mind is hard to subdue on account of its fickle nature. However, it can be subdued with difficulty by cultivating favourable attitude in the direction of the self by repeated contemplation of Its being a mind of auspicious attributes (these being eternality, self-luminosity, bliss, freedom from Karma, purity etc.), and by the absence of hankering produced by seeing the host of evil alities in objects other than the self hankered for.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
6.35 Asamsayam etc. Through an attitude of desirelessness, the craving for sense objects is destroyed. Through practice, stage after stage, the side of emancipation is occupied [by the mind]. Hence both are included. Regarding this, it has been said by the revered author of the Bhasya as : The restraint of mental modifications depends on both [the attitude of desirelessness and practice]. Hence is this solemn declaration :
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
6.35 The Blessed Lord said Undoubtedly, O mighty-armed Arjuna, the mind is difficult to control and restless; but by practice and by dispassion it may be restrained.
Commentary

6.35 असंशयम् undoubtedly? महाबाहो O mightyarmed? मनः the mind? दुर्निग्रहम् difficult to control? चलम् restless? अभ्यासेन by practice? तु but? कौन्तेय O Kaunteya? वैराग्येण by dispassion? च and? गृह्यते is restrained. Commentary The constant or repeated effort to keep the wandering mind steady by constant meditation on the Lakshya (centre? ideal? goal or object of meditation) is Abhyasa or practice. The same idea or thought of the Self or God is constantly repeated. This constant repetition destroys Vikshepa or the vacillation of the mind and desires? and makes it steady and onepointed.Vairagya is dispassion or indifference to senseobjects in this world or in the other? here or hereafter? seen or unseen? heard or unheard? achieved through constantly looking into the evil in them (DoshaDrishti). You will have to train the mind by constant reflection on the immortal? allblissful Self. You must make the mind realise the transitory nature of the wordly enjoyments. You must suggest to the mind to look for its enjoyment not in the perishable and changing external objects but in the immortal? changeless Self within. Gradually the mind will be withdrawn from the external objects.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
6.35 The Blessed Lord said O mighty-armed one, undoubtedly the mind is untractable and restless. But, O son of Kunti, it is brought under control through practice and detachment.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
6.35 Lord Shri Krishna replied: Doubtless, O Mighty One, the mind is fickle and exceedingly difficult to restrain, but, O Son of Kunti, with practice and renunciation it can be done.
Related values & verses
Primary values
Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)
Related values
Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Shaucha (Cleanliness / Purity)Dhairya (Composure / Courage)Svadhyaya (Self-study & Scripture Study)Santosha (Contentment)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)Bhakti (Devotion)Brahmacharya (Self-discipline / Restraint)
Related verses
BG 6.36 BG 6.26 BG 18.52 SB 11.20.22 SB 11.29.14 SB 3.28.35 CC Madhya 22.128 CC Madhya 19.176 CC Antya 20.21 Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 1.14BRS 1.2.91
Stories
janaka_renunciation_middle
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Yes, it is difficult — but by suitable practice and by detachment, it can be controlled.
Practical Applications
  • Practice (abhyāsa) and detachment (vairāgya) — both, together.
  • Don't substitute one for the other.
  • Treat the formula as Kṛṣṇa's clear answer.
Reflection Questions
  • Which of the two — practice or detachment — is currently weaker in me?
  • What single thing could strengthen the weaker?
Analogy

A river in flood cannot be dammed in a day, but two well-placed banks of stone, kept up year after year, eventually channel it. Abhyāsa is one bank; vairāgya is the other. Either bank alone collapses. Both together, raised steadily, turn the wild river into a working irrigation. Kṛṣṇa hands Arjuna the two banks and stops the conversation.

Stories
Patañjali's Two Banks (as named in his Yoga-sūtra)

Patañjali, in Yoga-sūtra 1.12 — abhyāsa-vairāgyābhyām tan-nirodhaḥ — gives precisely the same prescription Kṛṣṇa gives here. The classical commentaries link the two passages: the Gītā's compact formula expanded into the Sūtras' detailed treatment.

The Gauḍīya tradition then specifies what each leg looks like in bhakti: abhyāsa is the daily chanting and hearing; vairāgya is the steady reduction of asat-saṅga. Both banks are walked at once. Neither alone holds the river.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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