A core teaching · grounding in mood · easy to enter
“Meditation begins by gathering the mind and training the senses.”
Sitting on that seat, with the mind made one-pointed and the movements of mind and senses restrained, one should practice yoga for inner purification.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallythere · one-pointed · mind · having made · with mind-and-sense activity restrained · having sat down · on the seat · should practice · yoga · for inner purification
Sit steadily, gather the mind, restrain the senses, and practice yoga to purify the inner state.
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Dhyana Yoga" (The Yoga of Meditation).
Verse 12 sits in Chapter 6 of the Bhagavad Gita — Dhyana Yoga, "The Yoga of Meditation". The chapter has 47 verses in total.
You sit down to meditate, but the phone buzzes, your body fidgets, and your thoughts scatter. The practice begins by gathering yourself before anything deeper can happen.
Did you like this verse?
It shifts meditation from a vague wish into a disciplined act of collecting attention.
What this verse means
Sit steadily, gather the mind, restrain the senses, and practice yoga to purify the inner state.
Context & commentary
Krishna is still teaching Arjuna how to meditate. After choosing a clean place and a steady seat, the next step is to gather the mind and restrain the senses. This verse turns preparation into practice, aiming at inner purification.
Why this verse still matters
You sit down to meditate, but the phone buzzes, your body fidgets, and your thoughts scatter. The practice begins by gathering yourself before anything deeper can happen.
“Small discipline creates a cleaner mind than force ever could.”
Explore related themes: manas (49 verses), dhyana (31 verses), indriya nigraha (14 verses)