Dhyana Yoga · Verse 12

Bhagavad Gita 6.12

Meditation begins by gathering the mind and training the senses.

Wisdom translation, edited by Ankur Shukla. Commentary AI-drafted, human-reviewed. Reviewed June 2026. Methodology →

तत्रैकाग्रं मनः कृत्वा यतचित्तेन्द्रियक्रियः ।
उपविश्यासने युञ्ज्याद्योगमात्मविशुद्धये ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
उस आसनपर बैठकर चित्त और इन्द्रियोंकी क्रियाओंको वशमें रखते हुए मनको एकाग्र करके अन्तःकरणकी शुद्धिके लिये योगका अभ्यास करे ॥
English
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.

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.

The takeaway

Small discipline creates a cleaner mind than force ever could.

Word-by-word translation

तत्र (there) / एकाग्रम् (one-pointed) / मनः (mind) / कृत्वा (having made) / यतचित्तेन्द्रियक्रियः (with mind-and-sense activity restrained) / उपविश्य (having sat down) / आसने (on the seat) / युञ्ज्यात् (should practice) / योगम् (yoga) / आत्मविशुद्धये (for inner purification)

Explore related themes: manas (49 verses), dhyana (31 verses), indriya nigraha (14 verses)

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