Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6 - Dhyana Yoga - Sloka 34

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of The Bhagavad Gita, published by Ramakrishna Mission.

The Restive Mind has to be Resisted 33-36

1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 6 - Dhyana Yoga - Sloka 34

Trivikrama Avatar

Because of the dispersed and restless nature of mind, its being collected in equanimity is not possible. The wavy ocean of the mind cannot be made waveless; this is the objection raised.

Chanchalam hi manah krishna pramathi balavad dradham I

Tasyaham nigraham manye vayor iva suduskaram II sloka 34

चञ्चलं हि मनः कृष्ण प्रमाथि बलवद् द्रढं ।

तस्याहं निग्रहं मन्ये वायोर इव सुदुष्करं ।। श्लोक ३४

The mind verily is, O Krishna,  restless, turbulent, strong and obstinate. I deem it as hard to control as the wind. 

All the unwholesome characteristics of the mind are contained in the question raised by Arjuna. Mind is labelled as restless due to its constant shifting its interest from object to object. It is as fickle as the deer. But this animal causes harm to no one. Whereas the way of the mind is different; like the tiger it hurts its victims. It is therefore as dangerous to the people as the tiger. It is possible to weaken a tiger by subjecting him to starvation; but the case of the mind is otherwise. In the manner in which it is starved out leech develops toughness of its skin and resists being cleft, the mind put to privation develops obstinacy. If what it wants to be is not provided for, it turns petulant and scheming. Further experience makes it plain that mind is as uncontrollable as the wind. But modern man has found out the ways and means of controlling the wind to a great extent. Whereas control of the mind it is, that ever baffles man's understanding. 

Krishna alone is capable  of taming the formidable mind. His name itself indicates his capacity to do this. The first part of his name  'Krish'  means to 'to plough and process'; the latter part of his name  'na'   means the 'Lord of '. He is the Lord of the act of ploughing and processing the mind.

The way of culturing the mind is shown by the Lord in the next sloka.