Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12, Verse 9

Chapter 12 – Bhakti Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम् ।
अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाप्तुं धनञ्जय ॥

Transliteration

atha cittaṃ samādhātuṃ na śaknoṣi mayi sthiram .
abhyāsayogena tato māmicchāptuṃ dhanañjaya ॥

Meaning

O Dhananjaya, if you are unable to fix your mind steadily on Me, then seek to reach Me by the yoga of practice.

Word meanings

अथ – if
चित्तम् – the mind
मयि – in Me
स्थिरम् – steadily
समाधातुम् – to fix
न शक्नोषि – you are unable
ततः – then
अभ्यासयोगेन – by the discipline of practice
माम् – Me
आप्तुम् – to attain
इच्छ – seek, wish
धनञ्जय – O Dhananjaya

Anvaya (word order)

धनञ्जय, अथ मयि चित्तं स्थिरं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि, ततः अभ्यासयोगेन माम् आप्तुम् इच्छ ।

Explanation

The command of the previous verse was very high: place mind and intellect wholly in the Lord. The Lord knows not every seeker can do this easily, so he comes down gently: atha chittam samadhatum na shaknoshi, if you cannot settle the mind, the way is still not closed.

The alternative is abhyasa yoga. Abhyasa is repeated effort: when the mind strays, bring it back; when it strays again, bring it back again. In chapter six (6.26) the Lord said the same: wherever the restless mind goes, draw it back and fix it on the Self. It is not a miraculous method but a discipline of patience. As a seed sprouts through repeated watering, constant practice slowly inclines the mind toward the Lord.

The Lord's words are gentle here too: mam ichchhaptum, desire to attain Me. Even wishing is practice. He does not tell Arjuna to despair if he fails; he says if the direct way is not possible, take the next rung of the ladder.

Shankara describes abhyasa as the mind's repeated return to a single support, and Ramanuja explains it as practice in remembering the Lord's qualities, form and name. Both agree that without practice there is no accomplishment.

Thus the Lord's teaching matches the seeker's real condition: first the ideal, then a realistic means.

Context

Verse 12.8 commanded placing mind and intellect directly in the Lord. Here the second rung of the ladder is given, abhyasa yoga; the third option comes in 12.10 and the fourth in 12.11.

Life lesson

When the ideal feels hard, do not give up; begin with small regular practice. A little effort daily grows into great steadiness over time.

Key terms

अभ्यासयोग: repeated practice of returning the mind to God
समाधान: settling the mind steadily on one object
धनञ्जय: conqueror of wealth, a name of Arjuna