Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2, Verse 60

Chapter 2 – Sankhya Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

यततो ह्यपि कौन्तेय पुरुषस्य विपश्चितः ।
इन्द्रियाणि प्रमाथीनि हरन्ति प्रसभं मनः ॥

Transliteration

yatato hyapi kaunteya puruṣasya vipaścitaḥ .
indriyāṇi pramāthīni haranti prasabhaṃ manaḥ ॥

Meaning

O son of Kunti, the turbulent senses forcibly carry away the mind even of a discerning man who is striving for self-control.

Word meanings

यततः – of one who is striving
हि – indeed, for
अपि – even
कौन्तेय – O son of Kunti (Arjuna)
पुरुषस्य – of a man
विपश्चितः – of the discerning, the learned
इन्द्रियाणि – the senses
प्रमाथीनि – turbulent, churning, agitating
हरन्ति – carry away
प्रसभम् – forcibly, violently
मनः – the mind

Anvaya (word order)

कौन्तेय, यततः विपश्चितः पुरुषस्य अपि हि प्रमाथीनि इन्द्रियाणि मनः प्रसभं हरन्ति ।

Explanation

In the previous verse Krishna said that the taste for objects disappears only on seeing the Supreme. Now He issues a sober warning, so that the seeker does not become careless out of pride. Until that supreme experience dawns, the senses are formidable enemies — so formidable that they forcibly drag away the mind even of a striving and learned person.

The adjectives in this verse deserve attention. The seeker is described with two: ‘yatatah’ (striving) and ‘vipashchitah’ (discerning, wise). So Krishna is not speaking of a careless or ignorant person, but of one who both knows and makes effort. Even he can fall! The senses are called ‘pramathini’ — churning, like a churning-stick that turns curd upside down. And they act ‘prasabham’ — by force, like a robber seizing someone's wealth.

The Puranas offer many examples. The great ascetic Vishvamitra, after years of severe austerity, was swayed by the beauty of Menaka. The sage Saubhari, practising austerities under water, was drawn to household life after watching the family life of fish. These stories do not say that spiritual practice is futile; they say that it requires unceasing vigilance.

The purpose of the verse is not to discourage but to awaken. The person who thinks, ‘I have progressed far; there is no danger for me now’, is the one in greatest danger. Humility and constant alertness are the true seeker's shield. That is why, in the next verse, Krishna gives the remedy: control the senses not by your own strength alone, but by taking refuge in the Lord (‘matparah’).

In life too we experience how, knowing better, we still get caught in wrong habits — ‘I know it is not right, yet I do it.’ This verse acknowledges that human weakness and says: do not take it lightly; be careful about your company, your surroundings and your practice.

Context

Verse 2.59 explained that the taste for objects vanishes on seeing the Supreme. This verse warns that until then the senses can overpower even a striving, learned person. In the next verse (2.61) Krishna gives the remedy — restraining the senses and sitting in yoga, devoted to Him.

Life lesson

Never assume you are beyond temptation. Stay humble and alert, and take care of your surroundings and company — vigilance is what protects spiritual practice.

Key terms

Vipashchit: a discerning, learned person
Pramathin: turbulent, churning, agitating
Prasabham: forcibly, violently