Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6, Verse 36

Chapter 6 – Dhyana Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

असंयतात्मना योगो दुष्प्राप इति मे मतिः ।
वश्यात्मना तु यतता शक्योऽवाप्तुमुपायतः ॥

Transliteration

asaṃyatātmanā yogo duṣprāpa iti me matiḥ .
vaśyātmanā tu yatatā śakyo.avāptumupāyataḥ ॥

Meaning

For one whose mind is unrestrained, yoga is hard to attain — this is My view. But by one whose mind is controlled and who strives, it can be attained through the right means.

Word meanings

असंयतात्मना – by one whose mind is unrestrained
योगः – yoga
दुष्प्रापः – hard to attain
इति – thus
मे – My
मतिः – view, conviction
वश्यात्मना – by one whose mind is controlled
तु – but
यतता – by one who strives
शक्यः – is possible
अवाप्तुम् – to attain
उपायतः – through the right means

Anvaya (word order)

असंयतात्मना योगः दुष्प्रापः इति मे मतिः; तु वश्यात्मना यतता उपायतः (योगः) अवाप्तुं शक्यः ।

Explanation

In the previous verse Krishna gave the remedies of practice and dispassion. Now he makes clear what success in yoga depends upon. There are two kinds of people: the asamyatatma and the vashyatma.

Asamyatatmana yogo dushprapah — for one who has not restrained the mind through practice and dispassion, yoga is very hard to reach. Krishna emphasises this as me matih, 'My firm view'. However many books on meditation a person reads or techniques he learns, without self-control in daily life there is no success in meditation.

Vashyatmana tu yatata shakyo 'vaptum upayatah — but by one who has brought the mind under control and keeps striving (yatata), it can be attained through the right means. Three things are needed here: self-control, effort and the right method. The word upayatah is important — mere hard work is not enough; the effort must be in the right direction and by the right method. Shankara identifies this means as practice and dispassion themselves.

The verse reassures Arjuna that yoga is not impossible but attainable through right discipline. Yet it also raises a further question: what becomes of one who strives with faith but does not reach perfection in this life? That is exactly what Arjuna asks in the next verse.

Context

Verse 6.35 gave the means of practice and dispassion; this verse says that yoga is attained by one who applies those means with self-control and effort. Next (6.37–39) Arjuna asks about the destiny of a seeker who falls away from yoga.

Life lesson

Success needs three things — self-control, persistent effort and the right method. In any field of life, it is not mere hard work but disciplined effort in the right direction that bears fruit.

Key terms

Asamyatatma: one whose mind is unrestrained
Vashyatma: one who has brought the mind under control
Upaya: the right means or method
Dushprapa: hard to attain