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Bhagavad Gita · 12.9 · The Yoga of Devotion·9 of 20

अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम्अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाप्तुं धनञ्जय

atha chittaṁ samādhātuṁ na śhaknoṣhi mayi

sthiram abhyāsa-yogena tato mām ichchhāptuṁ dhanañjaya

Sanskrit recitation

Many paths, one devotion · 12.1–12.12 · Teaching

Translation

If you are unable to fix your mind steadily on Me, then seek to reach Me through the yoga of constant practice, O Arjuna.

Meaning

Abhyasa Yoga Abhyasa is constant practice to steady the mind and fix it on one point the practice of repeatedly withdrawing the mind from all sorts of sensual objects and fixing it again and again on one particular object or the Self. The constant effort to separate or detach oneself from the illusory five sheaths and identify oneself with the Atman is also Abhyasa. If you are not able to fix your mind and intellect wholly on the Lord all the time, then do it for some time at least. If your mind wanders much, try to fix it on the Lord through the continous practice of remembrance. Resort to the worship of the images of God, feeling His Living Presence in them. This will also help you.Why did Lord Krishna address Arjuna by the name Dhananjaya here Surely there is some significance. Arjuna conered many people and brought immense wealth for the Rajasuya Yajna performed by Yudhishthira. For such a man of great powers and splendour, it is not difficult to conquer this mind, and obtain the spiritual wealth of knowledge of the Self. This is what Lord Krishna meant when He addressed Arjuna by the name Dhananjaya.

After Swami Sivananda

Many paths, one devotion· 12.1–12.12

Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.

Word-by-word
atha
if
mayi
on me
mām
me
āptum
to attain
chittam
mind
sthiram
steadily
tataḥ
then
ichchhā
desire
dhanañjaya
Arjun, the conqueror of wealth
samādhātum
to fix
abhyāsa-yogena
by uniting with God through repeated practice
na śhaknoṣhi
(you) are unable

Related verses

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