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अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम्।अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाप्तुं धनञ्जय।।12.9।।

atha chittaṁ samādhātuṁ na śhaknoṣhi mayi sthiram abhyāsa-yogena tato mām ichchhāptuṁ dhanañjaya

Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 12, Verse 9
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Scripture Translation Room

Sanskrit to English Translation

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

A Reading - Rantideb

Why: if you cannot fix your mind steadily on Krishna, then seek to reach him through the practice of yoga, acknowledging directly that even the simple instruction might not be immediately achievable, and offering a fallback approach.

In life: it's genuinely useful when someone gives you not just the ideal instruction but also a realistic fallback for when the ideal version isn't immediately achievable.

Teaching: when giving advice, offer a realistic fallback alongside the ideal instruction, the way this verse does, rather than only giving the ideal version and leaving someone stuck if that version doesn't work for them yet.

athaif
chittammind
samādhātumto fix
na śhaknoṣhi(you) are unable
mayion me
sthiramsteadily
abhyāsa-yogenaby uniting with God through repeated practice
tataḥthen
māmme
ichchhādesire
āptumto attain
dhanañjayaArjun, the conqueror of wealth

Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)

Author:
12.9 अथ if? चित्तम् the mind? समाधातुम् to fix? न not? शक्नोषि (thou) art able? मयि in Me? स्थिरम् steadily? अभ्यासयोगेन by the Yoga of constant practice? ततः them? माम् Me? इच्छ wish? आप्तुम् to reach? धनञ्जय O Arjuna.Commentary 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 coner 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.