BhG 6.26

syntax

cañcalam (flickering) asthiram (unstedy) manaḥ (the mind) yataḥ yataḥ (from where) niścarati (it moves)
tataḥ tataḥ (from there) etat (that) niyamya (after restraining)
ātmani eva (only in the self) vaśam (under control) nayet (he should lead).

grammar

yataḥ yataḥ	–	av. – from which; from whichever (from: yat – który; indeclinable ablative with an ending –tas; distributive use);
niścarati	–	niḥ-√car (to move, to go) Praes. P 1v.1 – it moves;
manaḥ	–	manas 1n.1 n. – the mind (from: √man – to think);
cañcalam	–	cañcala 1n.1 n. – flickering, unsteady, shaking (from: √cal – to move, to shake, intens. √cañcal – to move strongly);
asthiram	–	a-sthira 2n.1 n. – unsteady, uncertain (from: √sthā – to stand);
tataḥ tataḥ	–	av. – from that; from whatever (from: tat – indeclinable ablative with an ending -tas; distributive use);
niyamya	–	ni-√yam (to restrain) absol. – after restraining;
etat	–	etat sn. 2n.1 n. – that;
ātmani	–	ātman 7n.1 m. – in the self;
eva	–	av. – certainly, just, merely;
vaśam	–	vaśa 2n.1 m. – under control (from: √vaś – to desire, to subjugate, to command);
nayet	–	√nī (to lead) Pot. P 1v.1 – he should lead;

textual variants

niścarati → niḥsarati / niścalati / nivartate (it follows / it stays / it stops);
manaś cañcalam → manaś ca calam (and mind flickering);
vaśam → śamaṁ (tranquility);

Śāṃkara

tatra evam ātma-saṃsthaṃ manaḥ kartuṃ pravṛtto yogī—

yato yato yasmād yasmān nimittāt śabdāder niścarati nirgacchati svabhāva-doṣān manaś cañcalam atyarthaṃ calam, ata evāsthiram, tatas tatas tasmāt tasmāt śabdāder nimittān niyamya tat-tan-nimittaṃ yāthātmya-nirūpaṇena śabdādeḥ nimittān niyamya tat-tan-namittaṃ yāthātmya-nirūpaṇena ābhāsīkṛtya vairāgya-bhāvanayā ca etat mana ātmany eva vaśaṃ nayet ātma-vaśyatām āpādayet | evaṃ yogābhyāsa-balāt yogina ātmany eva praśāmyati manaḥ

Rāmānuja

calasvabhāvatayātmany asthiraṃ manaḥ yato yato viṣayaprāvaṇyahetoḥ bahiḥ niścarati, tatas tato yatnena mano niyamya ātmany eva atiśayitasukhabhāvanayā vaśaṃ nayet

Śrīdhara

evam api rajo-guṇa-vaśād yadi manaḥ pracalet tarhi punaḥ pratyāhāreṇa vaśīkuryād ity āha yato yata iti | svabhāvataś cañcalaṃ dhāryamāṇam apy asthiraṃ mano yaṃ yaṃ viṣayaṃ prati nirgacchati, tatas tataḥ pratyāhṛtyātmany eva sthiraṃ kuryāt

Madhusūdana

evaṃ nirodha-samādhiṃ kurvan yogī śabdādīnāṃ citta-vikṣepa-hetūnāṃ madhye yato yato yasmād yasmān nimittāc chabdāder viṣayād rāga-dveṣādeś ca cañcalaṃ vikṣepābhimukhaṃ san mano niścarati vikṣiptaṃ sad viṣayābhimukhīṃ pramāṇa-viparyaya-vikalpa-smṛtīnām anyatamām api samādhi-virodhinīṃ vṛttim utpādayati, tathā laya-hetūnāṃ nidrāśeṣa-bahv-aśana-śramādīnāṃ madhye yato yato nimittād asthiraṃ layābhimukhaṃ san mano niścarati līnaṃ sat samādhi-virodhinīṃ nidrākhyāṃ vṛttim utpādayati, tatas tato vikṣepa-nimittāl laya-nimittāc ca niyamyaitan mano nirvṛttikaṃ kṛtvātmany eva sva-prakāśa-paramānanda-ghane vaśaṃ nayen nirundhyāt | yathā na vikṣipyeta na vā līyeteti | eva-kāro ‚nātma-gocaratvaṃ samādher vārayati | etac ca vivṛtaṃ gauḍācārya-pādaiḥ-

upāyena nigṛhṇīyād vikṣiptaṃ kāma-bhogayoḥ |
suprasannaṃ laye caiva yathā kāmo layas tathā ||
duḥkhaṃ sarvam anusmṛtya kāma-bhogān nivartayet |
ajaṃ sarvam anusmṛtya jātaṃ naiva tu paśyati ||
laye sambodhayec cittaṃ vikṣiptaṃ śamayet punaḥ |
sakaṣāyaṃ vijānīyāt sama-prāptaṃ na cālayet ||
nāsvādayet sukhaṃ tatra niḥsaṅgaḥ prajñayā bhavet |
niścalaṃ nicśarac cittam ekīkuryāt prayatnataḥ ||
yadā na līyate cittaṃ na ca vikṣipyate punaḥ |
aniṅganam anābhāsaṃ niṣpannaṃ brahma tat tadā || iti pañcabhiḥ ślokaiḥ |

upāyena vakṣyamāṇena vairāgyābhyāsena kāma-bhogayor vikṣiptaṃ pramāṇa-viparyaya-vikalpa-smṛtīnām anyatamayāpi vṛttyā pariṇataṃ mano nigṛhṇīyān nirundhyād ātmany evety arthaḥ | kāma-bhogayor iti cintyamānāvasthā-bhujyamānāvasthā-bhedena dvi-vacanam | tathā līyate ‚sminn iti layaḥ suṣuptaṃ tasmin suprasannam āyāsa-varjitam api mano nigṛhṇīyād eva | suprasannaṃ cet kuto nigṛhyate ? tatrāha – yathā kāmo viṣaya-gocara-pramāṇādi-vṛtty-utpādanena samādhi-virodhī tathā layo ‚pi nidrākhya-vṛtty-utpādanena samādhi-virodhī | sarva-vṛtti-nirodho hi samādhiḥ | ataḥ kāmādi-kṛta-vikṣepād iva śramādi-kṛta-layād api mano niroddhavyam ity arthaḥ |

upāyena nigṛhṇīyāt kena ? ity ucyate sarvaṃ dvaitam avidyā-vijṛmbhitam alpaṃ duḥkham evety anusmṛtya — yo vai bhūmā tat sukhaṃ, nālpe sukham asti | [ChāU 7.23.1] atha yad alpaṃ tan martyaṃ [ChāU 7.23.1] tad duḥkham iti śruty-arthaṃ gurūpadeśād anu paścāt paryālocya kāmāṃś cintyamānāvasthān viṣayān bhogān bhujyamānāvasthāṃś ca viṣayān nivartayet | manasaḥ sakāśād iti śeṣaḥ | kāmaś ca bhogaś ca kāma-bhogaṃ tasmān mano nivartayed iti vā | evaṃ dvaita-smaraṇa-kāle vairāgya-bhāvanopāya ity arthaḥ | dvaita-vismaraṇaṃ tu paramopāya ity āha ajaṃ brahma sarvaṃ na tato ‚tiriktaṃ kiṃcid astīti śāstrācāryopadeśād anantaram anusmṛtya tad-viparītaṃ dvaita-jātaṃ na paśyaty eva | adhiṣṭhāne jñāne kalpitasyābhāvāt | pūrvopāyāpekṣayā vailakṣaṇya-sūcanārthas tu-śabdaḥ |

evaṃ vairāgya-bhāvanā-tattva-darśanābhyāṃ viṣayebhyo nivartyamānaṃ cittaṃ yadi dainandina-layābhyāsa-vaśāl layābhimukhaṃ bhavet tadā nidrā-śeṣājīrṇa-bahv-aśana-śramāṇāṃ laya-kāraṇānāṃ nirodhena cittaṃ samyak prabodhayed utthāna-prayatnena | yadi punar evaṃ prabodhyamānaṃ dainandina-prabodhābhyāsa-vaśāt kāma-bhogayor vikṣiptaṃ syāt tadā vairāgya-bhāvanayā tattva-sākṣātkāreṇa ca punaḥ śamayet | evaṃ punaḥ punar abhyasyato layāt sambodhitaṃ viṣayebhyaś ca vyāvartitam | nāpi samaprāptam antarālāvasthaṃ cittaṃ stabdhībhūtaṃ, sa-kaṣāyaṃ rāga-dveṣādi-prabala-vāsanā-vaśena stabdhībhāvākhyena kaṣāyeṇa doṣeṇa yuktaṃ vijānīyāt samāhitāc cittād vivekena jānīyāt |

tataś ca nedaṃ samāhitam ity avagamya laya-vikṣepābhyām iva kaṣāyād api cittaṃ nirundhyāt | tataś ca laya-vikṣepa-kaṣāyeṣu parihṛteṣu pariśeṣāc cittena samaṃ brahma prāpyate | tac ca samaprāptaṃ cittaṃ kaṣāya-laya-bhrāntyā na cālayet, viṣayābhimukhaṃ na kuryāt | kintu dhṛti-gṛhītayā buddhyā laya-kaṣāya-prāpter vivicya tasyām eva sama-prāptāv atiyatnena sthāpayet | tatra samādhau parama-sukha-vyañjake ‚pi sukhaṃ nāsvādayet | etāvantaṃ kālam ahaṃ sukhīti sukhāsvāda-rūpāṃ vṛttiṃ na kuryāt samādhi-bhaṅga-prasaṅgāt iti prāg eva kṛta-vyākhyānam | prajñayā yad upalabhyate sukhaṃ tad apy avidyā-parikalpitaṃ mṛṣaivety evaṃ-bhāvanayā niḥsaṅgo nispṛhaḥ sarva-sukheṣu bhavet |

athavā prajñayā sa-vikalpa-sukhākāra-vṛtti-rūpayā saha saṅgaṃ parityajet | na tu svarūpa-sukham api nirvṛttikena cittena nānubhavet svabhāva-prāptasya tasya vārayitum aśakyatvāt | evaṃ sarvato nivartya niścalaṃ prayatna-vaśena kṛtaṃ cittaṃ svabhāva-cāñcalyād viṣayābhimukhatayā niścarad bahir nirgacchad ekīkuryāt prayatnataḥ, nirodha-prayatnena same brahmaṇy ekatāṃ nayet |

sama-prāptaṃ cittaṃ kīdṛśam ? ity ucyate yadā na līyate nāpi stabdhībhavati tāmasatva-sāmyena laya-śabdenaiva stabdhībhāvasyopalakṣaṇāt | na ca vikṣipyate punaḥ, na śabdādy-ākāra-vṛttim anubhavati | nāpi sukham āsvādayati, rājasatva-sāmyena sukhāsvādasyāpi vikṣepa-śabdenopalakṣaṇāt | pūrvaṃ bheda-nirdeśas tu pṛthak-prayatna-karaṇāya | evaṃ laya-kaṣāyābhyāṃ vikṣepa-sukhāsvādābhyāṃ ca rahitam aniṅganam iṅganaṃ calanaṃ sa-vāta-pradīpaval layābhimukhya-rūpaṃ tad-rahitaṃ nivāta-pradīpa-kalpam | anābhāsaṃ na kenacid viṣayākāreṇābhāsata ity etat | kaṣāya-sukhāsvādayor ubhayāntarbhāva ukta eva | yadaivaṃ doṣa-catuṣṭaya-rahitaṃ cittaṃ bhavati tadā tac cittaṃ brahma niṣpannaṃ samaṃ brahma prāptaṃ bhavatīty arthaḥ |

etādṛśaś ca yogaḥ śrutyā pratipāditaḥ –

yadā pañcāvatiṣṭhante jñānāni manasā saha |
buddhiś ca na viceṣṭeta tām āhuḥ paramāṃ gatim ||
tāṃ yogam iti manyante sthirām indriya-dhāraṇām |
apramattas tadā bhavati yogo hi prabhavāpyayau || [KaṭhU 2.3.11-2] iti |

etan-mūlakam eva ca yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ [YogaS 1.2] iti sūtram | tasmād yuktaṃ tatas tato niyamyaitad ātmany evaṃ vaśaṃ nayed iti

Viśvanātha

yadi ca prāktana-doṣodgama-vaśād rajo-guṇa-spṛṣṭaṃ manaś cañcalaṃ syāt, tadā punar yogam abhyased ity āha yato yata iti

Baladeva

yadi kadācit prāktana-sūkṣma-doṣān manaḥ pracalet tadā tat pratyāhared ity āha yata iti | yaṃ yaṃ viṣayaṃ prati mano nirgacchati, tatas tata etan mano niyamya pratyāhṛtyātmany eva niratiśaya-sukhatva-bhāvanayā vaśaṃ kuryāt