BhG 6.35

syntax

śrī-bhagavān (the glorious Lord) uvāca (he spoke):
he mahā-bāho (O mighty-armed one), he kaunteya (O son of Kuntī),
manaḥ (the mind) asaṁśayaṁ (without doubt) calam (restless) durnigraham (difficult to control) [asti] (it is).
abhyāsena tu (but by practice) vairāgyeṇa ca (and by freedom from passion) [manaḥ] (the mind) gṛhyate (it is taken).

grammar

śrī-bhagavān	–	śrī-bhagavant 1n.1 m.; TP: śriyā yukto bhagavān iti – the Lord united with majesty (from: śrī – lustre, majesty, fortune; √bhaj – to share, to love, to rejoice, to worship, bhaga – a share, good fortune, opulence; -mant / -vant – suffix denoting one who possesses, bhagavant – who possesses opulence);
uvāca	–	√vac (to speak) Perf. P 1v.1 – he spoke;
asaṁśayam	–	av. – without doubt (from: sam-√śī – to waver, saṁśaya – hesitation, doubt);
mahābāho	–	mahā-bāhu 8n.1 m.; BV: yasya bāhū mahāntau staḥ saḥ – O you who have mighty arms (from: √mah – to magnify, mahant – great; √baṁh – to grow, to increase, bāhu – the arm);
manaḥ	–	manas 1n.1 n. – the mind (from: √man – to think);
durnigraham	–	dur-ni-graha 2n.1 m. – difficult to control (from: dur / dus – prefix: difficult, bad, hard; ni-√grah – to hold back, to control);
calam	–	cala 2n.1 n. – restless, unsteady (from: √cal – to move, to shake);
abhyāsena	–	abhy-āsa 3n.1 m. – by practice, by repetition (from: abhi-√as – to repeat, to study);
tu	–	av. – but, then, or, and;
kaunteya	–	kaunteya 8n.1 m. – O son of Kuntī (from: kunti – the people of Kunti, kuntī – Kuntī, mother of the sons of Pāṇḍu);
vairāgyeṇa	–	vai-rāgya 3n.1 m. – by freedom from passion, by aversion, by ascetism (from: vi-√rañj – to discolour, to change affection, to become indifferent, rāga – colour, passion, affection, love, beauty);
ca	–	av. – and;
gṛhyate	–	√grah (to take) Praes. pass. 1v.1 – it is taken;

textual variants

vairāgyeṇa → vairāgyena (by freedom from passion);

Śāṃkara

śrī-bhagavān uvāca, evam etad yathā bravīṣi—

asaṃśayaṃ nāsti saṃśayo mano durnigrahaṃ calam ity atra he mahābāho | kiṃtv abhyāsena tv abhyāso nāmaś citta-bhūmau kasyāṃcit samāna-pratyayāvṛttiś cittasya | vairāgyeṇa vairāgyaṃ nāma dṛṣṭādṛṣṭeṣṭa-bhogeṣu doṣa-darśanābhyāsād vaitṛṣṇyam | tena ca vairāgyeṇa gṛhyate vikṣepa-rūpaḥ pracāraś cittasya | evaṃ tan mano gṛhyate nigṛhyate nirudhyata ity arthaḥ

Rāmānuja

commentary under the verse BhG 6.36

Śrīdhara

tad uktaṃ cañcalatvādikam aṅgīkṛtyaiva mano-nigrahopāyaṃ śrī-bhagavān uvāca asaṃśayam iti | cañcalatvādinā mano niroddhum aśakyam iti yad vadasi etan niḥsaṃśayam eva | tathāpi tv abhyāsena paramātmākāra-pratyayā vṛttyā viṣaya-vaitṛṣṇyena ca gṛhyate | abhyāsena laya-pratibandhād vairāgyeṇa ca vikṣepa-pratibandhād uparata-vṛttikaṃ sat paramātmākāreṇa tiṣṭhatīty arthaḥ | tad uktaṃ yoga-śāstre –

manaso vṛtti-śūnyasya brahmākāratayā sthitiḥ |
yāsamprajñāta-nāmāsau samādhir abhidhīyate || iti

Madhusūdana

tam imam ākṣepaṃ pariharan śrī-bhagavān uvāca asaṃśayam iti | samyag viditaṃ te citta-ceṣṭitaṃ mano nigrahītuṃ śakṣyasīti santoṣeṇa sambodhayati he mahābāho mahāntau sākṣān mahādevenāpi saha kṛta-praharaṇau bāhū yasyeti niratiśayam utkarṣaṃ sūcayati | prārabdha-karma-prābalyād asaṃyatātmanā durnigrahaṃ duḥkhenāpi nigrahītum aśakyam | pramāthi balavad dṛḍham iti viśeṣaṇa-trayaṃ piṇḍīkṛtyaitad uktam | calaṃ svabhāva-cañcalaṃ mana ity asaṃśayaṃ nāsty eva saṃśayo ‚tra satyam evaitad bravīṣīty arthaḥ | evaṃ saty api saṃyatātmanā samādhi-mātropāyena yoginābhyāsena vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate nigṛhyate sarva-vṛtti-śūnyaṃ kriyate tan mana ity arthaḥ | anigrahītur asaṃyatātmanaḥ sakāśāt saṃyatātmano nigrahītur viśeṣa-dyotanāya tu-śabdaḥ | mano-nigrahe ‚bhyāsa-vairāgyayoḥ samuccaya-bodhanāya ca-śabdaḥ | he kaunteyeti pitṛ-ṣvasṛ-putras tvam avaśyaṃ mayā sukhī kartavya iti sneha-sambandha-sūcanenāśvāsayati | atra prathamārdhena cittasya haṭha-nigraho na sambhavatīti dvitīyārdhena tu krama-nigrahaḥ sambhavatīty uktam |

dvividho hi manaso nigrahaḥ | haṭhena krameṇa ca | tatra cakṣuḥ-śrotrādīni jñānendriyāṇi vāk-pāṇy-ādīni karmendriyāṇi ca tad-golaka-mātroparodhena haṭhān nigṛhyante | tad-dṛṣṭāntena mano ‚pi haṭhena nigrahīṣyāmīti mūḍhasya bhrāntir bhavati | na ca tathā nigrahītuṃ śakyate tad-golakasya hṛdaya-kamalasya niroddhum aśakyatvāt | ataeva ca krama-nigraha eva yuktas tad etad bhagavān vasiṣṭha āha –

upaviśyopaviśyaiva cittajñena muhur muhuḥ |
na śakyate mano jetuṃ vinā yuktim aninditām ||
aṅkuśena vinā matto yathā duṣṭa-mataṅgajaḥ |
adhyātma-vidyādhigamaḥ sādhu-saṅgama eva ca ||
vāsanā-samparityāgaḥ prāṇa-spanda-nirodhanam |
etās tā yuktayaḥ puṣṭāḥ santi citta-jaye kila ||
satīṣu yuktiṣv etāsu haṭhān niyamayanti ye |
cetas te dīpam utsṛjya vinighnanti tamo ‚ñjanaiḥ || iti |

krama-nigrahe cādhyātma-vidyādhigama eka upāyaḥ | sā hi dṛśyasya mithyātvaṃ dṛg-vastunaś ca paramārtha-satya-paramānanda-svaprakāśatavaṃ bodhayati | tathā ca saty etan manaḥ sva-gocareṣu buddhvā nirindhanāgnivat svayam evopaśāmyati | yas tu bodhitam api tattvaṃ na samyag budhyate yo vā vismarati tayoḥ sādhu-saṅgama evopāyaḥ | sādhavo hi punaḥ punar bodhayanti smārayanti ca | yas tu vidyā-madādi-durvāsanayā pīḍyamāno na sādhūn anuvartitum utsahate tasya pūrvokta-vivekena vāsanā-parityāga evopāyaḥ | yas tu vāsanānām atiprābalyāt tās tyaktuṃ na śaknoti tasya prāṇa-spanda-nirodha eva upāyaḥ | prāṇa-spanda-vāsanayoś citta-prerakatvāt tayor nirodhe citta-śāntir upapadyate | tad etad āha sa eva –

dve bīje citta-vṛkṣasya prāṇa-spandana-vāsane |
ekasmiṃś ca tayoḥ kṣīṇe kṣipraṃ dve api naśyataḥ ||
prāṇāyāma-dṛḍhābhyāsair yuktyā ca guru-dattayā |
āsanāśana-yogena prāṇa-spando nirudhyate ||
asaṅga-vyavahāritvād bhava-bhāvana-varjanāt |
śarīra-nāśa-darśitvād vāsanā na pravartate ||
vāsanā-samparityāgāc cittaṃ gacchaty acittatām |
prāṇa-spanda-nirodhāc ca yathecchasi tathā kuru ||
etāvan mātrakaṃ manye rūpaṃ cittasya rāghava |
yad bhāvanaṃ vastuno ‚ntarvastutvena rasena ca ||
yadā na bhāvyate kiṃcid dheyopādeya-rūpi yat |
sthīyate sakalaṃ tyaktvā tadā cittaṃ na jāyate ||
avāsanatvāt satataṃ yadā na manute manaḥ |
amanastā tadodeti paramātma-pada-pradā || iti |

atra dvāv evopāyau paryavasitau prāṇa-spanda-nirodhārtham abhyāsaḥ | vāsanā-parityāgārthaṃ ca vairāgyam iti | sādhu-saṅgamādhyātma-vidyādhigamau tv abhyāsa-vairāgyopapādakatayānyathā-siddhau tayor evāntarbhavataḥ | ata eva bhagavatābhyāsena vairāgyeṇa ceti dvayam evoktam | ataeva bhagavān patañjalir asūtrayat abhyāsa-vairāgyābhyāṃ tan-nirodhaḥ [YogaS 1.12] iti | tāsāṃ prāg-uktānāṃ pramāṇa-viparyaya-vikalpa-nidrā-smṛti-rūpeṇa pañca-vidhānām anantānām āsuratvena kliṣṭānāṃ daivatvenākliṣṭānām api vṛttīnāṃ sarvāssām api nirodho nirindhanāgnivad upaśamākhyaḥ pariṇāmo ‚bhyāsena vairāgyeṇa ca samuccitena bhavati | tad uktaṃ yoga-bhāṣye – citta-nadī nāmobhayato-vāhinī vahati kalyāṇāya vahati pāpāya ca | tatra yā kaivalya-prāg-bhārā viveka-nimnā sā kalyāṇa-vahā | yā tv aviveka-nimnā saṃsāra-prāg-bhārā sā pāpa-vahā | tatra vairāgyeṇa viṣaya-srotaḥ khilīkriyate | viveka-darśanābhyāsena ca kalyāṇa-srota udghāṭyate ity ubhayādhīnaś citta-vṛtti-nirodha iti | prāg-bhāra-nimna-pade tadā viveka-nimnaṃ kaivalya-prāg-bhāraṃ cittam ity atra vyākhyāyate | yathā tīvra-vegopetaṃ nadī-pravāhaṃ setu-bandhanena nivārya kulyā-praṇayena kṣetrābhimukhaṃ tiryak-pravāhāntaram utpādyate tathā vairāgyeṇa citta-nadyā viṣaya-pravāhaṃ nivārya samādhy-abhyāsena praśānta-vāhitā sampādyata iti dvāra-bhedāt samuccaya eva | eka-dvāratve hi brīhi-yava-dvi-kalpaḥ syād iti |

mantra-japa-devatā-dhyānādīnāṃ kriyā-rūpāṇām āvṛtti-lakṣaṇo ‚bhyāsaḥ sambhavāt | sarva-vyāpāroparamasya tu samādheḥ ko nāmābhyāsa iti śaṅkāṃ nivārayitum abhyāsaṃ sūtrayati sma tatra sthitau yatno ‚bhyāsaḥ [YogaS 1.13] iti | tatra svarūpāvasthite draṣṭari śuddhe cid-ātmani cittasyāvṛttikasya praśānta-vāhitā-rūpā niścalatāsthitis tad-arthaṃ yatno mānasa utsāhaḥ svabhāva-cāñcalyād bahiṣpravāha-śīlaṃ cittaṃ sarvathā nirotsyāmīty evaṃ vidhaḥ | sa āvartyamāno ‚bhyāsa ucyate | sa tu dīrgha-kāla-nairantarya-satkārāsevito dṛḍha-bhūmiḥ [YogaS 1.14] anirvedena dīrgha-kāla-sevito vicchedābhāvena nirantarāsevitaḥ sat-kāreṇa śraddhātiśayena cāsevitaḥ | so ‚bhyāso dṛḍha-bhūmir viṣaya-sukha-vāsanayā cālayitum aśakyo bhavati | adīrgha-kālatve dīrghakālatve ‚pi vicchidya vicchidya sevane śraddhātiśayābhāve ca laya-vikṣepa-kaṣāya-sukhāsvādānām aparihāre vyutthāna-saṃskāra-prābalyād adṛḍha-bhūmir abhyāsaḥ phalāya na syād iti trayam upāttam |

vairāgyaṃ tu dvividham aparaṃ paraṃ ca | yatmāna-saṃjñā-vyatireka-saṃjñaikendriya-saṃjñā-vaśīkāra-saṃjñā-bhedair aparaṃ caturdhā | tatra pūrva-bhūmi-jayenottara-bhūmi-sampādana-vivakṣayā caturtham evāsūtrayat — dṛṣṭānuśravika-viṣaya-vitṛṣṇasya vaśīkāra-saṃjñā vairāgyam [YogaS 1.15] iti | striyo ‚nnaṃ pānam aiśvaryam ity ādayo dṛṣṭā viṣayāḥ | svargo videhatā prakṛti-laya ity ādayo vaidikatvenānuśravikā viṣayās teṣūbhaya-vidheṣv api satyām eva tṛṣṇāyāṃ viveka-tāratamyena yatamānādi-trayaṃ bhavati | atra jagati kiṃ sāraṃ kim asāram iti guru-śāstrābhyāṃ jñāsāmīty udyogo yatamānam | sva-citte pūrva-vidyamāna-doṣāṇāṃ madhye ‚bhyasyamāna-vivekenaite pakvā ete ‚vaśiṣṭā iti cikitsakavad vivecanaṃ vyatirekaḥ | dṛṣṭānuśravika-viṣaya-pravṛtter duḥkhātmatva-bodhena bhair indriya-pravṛttim ajanayantyā api tṛṣṇāyā autsukya-mātreṇa manasy avasthānam ekendriyam | manasy api tṛṣṇā-śūnyatvena sarvathā vaitṛṣṇyaṃ tṛṣṇā-virodhinī citta-vṛttir jñāna-prasāda-rūpā vaśīkāra-saṃjñā vairāgyaṃ samprajñātasya samādher antaraṅgaṃ sādhanam asaṃprajñātasya tu bahiraṅgam | tasya tv antaraṅga-sādhanaṃ param evaṃ vairāgyam | tac cāsūtrayat — tat-paraṃ puruṣa-khyāter guṇa-vaitṛṣṇyam [YogaS 1.16] iti | samprajñāta-samādhi-pāṭavena guṇa-trayātmakāt pradhānād viviktasya puruṣasya khyātiḥ sākṣātkāra utpadyate | tataś cāśeṣa-guṇa-traya-vyavahāreṣu vaitṛṣṇyaṃ yad bhavati tat-paraṃ śreṣṭhaṃ phala-bhūtaṃ vairāgyam | tat-paripāka-nimittāc ca cittopaśama-paripākād avilambena kaivalyam iti

Viśvanātha

uktam artham aṅgīkṛtya samadadhāti aśaṃśayam iti | tvayoktaṃ satyam eva, kintu balavān api rogas tat-praśamakauṣadha-sevayā sad-vaidya-prayukta-prakārayā muhur abhyastayā yathā cira-kālena śāmyaty eva, tathā durnigraham api mano ‚bhyāsena sad-gurūpadiṣṭa-prakāreṇa parameśvara-dhyāna-yogasya muhur anuśīlanena vairāgyeṇa viṣayeṣv anāsaṅgena ca gṛhyate sva-hasta-vaśīkartuṃ śakyata ity arthaḥ | tathā ca pātañjala-sūtram – abhyāsa-vairāgyābhyāṃ tan-nirodhaḥ [YogaS 1.12] iti | mahābāho iti saṅgrāme tvayā yan mahāvīrā api vijīyante, sa ca pināka-pāṇir api vaśīkṛtas tenāpi kim ? yadi mahā-vīra-śiro-maṇir mano nāmā prādhāniko bhaṭo mahā-yogāstra-prayogeṇa jetuṃ śakyate, tadaiva mahā-bāhuteti bhāvaḥ | he kaunteyeti tatra tvaṃ mā bhaiṣīḥ | mat-pituḥ svasuḥ kuntyāḥ putre tvayi mayā sāhāyyaṃ vidheyam iti bhāvaḥ

Baladeva

uktam artham svīkṛtya bhagavān uvāca aśaṃśayam iti | tathāpi sva-prakāśa-sukhaikatānatvātma-guṇābhimukhyābhyāsenātma-vyatirikteṣu viṣayeṣu doṣa-dṛṣṭi-janitena vairāgyeṇa ca mano nigrahītuṃ śakyate | tathā cātmānandāsvādhābhyāsena laya-pratibandhād viṣaya-vaitṛṣṇyena ca vikṣepa-pratibandhān nivṛtta-cāpalyaṃ manaḥ sugrahaṃ yathā sad-auṣadha-sevayā sad-vaidya-prayukta-prakārayā muhur abhyastayā yathā cira-kālena śāmyaty eva, tathā durnigraham api mano ‚bhyāsena sad-gurūpadiṣṭa-prakāreṇa parameśvara-dhyāna-yogasya muhur anuśīlanena vairāgyeṇa viṣayeṣv anāsaṅgena ca gṛhyate sva-hasta-vaśīkartuṃ śakyata ity arthaḥ | tathā ca pātañjala-sūtram – abhyāsa-vairāgyābhyāṃ tan-nirodhaḥ [YogaS 1.12] iti | mahābāho iti saṅgrāme tvayā yan mahāvīrā api vijīyante, sa ca pināka-pāṇir api vaśīkṛtas tenāpi kim ? yadi mahā-vīra-śiro-maṇir mano nāmā prādhāniko bhaṭo mahā-yogāstra-prayogeṇa jetuṃ śakyate, tadaiva mahā-bāhuteti bhāvaḥ | he kaunteyeti tatra tvaṃ mā bhaiṣīḥ | mat-pituḥ svasuḥ kuntyāḥ putre tvayi mayā sāhāyyaṃ vidheyam iti bhāvaḥ