(Image Courtesy Mahanidhiswami)

The Mind Is Restless Because It Is Always Wandering From One Thing To The Next

चञ्चलं हि मन: कृष्ण प्रमाथि बलवद्दृढम् |
तस्याहं निग्रहं मन्ये वायोरिव सुदुष्करम् || 6.34||

chañchalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛiṣhṇa pramāthi balavad dṛiḍham
tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye vāyor iva su-duṣhkaram|| 6.34||

Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 6- Ver. 34:

Because, O Krishna, the mind is fickle, rebellious, strong, and stubborn. Controlling it, I believe, is as difficult as controlling the wind.

Explanation

When Arjun describes the troubled mind, he is speaking for all of us. It’s agitated because it keeps wandering from subject to subject in different directions. It is turbulent because it causes upheavals in one’s consciousness, such as hatred, wrath, lust, greed, envy, worry, fear, and attachment, among other things.

It is powerful because its powerful currents overpower the intellect and impair the faculty of discrimination. The mind is also obstinate in that it refuses to let go of a harmful concept once it has caught it, ruminating on it over and over, much to the displeasure of the intellect. Arjun declares that the mind is much more difficult to regulate than the wind.

Arjuna goes on to tell Shri Krishna about the challenge of controlling one’s mind during meditation. It’s as tough as trying to harness the wind, he claims. The mind is fickle, rebellious, powerful, and stubborn. Any attempt to control it will be resisted.

Verse & what we can learn

It is a challenge to control the mind. The mind is unpredictable, fickle, unreliable, inconsistent, and ever-changing.
To acquire knowledge and to implement that knowledge in life one needs to be mentally and physically active and healthy and for that daily meditation is a great tool.

There are various types of meditation like Buddhist meditation, heartfulness meditation, mindfulness meditation, meditation for stress, and each meditation benefits are countless. There are also numerous meditation techniques for beginners which help in practicing daily meditation so go ahead and start your journey towards a peaceful and balanced life.

In the Next verses, Shri Krishna clarifies Arjuna’s querry.

Let’s learn to live with “The Gita” via Meditation Affinity…