6.26 yathO yathO niScharathi

SrI:  SrImathE SatakOpAya nama:  SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:  SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

Chapter 6

<< Chapter 6 verse 25

SlOkam – Original

yathO yathO niScharathi manaS chanchalam asthiram |
thathas thathO niyamyaithadh AthmanyEva vaSam nayEth ||

word-by-word meaning

chanchalam – being naturally fickle
asthiram – not firmly engaging in (matters related to AthmA)
mana: – mind
yatha: yatha: – due to attachment in those aspects (worldly desires)
niScharathi – seeking about
thatha: thatha: – from those aspects
Ethath niyamya – turning away with genuine efforts
Athmani Eva – in AthmA only
vaSam nayEth – should captivate (by the constant meditation of “This AthmA is more joyful than everything else”)

Simple Translation

Being naturally fickle, not firmly engaging in (matters related to AthmA), mind is seeking about those aspects (worldly desires) due to attachment in them; one should captivate such mind in AthmA only (by the constant meditation of “This AthmA is more joyful than everything else”), turning it away from those aspects.

Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam

‘From there and there to wherever else the fickle, unsteady mind rambles, it shall again be forced back and placed under the power of ātma alone.’

Wherever the mind, by nature fickle, and refusing to stay in ātma, wanders out to cling to its cherished objects, let effort be made to withdraw it therefrom, and rested in ātma, persuading it to believe (or think) that therein is found supreme happiness.

>> Chapter 6 verse 27

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