Bhagavad Gita 6.10
Spoken by Krishna ☆ Key verse · Verse 10 of 47
योगी युञ्जीत सततमात्मानं रहसि स्थितः | एकाकी यतचित्तात्मा निराशीरपरिग्रहः ||१०||
yogī yuñjīta satatam ātmānaṃ rahasi sthitaḥ | ekākī yatacittātmā nirāśīr aparigrahaḥ || 10 ||
The yogi practises constantly in solitude — alone, mind and body subdued, free from craving and possessiveness.
Word by word (5)
- yogī yuñjīta satatam
- — the yogi should practise constantly / always · yuñjīta is the optative (prescriptive) form of √yuj — to yoke, to unite. Satatam = always, continuously. The instruction begins with time-quality: not occasionally, not when inspired, but constantly. The optative ('should practise') signals this is a prescription — the formal beginning of Krishna's 'how-to' instructions after the portrait verses (V7-9).
- rahasi sthitaḥ
- — dwelling in a secret / solitary place · rahas = a secret, hidden, solitary place. Not necessarily a cave — any space where the mind is not pulled into social performance, role-playing, or reactive engagement. Tilak's important note: 'one must not understand the import of the Gita as being that one should give up all the activities in the world and spend one's life in the practice of Yoga' (citing Gi. 6.10). Rahas is a regular condition of practice, not a permanent withdrawal from the world.
- ekākī
- — alone · eka (one) + ākī (alone). Physically alone — not in conversation, not performing for others. The solitude of V10 creates the conditions where the mind cannot hide behind social masks. Aloneness reveals the unconquered self in its raw form, and simultaneously creates the space for the jitātman to emerge. You cannot know yourself while constantly performing for others.
- yata-citta-ātmā
- — with mind and body subdued / controlled · yata (restrained, controlled) + citta (mind-stuff, the mental substance) + ātmā (self, here: body-self). Together: the whole psychophysical complex — mind AND body — brought under the yogi's direction. Not just quieting thoughts (citta) but also managing the body (ātmā) — posture, breath, physical restlessness. V11-15 will specify exactly how.
- nirāśīḥ aparigrahāḥ
- — free from hope / expectation; free from possessiveness · nirāśīḥ = without āśā (hope, expectation, craving for outcomes). aparigrahāḥ = without parigraha (accumulation, possessiveness — the grasping impulse). These two together constitute the inner condition of the meditation seat: no longing for what isn't here (nirāśīḥ) and no clinging to what is (aparigrahaḥ). The famous Yoga Sūtra term 'aparigraha' is one of the five yamas (ethical restraints) — here it appears in the Gita as a prerequisite for the meditation practice to follow.
Let the yogi constantly steady the mind, dwelling alone in solitude, with body and mind controlled, free of longing and of any sense of possession.
A modern analogy
Think of an athlete's daily training regimen. The world-class footballer doesn't live on the training ground — they have a life, a family, public duties. But every day, they spend dedicated time in the specific conditions that build the skill: focused, disciplined, alone with the practice. No phone calls during training. No social performance. Just the work. This verse is that training regimen for the yogi.
What it does NOT mean
This verse does NOT prescribe permanent renunciation of worldly life. Tilak is explicit in his commentary on this very verse: the solitary practice is a daily condition of training, not a permanent lifestyle. The Gita as a whole is addressed to Arjuna — a warrior, a householder, a person of the world — not a cave-dwelling monk. The teaching means: set aside regular time for solitude and practice. It does not mean: leave your life.
Take with you
- Satatam (constantly/always): the frequency matters as much as the method. A small daily practice outperforms a massive weekly session. The regularity trains the nervous system, not just the mind.
- Rahasi (solitude): this doesn't require a cave. Any space where you are genuinely not performing for others — a quiet room, a morning walk without headphones, a few minutes before the house wakes up — qualifies.
- Nirāśīḥ (free from hope): before sitting down to practice, consciously release any expectation of what the session 'should' feel like. The best sessions often feel like nothing happened — until later.
- Aparigraha (non-possessiveness): minimise distractions — phone away, notifications off, no material objects demanding attention. This is the practical expression of aparigraha for modern practitioners.
Public-domain translations (6) compare all →
The yogi should constantly practise concentration of the self, dwelling in solitude, alone, with the mind and self controlled, freed from hope and possessiveness. [1]
The Yogi should constantly practise concentration of the heart, retiring into solitude, alone, with the mind and body subdued, and free from hope and possession. [4]
The Yogi should constantly strive to balance the self, abiding in a secret place, alone, with mind and body balanced, with no possessions, without longing. [5]
Let the Yogi retire into a secret place, seated, with his mind and body controlled, freed from desires and possessions. [6]
Let the Yogi plant himself in a solitary place, on a fixed seat — alone — with thought and self subdued, void of expectation, void of possessions. [7]
A Yogi should constantly devote himself to concentration, remaining in a retired place, alone, with his mind and body subdued, without expectation, without grasping. [9]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
Who sees friend, foe, stranger, kin, the righteous and the sinner with truly equal eyes — that one excels.
A clean spot, a firm seat — grass, skin, cloth in layers — not too high, not too low: this is where practice begins.
Do the work rooted in yoga, unattached. Equanimity in success and failure — that IS yoga.
Surrender all action to Me, mind on the Self, free from hope and possessiveness — then fight, free from fever.
When the completely controlled mind rests serenely in the Self alone, free from all desire-pull — that is called yoga.
Abandon all desires born of mental planning — without remainder — and restrain the senses completely, by the mind alone.
Verse 10 of 47 · back to Chapter 6