Bhagavad Gita 6.12
Spoken by Krishna · Verse 12 of 47
तत्रैकाग्रं मनः कृत्वा यतचित्तेन्द्रियक्रियः | उपविश्यासने युञ्ज्याद्योगमात्मविशुद्धये ||१२||
tatraikāgraṃ manaḥ kṛtvā yatacittendriyakriyaḥ | upaviśyāsane yuñjyād yogam ātmaviśuddhaye || 12 ||
There on the seat — mind made one-pointed, senses restrained — practise yoga for the purification of the self.
Word by word (3)
- tatra ekāgraṃ manaḥ kṛtvā
- — there, having made the mind one-pointed · tatra = there (on that seat described in V11). eka (one) + agra (tip/point) = ekāgra: one-pointed, like a compass needle pointing north. kṛtvā = having made (gerund, implying the act precedes practice). The first step of meditation is not emptying the mind — it is pointing the mind at one thing. Single-pointed attention precedes absorption.
- yata-citta-indriya-kriyaḥ
- — with the activities of mind and senses restrained · yata = restrained, controlled. citta = mind-stuff. indriya = senses (the five). kriyā = activity, operation. Together: the turbulence of both mind and senses is brought under conscious direction. Not frozen — directed. The senses are like horses; the reins are pulled in, not cut.
- yogam ātma-viśuddhaye
- — yoga for the purification of the self · viśuddhi = purification, from vi (intensive) + śuddhi (purity). The PURPOSE of yoga practice is stated explicitly: ātma-viśuddhi — purification of the self. Not enlightenment as a dramatic event, not powers or siddhis — but the gradual removal of the impurities (vikāras) that veil the ātman's natural clarity. The practice is a purification process.
There, seated on that seat, making the mind one-pointed, with the workings of mind and senses restrained, let him practise yoga for the purification of the self.
A modern analogy
Imagine a mirror covered in a fine film of dust. Cleaning it doesn't create the mirror's reflective capacity — that capacity was always there. Cleaning simply removes what was blocking it. This verse's ātma-viśuddhi (purification of the self) is that cleaning process. Every meditation session removes a layer. Over years of practice, the mirror of the ātman becomes increasingly clear — not because you added something, but because you removed what obscured it.
What it does NOT mean
This verse does NOT say the goal is enlightenment, samadhi, or supernatural experience. The stated goal is ātma-viśuddhi — purification. This is a gentle, honest statement: meditation is not a shortcut to liberation — it is a purification process. The clarity you seek is already there; what is being removed is what obscures it.
Take with you
- Ekāgra (one-pointed) is the first technique: choose one object for the mind to rest on (breath, mantra, a point between the brows, or the sense of 'I am'). Not forcing — just returning, again and again, each time the mind wanders.
- The purpose matters: knowing that this practice is purification (not performance) changes the quality of your sitting. You don't need a 'good session.' You need the cleaning. Even a restless session is cleaning.
- This verse connects to the earlier teaching of constant practice (satatam — 'always'): consistent, regular practice accumulates purification. One session doesn't clean the mirror. A year of daily sessions does.
Public-domain translations (6) compare all →
There, making the mind one-pointed and the activities of mind and senses restrained, seated on that seat, let him practise yoga for self-purification. [1]
There, seated on that seat, making the mind one-pointed and subduing the action of the imaging faculty and the senses, let him practise Yoga for the purification of the heart. [4]
There, having made the mind one-pointed, with thought and senses subdued, seated on the seat, let him practise yoga for the purification of self. [5]
Let him be seated on his seat, having made his mind one-pointed and the motions of the mind and senses controlled, and practise yoga for the purification of the heart. [6]
Then, with mind fixed and heart subdued, let him, seated there, make the mind one-pointed, practising Yoga for the purification of the soul. [7]
There seated on the seat, fixing his mind on one point, and restraining the operations of his mind and senses, let him practise concentration for self-purification. [9]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
A clean spot, a firm seat — grass, skin, cloth in layers — not too high, not too low: this is where practice begins.
Hold body, neck, head erect and still — gaze toward the nose-tip, not looking around: the posture of meditation.
Desire operates at all three levels — senses, mind, intellect. It covers knowledge at each and deludes completely.
Your own mind is your best friend when mastered; your worst enemy when not.
Satisfied by knowledge and realisation, senses mastered, gold and mud equally seen — this is the true steadfast yogi.
When the completely controlled mind rests serenely in the Self alone, free from all desire-pull — that is called yoga.
Verse 12 of 47 · back to Chapter 6