Bhagavad Gita 6.19
Spoken by Krishna ★ Essential verse · Verse 19 of 47
यथा दीपो निवातस्थो नेङ्गते सोपमा स्मृता | योगिनो यतचित्तस्य युञ्जतो योगमात्मनः ||१९||
yathā dīpo nivātastho neṅgate sopamā smṛtā | yogino yatacittasya yuñjato yogam ātmanaḥ || 19 ||
As a lamp in a windless place does not flicker — so is the mind of the yogi who practises the yoga of the Self.
Word by word (3)
- yathā dīpaḥ nivāta-sthaḥ na iṅgate
- — as a lamp placed in a windless spot does not flicker · yathā = as, just as. dīpa = lamp (oil lamp in ancient context, tallow or ghee). nivāta = without wind (ni-vāta, wind-free). sthaḥ = placed. na iṅgate = does not flicker, does not waver (iṅg = to move, to stir). The lamp flame in a windless room burns perfectly still — not rigid (it is still a living flame) but undisturbed. This is the simile: alive but still, present but unmoved.
- sā upamā smṛtā
- — that is the comparison that has been remembered / handed down · upamā = comparison, simile. smṛtā = has been remembered, is traditionally known (from √smṛ, to remember — the same root as 'smṛti', remembered tradition). The phrase 'smṛtā' suggests this was a traditional, widely-known simile before the Gita used it. Krishna is citing a pre-existing teaching, giving it scriptural authority by including it here.
- yoginaḥ yata-cittasya yuñjataḥ yogam ātmanaḥ
- — of the yogi with controlled mind, practising yoga of the Self · yoginaḥ = of the yogi (genitive). yata-citta = with controlled mind (the same compound as V12's yatacittendriyakriyaḥ). yuñjataḥ = practising (present participle). ātmanaḥ = of/for the Self. The lamp simile applies specifically to the yogi who is actively practising (yuñjataḥ) — not the accomplished saint in permanent samādhi, but the practitioner in the midst of practice. The lamp flickers only when wind comes; it rests naturally still in calm. The yogi's mind is naturally still when practice conditions are maintained.
The traditional simile: a lamp placed in a room with no wind burns perfectly still — not because it is not alive (it is still a flame), but because nothing disturbs its environment. So the mind of the yogi in deep practice — alive, present, luminous — rests without flickering.
A modern analogy
Think of a concert violinist in the deepest moment of performance — completely absorbed in the music, the bow moving with perfect precision, every cell of awareness active but not scattered. There is no wind of distraction, no flickering of random thought — just the flame of pure, focused presence. That is this verse's lamp. The flame is the most alive it has ever been precisely because it is undisturbed.
What it does NOT mean
This verse does NOT describe a dead, blank, or suppressed mind. The lamp is still burning — fully alive. What is absent is DISTURBANCE, not life. The yogi's mind here is maximally alive and aware — just undisturbed.
Take with you
- The 'windless place' (nivāta) is why external environment matters: phones, notifications, noise, and social demands are winds. The clean spot and firm seat, and the solitude the yogi seeks — these create the windless conditions.
- The lamp simile gives permission for a quality of practice that is alive and warm, not cold and forced. You are not trying to become stone — you are trying to become a still flame: present, warm, luminous, undisturbed.
- Notice when your mind flickers: what are the 'winds' in your life? Each wind is a source of disturbance that the steady practice — solitude, restraint, regulated living — is progressively removing.
Public-domain translations (6) compare all →
As a lamp standing in a windless place does not flicker — that is the famous simile for the yogi with controlled mind, practising yoga of the Self. [1]
As a lamp in a spot sheltered from the wind does not flicker — even such has been the simile used for a Yogi of subdued mind, practising concentration in the Self. [4]
As a lamp standing in a windless spot does not flicker — such is the comparison for a Yogi of controlled mind, who practises the Yoga of the Self. [5]
As a lamp in a place sheltered from the wind does not flicker — this has been declared to be the illustration of a Yogi whose mind is subdued and who practises mental concentration. [6]
'As a lamp burns sheltered from the wind, and does not flicker' — so the comparison runs for a Yogi of subdued thought who meditates upon the Soul. [7]
As a lamp in a sheltered spot does not flicker — that is the figure used for a Yogi of subdued mind who practises the Yoga of the Self. [9]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
When the completely controlled mind rests serenely in the Self alone, free from all desire-pull — that is called yoga.
Where the mind ceases, stilled by yoga — where the Self sees itself and rests content in itself: this is samādhi.
Arjuna asks: what does the truly wise person look like? How do they speak, sit, and move?
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.
Wherever the restless, unsteady mind wanders — from there and there, bring it back under the Self's control. Every time.
Verse 19 of 47 · back to Chapter 6