Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6 Verse 20 Meaning
When the mind, restrained by the practice of yoga, attains quietude, and when one sees the Self by the Self, they are satisfied in their own Self.
BG 6.20
यत्रोपरमते चित्तं निरुद्धं योगसेवया। यत्र चैवात्मनाऽऽत्मानं पश्यन्नात्मनि तुष्यति
yatroparamate chittaṁ niruddhaṁ yoga-sevayā yatra chaivātmanātmānaṁ paśhyann ātmani tuṣhyati
Meaning
When the mind, restrained by the practice of yoga, attains quietude, and when one sees the Self by the Self, they are satisfied in their own Self.
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What Does Bhagavad Gita 6.20 Mean?
At this point in Dhyana Yoga, Krishna deepens His teaching on meditation. When the mind, restrained by the practice of yoga, attains quietude, and when one sees the Self by the Self, they are satisfied in their own Self. The verse advances the dialogue by connecting abstract principle to the concrete situation Arjuna faces. Shankaracharya emphasizes that this teaching is not merely contextual but universal.
The principle of meditation expressed here transcends its battlefield setting and speaks to the fundamental relationship between action, knowledge, and spiritual realization. What makes this teaching enduringly relevant is its refusal to separate the spiritual from the ordinary. The very situations that challenge us become the ground of practice when approached with the understanding this verse provides.
— Explained by the Nitya Team
What Is the Context of Bhagavad Gita 6.20?
Detailed instructions on meditation, controlling the mind, and achieving inner stillness.
Key themes in this chapter include Meditation, Mind control, Self-discipline.
How Can I Apply Bhagavad Gita 6.20 in Daily Life?
- •When you need steadiness while dealing with meditation
- •When practicing mind control amid uncertainty
- •When applying self-discipline to real-life choices
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Related Verses
BG 6.1
The Blessed Lord said: He who performs his bounden duty without depending on the fruits of his actions—he is a sannyasi and a yogi, not he who is without fire and without action.
BG 6.5
One should raise oneself by one's own self alone; let not one lower oneself; for the self alone is one's own friend, and the self alone is one's own enemy.
BG 1.1
Dhritarashtra said, "What did my people and the sons of Pandu do when they had assembled together, eager for battle, on the holy plain of Kurukshetra, O Sanjaya?"
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