Verse 6.26

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 6.26:

यतो यतो निश्चलति मनश् चञ्चलम् अस्थिरम् ।
ततस् ततो नियम्यैतद् आत्मन्य् एव वशं नयेत् ॥ २६ ॥

yato yato niścalati manaś cañcalam asthiram |
tatas tato niyamyaitad ātmany eva vaśaṃ nayet || 26 ||

yataḥ yataḥ–to whichever; niścalati–wanders (to the objects of sense enjoyment); manaḥ–mind; cañcalam–the restless; asthiram–unsteady; tataḥ tataḥ–from that; niyamya–regulating; etat–this; ātmani–within the soul; eva–certainly; vaśam–controlled (mind); nayet–one should lead.

From whichever direction the restless and unsteady mind wanders to its various sense objects, it should be restrained and brought back firmly within the self alone.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

If, due to bad past impressions accumulated from previous births, the mind of the yogī becomes unsteady by contact with the material mode of passion, or rajo-guṇa, then he should again practise yoga. Śrī Bhagavān is explaining this by speaking the verse beginning with the words yato yataḥ.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

When the mind of the practitioner becomes restless and wanders toward sense objects, he should immediately restrain it and fix it in the self alone.