Flickering Mind

[Pankaja_Dasa]

 

 

yato yato niscalati

manas cancalam asthiram

tatas tato niyamyaitad

atmany eva vasam nayet

 

yatah—whatever; yatah—wherever; niscalati—verily agitated; manah—the mind; cancalam—flickering; asthiram—unsteady; tatah—from there; tatah—and thereafter; niyamya—regulating; etat—this; atmani—in the self; eva—certainly; vasam—control; nayet—must bring in.

 

TRANSLATION

From whatever and wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the Self.

 

PURPORT

The nature of the mind is flickering and unsteady. But a self-realized yogi has to control the mind; the mind should not control him. One who controls the mind (and therefore the senses as well) is called gosvami, or svami, and one who is controlled by the mind is called godasa, or the servant of the senses. A gosvami knows the standard of sense happiness. In transcendental sense happiness, the senses are engaged in the service of Hrishikesa or the supreme owner of the senses—Krishna. Serving Krishna with purified senses is called Krishna consciousness. That is the way of bringing the senses under full control. What is more, that is the highest perfection of yoga practice.

Bhagavad-gita as it is.

Ch6 v26

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I never understood this before, that what exactly is a Goswami? What does it mean to control your mind?. I thought controlling the mind means having no thoughts, though it actually means controlling it in the service of the Lord Krishna. Prabhupada says the highest perfection of Yoga Practice is Krishna Consciousness, I don't think Prabhupada even means to mention the Yogis, SP just mentions the Bhaktas.