Gita for Life · Feelings
What does the Gita say about anxiety and a restless mind?
5 passages of the Gita on this question. Each shows what the verse says, why it belongs here, and Śrīla Prabhupāda’s explanation.
In short
Everyone’s mind becomes restless; even Arjuna said it was harder to control than the wind. The Gītā’s answer is practical: a clear final goal, sincere work without clinging to results, steady practice, and a mind fixed on Kṛṣṇa.
Do your best, offer the rest to Kṛṣṇa, and bring the mind back to Him again and again.
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A restless mind is a real problem, even for Arjuna
cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa Bhagavad-gītā 6.34
What the verse says
Arjuna tells Kṛṣṇa honestly that the mind is “restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong,” and that subduing it seems harder than controlling the wind. Kṛṣṇa Himself had said that the senses can forcibly carry away the mind even of a wise person who is trying to control them 2.60.
Read 6.34 in Bhagavad-gītā As It Is
For the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Kṛṣṇa, and to subdue it is, it seems to me, more difficult than controlling the wind.
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains
Śrīla Prabhupāda compares the body to a chariot: the intelligence is the driver, the mind is the driving instrument and the senses are the horses. The mind should follow the intelligence, but it is so strong that it often overpowers it.
“Intelligence is supposed to direct the mind, but the mind is so strong and obstinate that it often overcomes even one's own intelligence.”
Lesson
If your mind races at night, you are not strange or weak. Arjuna, a great hero, said the same. The first step is to admit it honestly, as he did, before Kṛṣṇa.
Example
You know you should sleep before the exam, yet your mind keeps replaying every question you might get wrong. Your intelligence knows; your mind will not listen. That is exactly what Arjuna described.
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Peace needs a centre
na cābhāvayataḥ śāntir Bhagavad-gītā 2.66
What the verse says
One who is not in transcendental consciousness can have neither a controlled mind nor steady intelligence, and without them there is no peace. “And how can there be any happiness without peace?” But for one situated in that divine consciousness, the miseries of material existence end and the intelligence soon becomes steady 2.65.
Read 2.66 in Bhagavad-gītā As It Is
One who is not in transcendental consciousness can have neither a controlled mind nor steady intelligence, without which there is no possibility of peace. And how can there be any happiness without peace?
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the mind is disturbed because it has no final goal. When one is certain that Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer, the proprietor and the friend of everyone and everything, the mind becomes steady and peace follows.
“Disturbance is due to want of an ultimate goal, and when one is certain that Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer, proprietor and friend of everyone and everything, then one can, with a steady mind, bring about peace.”
Lesson
Anxiety grows when everything hangs on one thing: these marks, this job, this person’s approval. Make Kṛṣṇa your final goal, and every other goal becomes smaller and lighter.
Example
A compass needle shakes whenever you move, but it always settles pointing north. A mind that knows its true north, Kṛṣṇa, settles again after every shock.
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Do your work; let go of the result
mā phaleṣu kadācana Bhagavad-gītā 2.47
What the verse says
You have a right to do your prescribed duty, but not to its fruits. Never think of yourself as the cause of the results, and never be attached to not doing your duty.
Read 2.47 in Bhagavad-gītā As It Is
You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that Kṛṣṇa did not want Arjuna to become inactive: he was to do his duty fully, but without being attached to the result.
“The Lord advised that Arjuna not be inactive, but that he perform his prescribed duty without being attached to the result.”
Lesson
Much anxiety comes from living in the result before the work is even done. Put your whole heart into the effort, which is yours, and offer the result, which is not, to Kṛṣṇa. And don’t let fear of the result stop you from acting at all.
Example
Before an interview, prepare well, dress neatly, pray, and go. Whether they choose you is not in your hands. Asking yourself “What if they say no?” a hundred times changes nothing except your peace.
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It is possible: practice and detachment
abhyāsena tu kaunteya Bhagavad-gītā 6.35
What the verse says
Kṛṣṇa agrees that the restless mind is “undoubtedly very difficult to curb,” but says it can be done by constant practice and by detachment.
Read 6.35 in Bhagavad-gītā As It Is
The Blessed Lord said: O mighty-armed son of Kuntī, it is undoubtedly very difficult to curb the restless mind, but it is possible by constant practice and by detachment.
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that in this age the practice is devotional service, beginning with hearing about Kṛṣṇa. Hearing clears the mind of doubts, and the more one hears, the more one naturally lets go of whatever pulls the mind away from Him.
“The more one hears about Kṛṣṇa, the more one becomes enlightened and detached from everything that draws the mind away from Kṛṣṇa.”
Lesson
Don’t only fight anxious thoughts; give the mind something better. Hearing about Kṛṣṇa every day slowly gives it a new taste and a new place to rest.
Example
A child happily drops a broken toy when you hand him a better one. The mind, too, lets go of its worries more easily when it is given Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes to hear.
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When the mind wanders, bring it back again and again
yato yato niścalati Bhagavad-gītā 6.26
What the verse says
Wherever the mind wanders because of its flickering, unsteady nature, one must draw it back and bring it again under the control of the self.
Read 6.26 in Bhagavad-gītā As It Is
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.
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains
Śrīla Prabhupāda says that one who controls the mind is called a gosvāmī, and one controlled by it is a servant of the senses. Real control comes by engaging the senses in Kṛṣṇa’s service.
“But a self-realized yogī has to control the mind; the mind should not control him.”
Lesson
Don’t be upset that the mind wanders; that is its nature. Your job is only to bring it back, gently and without giving up. Every return is a small victory.
Example
While chanting japa you suddenly find yourself planning tomorrow’s meeting. Don’t scold yourself; simply come back to the next “Hare Kṛṣṇa.” Then do it again.
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Steady habits make a steady mind
yuktāhāra-vihārasya Bhagavad-gītā 6.17
What the verse says
One who is temperate in eating, sleeping, working and recreation can, by practising yoga, relieve all material pains.
Read 6.17 in Bhagavad-gītā As It Is
He who is temperate in his habits of eating, sleeping, working and recreation can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system.
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that a Kṛṣṇa conscious person regulates eating by accepting food offered to Kṛṣṇa, keeps sleep in check and does all his work for Kṛṣṇa. Because his whole life is regulated, there is no material misery for him.
“And because he is regulated in all his work, speech, sleep, wakefulness and all other bodily activities, there is no material misery for him.”
Lesson
A restless life feeds a restless mind. Regular meals offered to Kṛṣṇa, regular sleep, honest work and a fixed time for prayer give the mind a rhythm it can rest in.
Example
A student who studies till 3 a.m. on tea and snacks and sleeps till noon feels uneasy all day. With fixed times for meals, study, sleep and morning chanting, the same student often finds the worry shrinking.
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Be like the ocean
samudram āpaḥ praviśanti yadvat Bhagavad-gītā 2.70
What the verse says
Rivers keep flowing into the ocean, which is always being filled yet stays still. In the same way desires keep coming to a steady person without disturbing him. Such a person attains peace, “and not the man who strives to satisfy such desires.”
Read 2.70 in Bhagavad-gītā As It Is
A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires—that enter like rivers into the ocean which is ever being filled but is always still—can alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives to satisfy such desires.
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that as long as we have a body, its demands will continue. But a devotee, satisfied in serving Kṛṣṇa, is full within, and so he stays steady like the ocean.
“The devotee, however, is not disturbed by such desires because of his fullness.”
Lesson
Thoughts, wants and worries will keep arriving like rivers; you don’t have to chase each one. A heart filled with Kṛṣṇa can let them come and go without overflowing.
Example
Notifications arrive on your phone all day, but you don’t have to open each one the moment it comes. Let a worry arrive, notice it, and carry on calmly with what you are doing.
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By Kṛṣṇa’s grace you will cross every obstacle
mat-prasādāt tariṣyasi Bhagavad-gītā 18.58
What the verse says
If you become conscious of Kṛṣṇa, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditional life by His grace; but acting from false ego, not hearing Him, one is lost. And to those who worship Him with devotion He promises: “I carry what they lack and preserve what they have” 9.22.
Read 18.58 in Bhagavad-gītā As It Is
If you become conscious of Me, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditional life by My grace. If, however, you do not work in such consciousness but act through false ego, not hearing Me, you will be lost.
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not unduly anxious about the duties of life, because Kṛṣṇa becomes his most intimate friend and always looks after his comfort.
“A person in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not unduly anxious to execute the duties of his existence.”
Lesson
You still do your work, but you no longer carry it alone. Each day, offer your worries to Kṛṣṇa in prayer, then take the next step He places in front of you.
Example
A child sitting on her father’s shoulders at a crowded fair does not worry about the crowd; she only holds on. Holding on to Kṛṣṇa through chanting and prayer is how we are carried.
Medicine for a restless mind
In his purports to 6.34 and 6.35, Śrīla Prabhupāda gives simple remedies for the mind, the way a doctor gives treatment and diet:
“It is something like curing a disease by expert treatment and appropriate diet.”
- Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa in all humility: the easiest way to control the mind (6.34).
- Hear about Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental activities: the expert treatment for the mind (6.35).
- Eat food first offered to Kṛṣṇa (prasādam): the right diet for the patient (6.35).
“This treatment is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.”
An anxious mind or a steady mind?
| The anxious mind | The steady mind | Verse |
|---|---|---|
| “I can’t control my thoughts; something is wrong with me.” | “Even Arjuna found it hard. I will ask Kṛṣṇa for help.” | 6.34 |
| “Everything depends on this result.” | “Kṛṣṇa is my final goal; this is only one step.” | 2.66 |
| “What if it goes wrong?” | “I’ll do my best and offer the result to Kṛṣṇa.” | 2.47 |
| “My mind wandered again; I’ve failed.” | “I’ll gently bring it back once more.” | 6.26 |
| “I’ll eat and sleep whenever.” | “Regular habits help a steady mind.” | 6.17 |
| “I must act on every wish and worry.” | “Let them come and go, like rivers into the ocean.” | 2.70 |
| “I have to carry everything alone.” | “By Kṛṣṇa’s grace I will get through.” | 18.58 |
Our reflections, each based on the verse named beside it.
Ask yourself
- What result am I worrying about that is not really in my hands?
- What is the final goal of my life, the one that gives every other goal its place?
- When my mind wanders, do I scold it, or gently bring it back?
- Are my habits of eating, sleeping and working calming my mind or disturbing it?
- Which worry can I offer to Kṛṣṇa in prayer today?
The essence
The mind becomes peaceful not by having nothing to do, but by having Kṛṣṇa at its centre. Do your duty fully, offer the results to Him, and bring the mind back to Him again and again.
If worry or sadness becomes too heavy, talk to someone you trust. In India you can call the free Tele-MANAS helpline, 14416.
The headings, explanations, lessons, examples, table and questions are ours, written to help you apply the verses. The Sanskrit lines, the verse translations and Śrīla Prabhupāda’s quoted words are from Bhagavad-gītā As It Is as published on vedabase.cc, unaltered.
All the verses for this topic
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Bhagavad-gītā 6.34
For the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Kṛṣṇa, and to subdue it is, it seems to me, more difficult than controlling the wind.
Why this verse is here
Mind is very powerful, restless, turbulent, obstinate and strong (6.34 cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa...)
From the thematic compilation Self-control
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains
From the purport to 6.34
"The individual is the passenger in the car of the material body, and intelligence is the driver. Mind is the driving instrument, and the senses are the horses. The self is thus the enjoyer or sufferer in the association of the mind and senses. So it is understood by great thinkers." Intelligence is supposed to direct the mind, but the mind is so strong and obstinate that it often overcomes even one's own intelligence. Such a strong mind is supposed to be controlled by the practice of yoga, but such practice is never practical for a worldly person like Arjuna. And what can we say of modern man? The simile used here is appropriate: one cannot capture the blowing wind. And it is even more difficult to capture the turbulent mind. The easiest way to control the mind, as suggested by Lord Caitanya, is chanting "Hare Kṛṣṇa," the great mantra for deliverance, in all humility. …
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Bhagavad-gītā 2.60
The senses are so strong and impetuous, O Arjuna, that they forcibly carry away the mind even of a man of discrimination who is endeavoring to control them.
Why this verse is here
Senses are very strong and impetuous. They forcibly carry away the mind even of a man of discrimination who is endeavoring to control them (2.60 yatato hy api kaunteya...)
From the thematic compilation Self-control
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains
From the purport to 2.60
There are many learned sages, philosophers and transcendentalists who try to conquer the senses, but in spite of their endeavors, even the greatest of them sometimes fall victim to material sense enjoyment due to the agitated mind. Even Viśvāmitra, a great sage and perfect yogī, was misled by Menakā into sex enjoyment, although the yogī was endeavoring for sense control with severe types of penance and yoga practice. And, of course, there are so many similar instances in the history of the world. Therefore, it is very difficult to control the mind and the senses without being fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. Without engaging the mind in Kṛṣṇa, one cannot cease such material engagements. …
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Bhagavad-gītā 6.35
The Blessed Lord said: O mighty-armed son of Kuntī, it is undoubtedly very difficult to curb the restless mind, but it is possible by constant practice and by detachment.
Why this verse is here
Kṛṣṇa’s solution: Control the mind by practice and detachment
From the study outline of the chapter
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains
From the purport to 6.35
The difficulty of controlling the obstinate mind, as expressed by Arjuna, is accepted by the Personality of Godhead. But at the same time He suggests that by practice and detachment it is possible. What is that practice? In the present age no one can observe strict rules and regulations, such as placing oneself in a sacred place, focusing the mind on the Supersoul, restraining the senses and mind, observing celibacy, remaining alone, etc. By the practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, however, one engages in nine types of devotional service to the Lord. The first and foremost of such devotional engagements is hearing about Kṛṣṇa. This is a very powerful transcendental method for purging the mind of all misgivings. The more one hears about Kṛṣṇa, the more one becomes enlightened and detached from everything that draws the mind away from Kṛṣṇa. …
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Bhagavad-gītā 2.70
A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires—that enter like rivers into the ocean which is ever being filled but is always still—can alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives to satisfy such desires.
Why this verse is here
Like an ocean that is still despite many rivers entering it, one should be undisturbed by the incessant flow of desires. (2.70 āpūryamāṇam acala-pratiṣṭhaṁ...)
From the thematic compilation Equanimity and Satisfaction
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains
From the purport to 2.70
Although the vast ocean is always filled with water, it is always, especially during the rainy season, being filled with much more water. But the ocean remains the same—steady; it is not agitated, nor does it cross beyond the limit of its brink. That is also true of a person fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As long as one has the material body, the demands of the body for sense gratification will continue. The devotee, however, is not disturbed by such desires because of his fullness. A Kṛṣṇa conscious man is not in need of anything because the Lord fulfills all his material necessities. Therefore he is like the ocean—always full in himself. Desires may come to him like the waters of the rivers that flow into the ocean, but he is steady in his activities, and he is not even slightly disturbed by desires for sense gratification. …
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Bhagavad-gītā 2.65
For one who is so situated in the Divine consciousness, the threefold miseries of material existence exist no longer; in such a happy state, one's intelligence soon becomes steady.
Why this verse is here
One attains happiness within and becomes completely peaceful (2.65 prasāde sarva-duḥkhānāṁ...)
From the thematic compilation Self-control
Everyday questions answered by these verses
Related topics
Each verse is linked to this topic by a statement in our primary study source, shown under “Why this verse is here”. The verses and Śrīla Prabhupāda’s words are quoted from Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, unaltered.