Bhagavad Gita — Bhakti Yoga, Shloka 9
Bhakti Yoga
अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम् । अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाप्तुं धनंजय ॥ १२.९ ॥
atha cittaṁ samādhātuṁ na śaknoṣi mayi sthiram | abhyāsa-yogena tato mām icchāptuṁ dhanañjaya || 12.9 ||
If you are unable to fix your mind steadily on Me, then seek to attain Me through the Yoga of practice, O Dhanañjaya.
If you are unable to fix your mind steadily on Me, then seek to attain Me through the Yoga of practice, O Dhanañjaya.
If you cannot steady the mind in Me, then by the discipline of repeated practice (abhyāsa-yoga) desire to reach Me, O Dhanañjaya.
Traditional translators often gloss abhyāsa as repeated meditation on God. Academic readings keep it broader: systematic training that builds stability when immediate absorption is not possible.
FAQs
It validates difficulty in concentration and prescribes skill acquisition: attention is trained through repetition rather than demanded instantly.
The goal remains the same (attainment/communion with the divine), but the method shifts to gradual cultivation.
Krishna introduces a graded path: from direct absorption to structured practice when absorption is not yet feasible.
Use incremental routines—short daily sessions, consistent cues, and reflective review—to build stable contemplative attention.