Sanskrit
तत्रैकाग्रं मनः कृत्वा यतचित्तेन्द्रियक्रियः । उपविश्यासने युञ्ज्याद्योगमात्मविशुद्धये ॥
tatraikāgraṃ manaḥ kṛtvā yatacittendriyakriyaḥ upaviśyāsane yuñjyād yogam ātmaviśuddhaye
Translation
There, having made the mind one-pointed, with thought and the functions of the senses subdued, steady on his seat, he should practise yoga for the purification of the self.
Annie Besant · The Bhagavad-Gita, translated by Annie Besant (4th ed., 1922) — Wikisource · Public Domain
Explanation
One-pointedness (ekagra) of mind is named as the immediate goal of the seat described in verse 11, with self-purification given as the stated purpose — not power, not experience, but purification. Verses 13–14 continue the same physical instruction before verse 15 states the actual destination. Ātma-viśuddhi — cleansing of the self — is the same modest aim BG 5.11 gave for karma-yoga: meditation here is preparatory, not yet the goal.
Study deeper
Word by word
- tatraikāgraṃ manaḥ kṛtvāतत्रैकाग्रं मनः कृत्वा
- there, making the mind one-pointed (tatra + eka-agram + manaḥ + kṛtvā)
- yatacittendriyakriyaḥयतचित्तेन्द्रियक्रियः
- the workings of mind and senses restrained (yata-citta-indriya-kriyaḥ)
- upaviśyāsane yuñjyādउपविश्यासने युञ्ज्याद्
- seated on the seat, let him practise (upaviśya + āsane + yuñjyāt)
- yogam ātmaviśuddhayeयोगं आत्मविशुद्धये
- yoga, for self-purification (yogam + ātma-viśuddhaye)
Commentary
Site Commentary
Krishna is precise about what the practice is for, and it’s worth noticing what’s left off the list: not power, not extraordinary experience, not even peace yet — purification. Verses 13-14 will add more technique before verse 15 finally names the destination; this verse is careful to fix the purpose before the method gets any more elaborate.
Original commentary written for this site · © Amit Singh — original commentary
Concepts
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Lessons
Personal
- Before you get deep into the mechanics of a discipline you're building, be honest about what you're actually practicing it for — if the real goal quietly became status, results, or how it makes you look, the technique will drift without you noticing.
Professional
- Before optimizing a process for speed or visible output, restate its actual purpose out loud — reliability, correctness, learning — so the metric doesn't quietly replace the goal as your team refines the mechanics.
Family & Social
- Before you refine how you're showing up for someone — more frequent calls, more thoughtful gifts — check that the underlying purpose is still their wellbeing and not your own need to feel like a good family member. Fix the purpose before polishing the method.
Ask yourself
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