Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12 Verse 9 भगवद् गीता अध्याय 12 श्लोक 9 अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम्। अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाप्तुं धनञ्जय।।12.9।। English Translation - Swami Gambirananda 12.9 If, however, you are unable to establish the mind steadily on Me, then, O Dhananjaya, seek to attain Me through the Yoga of Practice. English Translation - Swami Sivananda 12.9 If thou art unable to fix thy mind steadily on Me, then by the Yoga of constant practice do thou seek to reach Me, O Arjuna. English Translation - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan 12.9. In case you are not able to cause your mind to enter completley into Me, then, O Dhananjaya ! seek to attain Me by the practice-Yoga. English Commentary - Swami Sivananda 12.9 अथ if? चित्तम् the mind? समाधातुम् to fix? न not? शक्नोषि (thou) art able? मयि in Me? स्थिरम् steadily? अभ्यासयोगेन by the Yoga of constant practice? ततः them? माम् Me? इच्छ wish? आप्तुम् to reach? धनञ्जय O Arjuna.Commentary Abhyasa Yoga Abhyasa is constant practice to steady the mind and fix it on one point the practice of repeatedly withdrawing the mind from all sorts of sensual objects and fixing it again and again on one particular object or the Self. The constant effort to separate or detach oneself from the illusory five sheaths and identify oneself with the Atman is also Abhyasa. If you are not able to fix your mind and intellect wholly on the Lord all the time? then do it for some time at least. If your mind wanders much? try to fix it on the Lord through the continous practice of remembrance. Resort to the worship of the images of God? feeling His Living Presence in them. This will also help you.Why did Lord Krishna address Arjuna by the name Dhananjaya here Surely there is some significance. Arjuna conered many people and brought immense wealth for the Rajasuya Yajna performed by Yudhishthira. For such a man of great powers and splendour? it is not difficult to coner this mind? and obtain the spiritual wealth of knowledge of the Self. This is what Lord Krishna meant when He addressed Arjuna by the name Dhananjaya. English Translation of Sanskrit Commentary By Sri Shankaracharya's 12.9 Atha, if, however; na saknosi, you are unable; samadhatum, to establish, in this way as I have described; cittam, the mind; sthiram, steadily, unwaveringly; mayi, on Me; tatah, then; O Dhananjaya, iccha, seek, pray; aptum, to attain; mam, Me, as the Cosmic person; abhyasa-yogena, through the Yoga of Practice. Practice consists in repeatedly fixing the mind on a single object by withdrawing it from everything else. The yoga following from this, and consisting in concentration of the mind, is abhyasa-yoga. English Translation of Commentary - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan 12.9 Atha etc. to cause the mind [to enter into the Lord] is hard to achieve without the descent of the Lords Grace with greater force, and without the favour of the revered preceptors, pleased [by services etc.] for a considerable period of time. Hence, practice [is prescribed]. English Translation of Ramanuja's Sanskrit Commentary 12.9 Now, if you are unable to focus your mind immediately on Me in deep meditation, then seek to reach Me by the practice of repetition (Abhyasa Yoga). By the repeated practice of remembrance full of immense love, concentrate your mind on Me the ocean of manifold attributes innate to Me like, beauty, affability, friendliness, affection, compassion, sweetness, majesty, magnanimity, heroism, valour, might, omniscience, freedom from wants, unfailing resolves, sovereignty over all, being the cause of all etc., and being antagonistic to all that is evil. All these attributes are of unlimited excellence in the Supreme Person. Commentary - Chakravarthi Ji The Lord then speaks of a method to attain the state of remembrance mentioned above, if one is unable to remember the Lord immediately. Repeatedly withdrawing the mind when it goes here and there, fix (abhyasa) the mind on me. This is the method (yoga). Rudra Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary If one is however unable to focus their consciousness on the Supreme Lord Krishna in unmotivated devotion in a steady manner then there is an easier method to reach Him and that is to gently bring the distracted mind back to focus on Lord Krishna everytime it seeks to wander and roam towards other objects and ideas. Again and again continuously one must seek and strive to attain Him through this yoga or the science of the individual consciousness attaining communion with the utlimate consciousness by constantly attempting to remember of the Supreme Lord. Brahma Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary Shri Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary If one is unable to focus their mind steadily on the Supreme Lord Krishna without distraction and interruption then one should continuously endeavour to perform abhyasa yoga which is repeatedly fixing the mind on the Supreme Lord while simultaneously restraining oneself from all worldly affairs. Reflecting on Lord Krishna being the quintessence of all wonderful qualities and exalted attributes such as love, beauty, compassion, sweetness, wisdom, majesty, courage, valour, etc. while realising that He alone is the Supreme Lord of the spiritual kingdom and the material worlds being the ultimate source and the ultimate goal of all things at the same time being the antithesis and antidote of all that is demoniac and unrighteous. True endeavour for the Supreme Lord is bhakti or exclusive loving devotion to Lord Krishna. By remembering and meditating constantly on Him in this way, steadiness and equanimity of mind is achieved and one will directly realise themselves how to attain Him. Kumara Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary If one is unable to focus their mind steadily on the Supreme Lord Krishna without distraction and interruption then one should continuously endeavour to perform abhyasa yoga which is repeatedly fixing the mind on the Supreme Lord while simultaneously restraining oneself from all worldly affairs. Reflecting on Lord Krishna being the quintessence of all wonderful qualities and exalted attributes such as love, beauty, compassion, sweetness, wisdom, majesty, courage, valour, etc. while realising that He alone is the Supreme Lord of the spiritual kingdom and the material worlds being the ultimate source and the ultimate goal of all things at the same time being the antithesis and antidote of all that is demoniac and unrighteous. True endeavour for the Supreme Lord is bhakti or exclusive loving devotion to Lord Krishna. By remembering and meditating constantly on Him in this way, steadiness and equanimity of mind is achieved and one will directly realise themselves how to attain Him. Transliteration Bhagavad Gita 12.9Atha chittam samaadhaatum na shaknoshi mayi sthiram; Abhyaasayogena tato maamicchaaptum dhananjaya. Word Meanings Bhagavad Gita 12.9atha—if; chittam—mind; samādhātum—to fix; na śhaknoṣhi—(you) are unable; mayi—on Me; sthiram—steadily; abhyāsa-yogena—by uniting with God through repeated practice; tataḥ—then; mām—me; ichchhā—desire; āptum—to attain; dhanañjaya—Arjun, the conqueror of wealth