Meditation begins by reducing outer pull and balancing breath.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
स्पर्शान्कृत्वा बहिर्बाह्यांश्चक्षुश्चैवान्तरे भ्रुवोः |प्राणापानौ समौ कृत्वा नासाभ्यन्तरचारिणौ ||५-२७||
sparśānkṛtvā bahirbāhyāṃścakṣuścaivāntare bhruvoḥ . prāṇāpānau samau kṛtvā nāsābhyantaracāriṇau ||5-27||
Use this verse before meditation or breathwork.
Meaning
Shutting out external contacts, fixing the gaze between the eyebrows, and balancing the inward and outward breaths moving through the nostrils.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Krishna introduces a meditation method involving withdrawal, focus, and breath balance.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
This verse moves into meditative discipline. The seeker withdraws from external distractions, steadies attention, and balances breath. It does not need to be presented as complicated technique for beginners.
Read the traditional commentary
Having described the goal, Krishna now turns to method, outlining the concrete practice of meditation. The seeker shuts out external sense-contacts (sparshan krtva bahih), withdrawing attention from the pull of the outer world. The gaze is steadied at a single point — between the eyebrows (antare bhruvoh) — to gather the wandering mind.
And the two life-breaths, prana (outgoing) and apana (incoming), moving within the nostrils, are made even and balanced (samau krtva).
This verse, continuing into the next, grounds the Gita's lofty teaching in a practical discipline of breath and concentration. Notice how the path moves from outer to inner: first withdraw the senses, then focus the gaze, then harmonize the breath. Steadying the breath steadies the mind, for the two are intimately linked.
These techniques are time-tested tools that quiet the restless mind and prepare it for the deep inwardness through which the Self is realized.
In daily life
Use breath and focused attention to settle the mind.
Before sleep, a person can close screens, soften gaze, and practice slow balanced breathing.
Try this today
Take three minutes: put distractions aside, soften gaze, and breathe evenly.
I withdraw inward and balance my breath.Reflect
What external contact should I set aside before meditation?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘नासाभ्यन्तरचारिणौ’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on meditation, in other chapters
- Verse 4.29Even the breath can become a sacred offering; by mastering its rhythm, we steady the mind and turn life itself into worship.
- Verse 12.9If the mind will not settle on God, train it through patient, repeated practice.
- Verse 6.12Gather your scattered mind into a single point — focused practice purifies the heart and clears the way to the Self.
- Verse 8.12Gather your scattered attention inward by quieting the senses and settling the mind in the heart, the daily heart of meditation.
Swipe left for 5.28 · Liberation is disciplined freedom, not uncontrolled comfort.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 5.27
Who says Bhagavad Gita 5.27, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 5.27, in Chapter 5, Karma Sannyas Yoga (Karma Sannyas Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 5.27 mean?
Shutting out external contacts, fixing the gaze between the eyebrows, and balancing the inward and outward breaths moving through the nostrils. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 5.27 for daily life?
Use breath and focused attention to settle the mind. Before sleep, a person can close screens, soften gaze, and practice slow balanced breathing.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 5.27 mean?
स्पर्शान् कृत्वा बहिः — shutting out external contacts; बाह्यान् — the outer (objects); चक्षुः च एव — and the gaze / eyes; अन्तरे भ्रुवोः — between the eyebrows; प्राणापानौ — the outgoing and incoming breaths.
Where does verse 5.27 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 27 of 29 in Chapter 5, Karma Sannyas Yoga. The next verse is 5.28.