Rest the mind in the Self.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
यदा विनियतं चित्तमात्मन्येवावतिष्ठते |निःस्पृहः सर्वकामेभ्यो युक्त इत्युच्यते तदा ||६-१८||
yadā viniyataṃ cittamātmanyevāvatiṣṭhate . niḥspṛhaḥ sarvakāmebhyo yukta ityucyate tadā ||6-18||
Use this verse when the mind runs after desires.
Meaning
When the controlled mind rests in the Self alone, free from longing for all desires, one is called united in yoga.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Yoga is the mind resting in the Self.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
The mind becomes united when it no longer runs after every desire and rests in deeper identity.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna now defines the moment of arrival in meditation. When the chitta — the controlled mind — comes to rest in the atman alone, no longer reaching outward, the seeker is called yukta, united. The mind that once roamed restlessly among a thousand objects finally settles at home in the Self.
The sign of this resting is nihspriha — being free from longing for sarva-kama, all desires. As long as the mind craves anything outside itself, it cannot truly settle; craving is the very motion that keeps it wandering. When desire falls away, the mind has nowhere left to go but inward, and there it abides in peace.
This is union not as some exotic state attained by force but as the natural stillness that arises when the engine of desire grows quiet. Krishna shows that yoga is less an achievement to grasp than a homecoming that dawns when grasping itself ceases.
In daily life
Pause desire-chasing and return inward.
Instead of checking the phone for stimulation, one can sit and observe awareness.
Try this today
Take two minutes to sit without chasing any desire.
My mind rests in the Self.Reflect
What desire keeps pulling my mind outward?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘विनियतम् चित्तम्’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on self realization, in other chapters
- Verse 5.24Find your happiness, delight, and guiding light within — that inward self-sufficiency is the very gateway to liberation.
- Verse 13.25There are many authentic paths to the Self — meditation, knowledge, and selfless action all lead home.
- Verse 2.71Lasting peace comes not from getting what you want, but from releasing craving, possessiveness, and ego while still living fully in the world.
- Verse 12.16Want nothing for yourself, stay pure and capable, and let go of all ego-driven ventures.
Swipe left for 6.19 · Meditation steadies the flame of attention.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 6.18
Who says Bhagavad Gita 6.18, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 6.18, in Chapter 6, Dhyana Yoga (Dhyana Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 6.18 mean?
When the controlled mind rests in the Self alone, free from longing for all desires, one is called united in yoga. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 6.18 for daily life?
Pause desire-chasing and return inward. Instead of checking the phone for stimulation, one can sit and observe awareness.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 6.18 mean?
यदा — when; विनियतम् चित्तम् — the perfectly controlled mind; आत्मनि एव अवतिष्ठते — rests in the Self alone; निःस्पृहः — free from longing; सर्वकामेभ्यः — from all desires.
Where does verse 6.18 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 18 of 47 in Chapter 6, Dhyana Yoga. The next verse is 6.19.