Self-control makes yoga possible.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
असंयतात्मना योगो दुष्प्राप इति मे मतिः |वश्यात्मना तु यतता शक्योऽवाप्तुमुपायतः ||६-३६||
asaṃyatātmanā yogo duṣprāpa iti me matiḥ . vaśyātmanā tu yatatā śakyo.avāptumupāyataḥ ||6-36||
Use this verse when you need structure for practice.
Meaning
Yoga is difficult for one without self-control, but attainable for one who has mastered the self and strives by proper means.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Yoga is difficult without self-control but possible with right method.
Word-by-word meaning
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Explanation
Krishna is realistic but encouraging. Discipline and proper method make yoga attainable.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna completes his answer with balanced realism. He concedes plainly that for the asamyata-atma — the one whose self is uncontrolled — yoga is indeed hard to attain. He does not offer false comfort; without inner discipline, the goal remains out of reach. This honesty respects Arjuna's intelligence and the genuine difficulty he has raised.
But the verse pivots on hope and effort. For the vashya-atma — one who has brought himself under control — and who is yatata, actively striving, yoga is shakya, achievable, when pursued upayatah, by the right means. Three conditions emerge: self-control, sincere striving, and skillful method.
This is not blind willpower but intelligent, persistent effort along a proven path. Krishna thus places the outcome firmly within reach of anyone willing to do the work. The mind that seemed as ungovernable as the wind is shown to be conquerable, not by magic, but by self-mastery and right practice steadily applied.
In daily life
Use method, not random effort.
A person needs a guided routine rather than occasional intense meditation attempts.
Try this today
Create a simple practice plan for one week.
With the right method, yoga is possible for me.Reflect
What method will help me practice consistently?
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Quick check
What does ‘शक्यः अवाप्तुम्’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on effort, in other chapters
- Verse 15.11Spiritual effort bears fruit only when the heart that makes it has first been purified.
- Verse 12.9If the mind will not settle on God, train it through patient, repeated practice.
- Verse 3.41Master desire at its earliest stage in the senses, before it captures your mind and reasoning — it is far easier to check an impulse than an obsession.
- Verse 4.21Action done with a disciplined mind, free of expectation and possessiveness, leaves no stain on the soul.
Swipe left for 6.37 · Sincere struggle matters.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 6.36
Who says Bhagavad Gita 6.36, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 6.36, in Chapter 6, Dhyana Yoga (Dhyana Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 6.36 mean?
Yoga is difficult for one without self-control, but attainable for one who has mastered the self and strives by proper means. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 6.36 for daily life?
Use method, not random effort. A person needs a guided routine rather than occasional intense meditation attempts.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 6.36 mean?
असंयतात्मना — by one of uncontrolled self; योगः दुष्प्रापः — yoga is hard to attain; इति मे मतिः — this is My opinion; वश्यात्मना तु — but by one of controlled self; यतता — striving / endeavouring.
Where does verse 6.36 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 36 of 47 in Chapter 6, Dhyana Yoga. The next verse is 6.37.