Practice turns remembrance into nature.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना |परमं पुरुषं दिव्यं याति पार्थानुचिन्तयन् ||८-८||
orsaṃśayama abhyāsayogayuktena cetasā nānyagāminā . paramaṃ puruṣaṃ divyaṃ yāti pārthānucintayan ||8-8||
Use this verse to build a mantra or meditation habit.
Meaning
O Partha, with a mind trained by practice and not wandering elsewhere, one who meditates on the Supreme Divine Person attains Him.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Repeated practice makes the mind steady in Krishna.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna gives the method: abhyasa, repeated practice. A wandering mind cannot be forced once and for all. It is trained by returning again and again to the Divine. This verse supports guided meditation, mantra repetition, and daily remembrance streaks.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna now reveals the means by which steady remembrance becomes possible: abhyasa-yoga, the yoga of repeated practice. The mind cannot be steadied by a single act of will; it is trained gradually, through disciplined repetition, until it no longer wanders to other things (nanya-gamina).
The key word here is abhyasa — practice. Just as a skill is mastered through patient repetition, so the mind is taught to rest in the Divine by returning to it again and again, gently and persistently. Krishna is realistic: he does not expect the mind to be effortlessly fixed, but he assures Arjuna that constant meditation (anuchintayan) will carry the seeker to the Supreme, Resplendent Person.
There is great encouragement in this for anyone who struggles with a restless mind. Steadiness is not a gift bestowed on a few; it is the fruit of faithful, daily practice that anyone can begin.
In daily life
Return the mind to Krishna repeatedly, not perfectly.
A person who repeats a short mantra daily slowly trains attention toward Krishna.
Try this today
Repeat one Krishna mantra daily for seven days.
My mind returns to Krishna through practice.Reflect
What practice can train my mind toward Krishna?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘न अन्यगामिना’ mean in this verse?
The Gita on steadiness, in other chapters
- Verse 2.53When intelligence becomes immovably steady in samadhi, undistracted even by scriptural promises, true yoga is attained.
- Verse 6.19A disciplined mind grows as steady as a lamp flame in a windless place — unwavering, clear, and bright.
- Verse 5.27Withdraw the senses, steady your gaze, and balance the breath — these simple disciplines quiet the mind for inner realization.
- Verse 10.17 · ArjunaThe mind needs concrete supports to fix itself on the Divine — so ask, with Arjuna, where to rest your attention.
Swipe left for 8.9 · Meditation needs a noble vision of the Divine.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 8.8
Who says Bhagavad Gita 8.8, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 8.8, in Chapter 8, Aksara Brahma Yoga (Aksara Brahma Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 8.8 mean?
O Partha, with a mind trained by practice and not wandering elsewhere, one who meditates on the Supreme Divine Person attains Him. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 8.8 for daily life?
Return the mind to Krishna repeatedly, not perfectly. A person who repeats a short mantra daily slowly trains attention toward Krishna.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 8.8 mean?
अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन — by the yoga of repeated practice; चेतसा — with the mind; न अन्यगामिना — not wandering to anything else; परमम् पुरुषम् दिव्यम् — the Supreme, Resplendent Person; याति — one attains.
Where does verse 8.8 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 8 of 28 in Chapter 8, Aksara Brahma Yoga. The next verse is 8.9.