Bhagavad Gita 6.20: meaning and translation
Chapter 6: Dhyana Yoga. Krishna says
Krishna begins a long sentence that runs to 6.23.
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Bhagavad Gita 6.20
यत्रोपरमते चित्तं निरुद्धं योगसेवया ।यत्र चैवात्मनाऽऽत्मानं पश्यन्नात्मनि तुष्यति ॥
Yatroparamate chittam niruddham yogasevayaYatra chaivatmanatmanam pashyannatmani tushyati
yatroparamate cittaṃ niruddhaṃ yogasevayā |yatra caivātmanā’’tmānaṃ paśyannātmani tuṣyati ||
Our explanation Krishna begins a long sentence that runs to 6.23. It describes the state in which the mind, held still by the practice of yoga, comes to rest, and in which a person, seeing the self by the self, is content in the self.
हिंदी अर्थ कृष्ण एक लंबा वाक्य शुरू करते हैं जो 6.23 तक चलता है। वह उस अवस्था का वर्णन करता है जिसमें योग के अभ्यास से रोका गया चित्त शांत हो जाता है, और जिसमें व्यक्ति आत्मा से आत्मा को देखकर आत्मा में ही संतुष्ट रहता है।
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Word by word
- यत्र yatra · where, in which (indeclinable) Dictionary: yatra, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 841, col. 2 “in or to which place, where, wherein, wherever”
- उपरमते uparamate · comes to rest (present, 3rd person singular) Dictionary: upa-ram, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 204, col. 3 “to cease from action, be inactive or quiet (as a quietist)”
- चित्तम् cittam · the mind (noun (neuter), nominative singular) Dictionary: citta, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 395, col. 3 “the heart, mind”
- निरुद्धम् niruddham · held still (past participle (neuter), nominative singular) Dictionary: ni-ruddha, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 554, col. 1 “held back, withheld, held fast, stopped, shut, closed, confined, restrained”
- योगसेवया yogasevayā · by the practice of yoga (compound (feminine), instrumental singular) Dictionary: yoga, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 856, col. 2 “the act of yoking, joining, attaching”; sevā, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1247, col. 1 “worship, homage, reverence, devotion to”
- यत्र yatra · where (indeclinable) Dictionary: yatra, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 841, col. 2 “in or to which place, where, wherein, wherever”
- च ca · and (indeclinable) Dictionary: 2. ca, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 380, col. 1 “ind. and, both, also, moreover, as well as”
- एव eva · also (indeclinable) Dictionary: 1. eva, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 232, col. 2 “just, exactly, very, same, only, even, alone, merely”
- आत्मना ātmanā · by the self (noun (masculine), instrumental singular) Dictionary: ātman, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 135, col. 1 “the individual soul, self”
- आत्मानम् ātmānam · the self (noun (masculine), accusative singular) Dictionary: ātman, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 135, col. 1 “the individual soul, self”
- पश्यन् paśyan · seeing (present participle (masculine), nominative singular) Dictionary: 1. paś, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 611, col. 2 “behold, look at, observe, perceive, notice”
- आत्मनि ātmani · in the self (noun (masculine), locative singular) Dictionary: ātman, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 135, col. 1 “the individual soul, self”
- तुष्यति tuṣyati · is content (present, 3rd person singular) Dictionary: tuṣ, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 452, col. 1 “to become calm, be satisfied or pleased with any one”
1 printing differs
Edition differences. Another printing or text reads this place differently.
- Spelling A digital text reads Same words. The 1922 edition marks the merged vowel with an avagraha (आत्मनाऽऽत्मानं); this e-text does not.
Old translations
Kashinath Trimbak Telang, 1882. Public domain. Page 69–70.
That (mental condition), in which the mind restrained by practice of abstraction, ceases to work; in which too, one seeing the self by the self1, is pleased in the self; in which one experiences that infinite happiness which transcends the senses, and which can be grasped by the understanding only; and adhering to which, one never swerves from the truth; acquiring which, one thinks no other acquisition higher than it; and adhering to which, one is not shaken off even by great misery; that should be understood to be called devotion in which there is a severance of all connexion with pain. That devotion should be practised with steadiness and with an undesponding heart.
This sentence covers verses 6.20 to 6.23.
Footnotes (the translator’s own) - Sees the highest principle by a mind purified by abstraction. ↩
Compare 3 translations
Kashinath Trimbak Telang, 1882. Public domain. Page 69–70.
That (mental condition), in which the mind restrained by practice of abstraction, ceases to work; in which too, one seeing the self by the self1, is pleased in the self; in which one experiences that infinite happiness which transcends the senses, and which can be grasped by the understanding only; and adhering to which, one never swerves from the truth; acquiring which, one thinks no other acquisition higher than it; and adhering to which, one is not shaken off even by great misery; that should be understood to be called devotion in which there is a severance of all connexion with pain. That devotion should be practised with steadiness and with an undesponding heart.
This sentence covers verses 6.20 to 6.23.
Footnotes (the translator’s own) - Sees the highest principle by a mind purified by abstraction. ↩
You are reading this one
Annie Besant, 1895. Public domain. Page 69.
When the mind is quiet, stopped by the practice of Yoga, when he seeth the SELF by the SELF, and in the SELF is satisfied;
This sentence goes on in 6.21.
You are reading this one
Swami Swarupananda, 1909 (first printed 1907). Public domain. Page 131–132.
When the mind, absolutely restrained by the practice of concentration, attains quietude, and when seeing Self by the self, is satisfied in his own Self; when he feels that infinite bliss—which is perceived by the (purified) intellect and which transcends the senses, and established wherein he never departs from his real state; and having obtained which, no other acquisition is regarded superior to that, and where established, he is not moved even by heavy sorrow;—let that be known as the state, called by the name of Yoga,—a state of severance from the contact of pain. This Yoga should be practised with perseverance, undisturbed by depression of heart.
This sentence covers verses 6.20 to 6.23.
You are reading this one
Cite this verse
The translation: K. T. Telang, The Bhagavadgîtâ (The Sacred Books of the East, vol. VIII, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1882), pp. 69–70. Bhagavad Gita 6.20–23.
The translation: Annie Besant, The Bhagavad Gîtâ, or The Lord's Song (London: Theosophical Publishing Society, 1895), p. 69. Bhagavad Gita 6.20.
The translation: Swami Swarupananda, Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita (Mayavati: Prabuddha Bharata Press, 1909; first printed in Prabuddha Bharata, 1907–1909), pp. 131–132. Bhagavad Gita 6.20–23.
Our explanation: “Bhagavad Gita 6.20: meaning and translation.” Pujadeep. Updated October 25, 2026. https://pujadeep.com/bhagavad-gita/6/20/
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Bhagavad Gita 6.20
यत्रोपरमते चित्तं निरुद्धं योगसेवया ।
यत्र चैवात्मनाऽऽत्मानं पश्यन्नात्मनि तुष्यति ॥
“That (mental condition), in which the mind restrained by practice of abstraction, ceases to work; in which too, one seeing the self by the self, is pleased in the self; in which one experiences that infinite happiness which transcends the senses, and which can be grasped by the understanding only; and adhering to which, one never swerves from the truth; acquiring which, one thinks no other acquisition higher than it; and adhering to which, one is not shaken off even by great misery; that should be understood to be called devotion in which there is a severance of all connexion with pain. That devotion should be practised with steadiness and with an undesponding heart.”
(K. T. Telang, The Bhagavadgîtâ (The Sacred Books of the East, vol. VIII, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1882), pp. 69–70, public domain)
This sentence covers verses 6.20 to 6.23.
“When the mind is quiet, stopped by the practice of Yoga, when he seeth the SELF by the SELF, and in the SELF is satisfied;”
(Annie Besant, The Bhagavad Gîtâ, or The Lord's Song (London: Theosophical Publishing Society, 1895), p. 69, public domain)
This sentence goes on in 6.21.
“When the mind, absolutely restrained by the practice of concentration, attains quietude, and when seeing Self by the self, is satisfied in his own Self; when he feels that infinite bliss—which is perceived by the (purified) intellect and which transcends the senses, and established wherein he never departs from his real state; and having obtained which, no other acquisition is regarded superior to that, and where established, he is not moved even by heavy sorrow;—let that be known as the state, called by the name of Yoga,—a state of severance from the contact of pain. This Yoga should be practised with perseverance, undisturbed by depression of heart.”
(Swami Swarupananda, Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita (Mayavati: Prabuddha Bharata Press, 1909; first printed in Prabuddha Bharata, 1907–1909), pp. 131–132, public domain)
This sentence covers verses 6.20 to 6.23.
Sanskrit: G. A. Natesan & Co., Madras, 1922.
https://pujadeep.com/bhagavad-gita/6/20/ Nothing is sent from this site. Your own app sends it, to the chat you choose. The picture quotes the translation you chose on this page, with its name and year.
Sanskrit text: The Bhagavad-Gita, or The Lord's Song, with the text in Devanagari and an English translation, 1922. Meanings: written for Pujadeep and checked against the cited edition. Source and changes
Questions families ask
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 6.20?
Krishna speaks this verse, in chapter 6 (Dhyana Yoga).
Where does the Sanskrit text come from?
Sanskrit text: The Bhagavad-Gita, or The Lord's Song, with the text in Devanagari and an English translation, 1922. Meanings: written for Pujadeep and checked against the cited edition. See the source
Is the meaning on this page a translation?
Explanation written for this site from the sources listed here, and checked against the cited edition. It is not a translation and not the only way to read the text. Free to quote with credit.
Source and licence
- Sanskrit text
- The Bhagavad-Gita, or The Lord's Song, with the text in Devanagari and an English translation (Annie Besant, G. A. Natesan & Co., Madras, 1922). Public domain. The Sanskrit on these pages was read from this printing’s page images.
- Translation
- The Bhagavadgîtâ with the Sanatsugâtîya and the Anugîtâ, translated by Kâshinâth Trimbak Telang (The Sacred Books of the East, vol. VIII, ed. F. Max Müller) (Kashinath Trimbak Telang, F. Max Müller, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1882). Public domain. Shown verbatim, as printed.
- Translation
- The Bhagavad Gîtâ, or The Lord's Song, translated by Annie Besant (Annie Besant, Theosophical Publishing Society, London, 1895). Public domain. Shown verbatim, as printed.
- Translation
- Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita, with Sanskrit Text; Paraphrase with Word-by-word Literal Translation; English Rendering and Comments, Index, &c., by the Swami Swarupananda (Himalayan Series, No. XX) (Swami Swarupananda, The Editors and Publishers, Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati, Prabuddha Bharata Press, Mayavati, Almora, Himalayas, 1909). Public domain. Shown verbatim, as printed.
- Common wording
- In this text, 32 words follow today's common wording, checked against sanskritdocuments.org; Sanskrit Wikisource; Gita Press, Gorakhpur; GRETIL, Göttingen and Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.
- Our explanation
- Explanation written for this site from the sources listed here, and checked against the cited edition. It is not a translation and not the only way to read the text. Free to quote with credit.
- Checked
- Checked against the cited edition, October 15, 2026.
- Updated
- October 25, 2026