12.9
अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम् ।
अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाप्तुं धनञ्जय ॥
atha cittaṃ samādhātuṃ na śaknoṣi mayi sthiram
abhyāsayogena tato mām icchāptuṃ dhanañjaya
Kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण) continues, to Dhanañjaya (धनञ्जय). atha (अथ) opens the first step down.
The verse
If you are not able to fix the mind steadily in me, then by the yoga of practice seek to reach me, Dhanañjaya (धनञ्जय).
नेपालीमा
यदि तिमी मन ममा स्थिर राख्न सक्दैनौ भने, हे धनञ्जय, अभ्यासको योगले मकहाँ पुग्न खोज।
Where it sits
12.8 was the order for the one who can set the mind. This is the first rung under it. Practice is what he is given when the mind will not stay.
Split: अथ + चित्तम् + समाधातुम् + न + शक्नोषि + मयि + स्थिरम् + अभ्यास-योगेन + ततः + माम् + इच्छ + आप्तुम् + धनञ्जय
atha + cittam + samādhātum + na + śaknoṣi + mayi + sthiram + abhyāsa-yogena + tataḥ + mām + iccha + āptum + dhanañjaya
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| देवनागरी | Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| अथ | atha | indeclinable | now. If, on the other hand. |
| चित्तम् | cittam | accusative | the mind, the gathered thought. |
| समाधातुम् | samādhātum | infinitive | to fix, to set firmly. सम्-आ-धा sam-ā-dhā. |
| न | na | indeclinable | not. |
| शक्नोषि | śaknoṣi | present, 2nd singular of śak (शक्) | you are able. |
| मयि | mayi | locative | in me. |
| स्थिरम् | sthiram | accusative singular neuter | steady. Agrees with cittam (चित्तम्). |
| अभ्यास-योगेन | abhyāsa-yogena | instrumental | by the yoga of practice. abhyāsa (अभ्यास) "repeated practice." |
| ततः | tataḥ | indeclinable | then. From that. |
| माम् | mām | accusative | me. |
| इच्छ | iccha | imperative, 2nd singular of iṣ (इष्) | seek. Want. |
| आप्तुम् | āptum | infinitive of āp (आप्) | to reach. |
| धनञ्जय | dhanañjaya | vocative | Dhanañjaya (धनञ्जय), winner of wealth. Arjuna (अर्जुन). |
The phrases
atha cittaṃ samādhātuṃ na śaknoṣi mayi sthiram (अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम्) is the person this verse is for. If you cannot fix the mind, steady, in me. sthiram (स्थिरम्) describes cittam (चित्तम्), not him. The mind is what will not stay still.
अभ्यासयोगेन ततः माम् इच्छ आप्तुम् धनञ्जय abhyāsayogena tataḥ mām iccha āptum dhanañjaya is the step he is given instead. Then, by the yoga of practice, seek to reach me. माम् इच्छ आप्तुम् mām iccha āptum is recited mām icchāptum (मामिच्छाप्तुम्): the a (अ) of iccha (इच्छ) joins the ā (आ) of āptum (आप्तुम्).
Sanskrit in this line
--tum (तुम्) is the infinitive, "to do." The verse has two. samādhātum (समाधातुम्) is the act he cannot do, the object of śaknoṣi (शक्नोषि) with na (न) in front. āptum (आप्तुम्) is the act he is told to seek, with iccha (इच्छ). Same ending, two jobs. The person of śaknoṣi (शक्नोषि) and of iccha (इच्छ) is you.
Say it back
What he cannot do, and what he is told to do instead. If abhyāsa-yoga (अभ्यास-योग) is said as the same act as fixing the mind, the rung was skipped.