Mind control in the Bhagavad Gita, Veda, and Vedanta is achieved by
training the mind to be a "friend" through constant practice (abhyasa) and
detachment (vairagya), as taught by Lord Krishna. It involves managing the
senses, cultivating Sattva (purity), and using intellect to focus on the
higher Self.
The Two Methods: Krishna advises that the restless, turbulent mind can be
controlled through abhyasa (consistent practice/meditation) and vairagya
(dispassion/detachment from sensory objects).
Friend vs. Enemy: A controlled mind is the best friend, while an
uncontrolled mind acts as the worst enemy.
Detachment (Vairagya): This involves keeping unwanted, negative thoughts
out by leading a focused life and disengaging from sensory pleasures.
Practice (Abhyasa): This means repeating positive, spiritual practices to
rewire the mind's habits, similar to building muscle memory.
Withdrawing the Mind: Whenever the unsteady mind wanders, one must bring it
back under the control of the Self.
Vedantic Perspective: Vedanta emphasizes purifying the mind from rajas
(agitation) and tamas (dullness) to achieve a sattvic (calm) state,
allowing for self-realization.
Active Engagement: Rather than simply stopping thoughts, it is more
effective to engage the mind in higher activities like chanting,
meditation, or selfless service.
Analogy: The mind is compared to a powerful, wild horse that needs to be
directed properly, as it can otherwise cause chaos.
Benefits: A controlled mind leads to equanimity, allowing one to remain
unaffected by pleasure/pain or honor/dishonor.
2 VEDA RAHASYA GUHYAM IS B G.
Yes, the phrase Veda Rahasya Guhyam (meaning "The Secret/Mysterious
Knowledge of the Vedas") is directly associated with the Bhagavad Gita
(BG), particularly in the context of it being the essence or the most
confidential part of all Vedic knowledge.
Raja-Guhyam (The King of Secrets): In Bhagavad-gītā 9.2, Kṛṣṇa describes
the knowledge contained within the Gita as rāja-vidyā (king of education)
and rāja-guhyam (the king of confidential/secret knowledge).
Essence of Vedas: The Gita is considered the "final end conclusion of the
Vedas" and the "most confidential" knowledge (rāja-guhyam).
Secret Knowledge (Guhya): Bhagavad-gītā 18.68 mentions ya idaṁ paraṁ guhyaṁ
("He who proclaims this supreme mystery..."), referring to the teachings of
the Gita as the highest secret or mystery.
Veda-Rahasya (Secret of the Veda): While Veda Rahasya can be a title of
books (like those by Sri Aurobindo), in the context of B.G. (Bhagavad
Gita), it refers to the inner, esoteric meaning of the Vedas which Kṛṣṇa
reveals to Arjuna.
In summary, the Bhagavad Gita is often referred to as the Raja-Guhyam or
Veda Rahasya because it reveals the confidential, inner meaning of the
Vedas.
3 The Upanishads declare that Brahman or consciousness is the ultimate
reality. Our true nature is Brahman – eternal, infinite, free from
limitations. However, we fail to realize this due to ignorance caused by
the impurities of the mind.
The mind is constantly disturbed by rajas (restlessness) and tamas
(inertia). This causes it to swing between extremes – at times overly
active jumping from one thought to another, at other times dull, clouded
and unclear. A mind dominated by rajas and tamas cannot comprehend the
subtle truths of Advaita Vedanta. It is too distracted, agitated and lacks
the subtlety to discern the oneness of Atman and Brahman.
Therefore, purification of mind is essential. A sattvic (pure, tranquil)
mind is necessary to realize the identity of Atman (“I”) and Brahman (the
total). When rajas and tamas are subdued, the mind becomes calm, focused
and sharp. The turbulences settle down and the veils of ignorance are
removed.
In this purified state, the mind becomes like a clean mirror capable of
accurately reflecting Brahman. The knowledge imparted by the Guru is
clearly grasped without distortion. One is then able to discern the true
meaning of mahavakyas like “Tat Tvam Asi” – “You are That”. The oneness of
the individual self and final reality becomes evident.
Thus, mental purification leads to sattva guna predominating. This removes
the obstacles blocking the vision of oneness. A serene, subtle and
sensitive mind alone can properly reflect on the teachings, practice
self-inquiry and realize the non-dual, undifferentiated Brahman. This is
why mental purification is emphasized in Vedanta before trying to capture
the expansive vision of oneness.
4 Arjun says in Bhagavad Gita:
चञ्चलं हि मन: कृष्ण प्रमाथि बलवद्दृढम् |तस्याहं निग्रहं मन्ये वायोरिव
सुदुष्करम् || (6.34)
O Krishna, Mind is restless, stubborn and so powerful that it’s very
difficult to control, even more, difficult than the controlling wind.
Anyone who has tried doing meditation will agree with Arjun’s assessment.
For most of us, seating even a couple of minutes without the mind wandering
somewhere is impossible.
And, By the way, we are not alone in this, great saints like Dnyaneshwar
has written an abhanga, to request mind to become still.
रुणुझुणु रुणुझुणु रे भ्रमरा । सांडीं तूं अवगुणु रे भ्रमरा ॥ (Marathi)
He uses a metaphor of bee for the mind and requests it to drop the bad
habit of wandering, and instead become still.
So, we don’t need to feel embarrassed by this, instead, we have to accept
‘wandering’ as the basic nature of the mind, and find ways to calm it down.
One of the solutions is given in Yog Sutras:
अभ्यासवैराग्याभ्यां तन्निरोधः॥ (1.12)
Way to control the mind is practice and Vairagya.
While practice is well understood, Vairagya needs some explanation.
Vairagya means ‘not having interest’ in things that are non-permanent (like
material wealth, sensory pleasure, etc).
But, It does not mean we have to become a sanyasi. Instead, if we do all
our activities as duties (of Kartavya) without expecting anything in
return, we will be embracing Vairagya.
This way, if we follow Vairagya, and continue practicing Dhyana, slowly we
will see that mind has become steadier, as it has lesser reasons to wander
around.
K RAJARAM IRS 25226
On Tue, 24 Feb 2026 at 22:42, Narayanaswamy Sekar <[email protected]>
wrote:
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ---------
> From: N Sekar <[email protected]>
> Date: Tue, Feb 24, 2026, 9:10 PM
> Subject: Fwd on B G
> To: Kerala Iyer <[email protected]>, Narayanaswamy Sekar <
> [email protected]>, Suryanarayana Ambadipudi <[email protected]>,
> Rangarajan T.N.C. <[email protected]>, Chittanandam V. R. <
> [email protected]>, Mathangi K. Kumar <[email protected]>,
> Mani APS <[email protected]>, Rama (Iyer 123 Group) <[email protected]>,
> Srinivasan Sridharan <[email protected]>, Surendra Varma <
> [email protected]>
>
>
>
> An experiment at one of India’s most elite engineering colleges changed
> how scientists look at the Bhagavad Gita.
>
> There is a college in India called BITS Pilani where getting admitted is
> harder than getting into most Ivy League schools. The students there are
> trained to think in equations and evidence.
>
> Between 2012 and 2019, over 2,000 of them signed up for an elective course
> on the Bhagavad Gita. Nobody forced them. Nobody had to. The results were
> so consistent that it became a peer-reviewed study published on PubMed
> Central, the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
>
> 300 of those students voluntarily wrote about what changed. Clarity of
> thought. A shift in attitude. Better ability to handle pressure. Sharper
> decision-making. These are not the kind of things you expect a 5,000 year
> old text to deliver to engineering students. But that is exactly what
> happened. Across twelve batches. Over seven years. The same result showing
> up again and again.
>
> Here is what makes it interesting. These students are trained to be
> skeptical. They do not take things at face value. Yet batch after batch
> reported the same thing. An inner calm that helped them stay focused. A
> framework for thinking that nothing else in their curriculum had offered.
> When skeptics arrive at the same conclusion independently over seven years,
> that is not anecdote. That is a pattern.
>
> Most people think the Bhagavad Gita is a religious text. It is not. It is
> a conversation between a man who is paralyzed by anxiety and someone who
> teaches him how to think clearly anyway. Krishna does not tell Arjuna what
> to believe. He teaches him how to act when everything feels impossible.
> That distinction matters. It is the difference between a prayer book and an
> operating manual.
>
> There is a concept in the Gita called Nishkama Karma. It means doing your
> work without being consumed by what happens next. That sounds like
> philosophy until you realize that modern Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is
> trying to teach people the exact same thing. Detach from outcomes. Focus on
> process. Manage your response to what you cannot control. The Gita had this
> figured out a few thousand years before therapists started charging for it.
>
> During COVID, researchers ran a clinical trial on healthcare workers.
> Frontline doctors and nurses drowning in stress. One group learned Bhagavad
> Gita teachings. The control group did not. The Gita group showed
> statistically significant reductions in anxiety. And here is the part that
> stopped me. The effects were still holding strong 45 days after the
> intervention ended. Most stress management techniques fade within a week.
> This one stuck.
>
> The Bhagavad Gita was written on a battlefield for a man standing in the
> worst moment of his life. It was not written for temples or retirement. It
> was written for the moments when your mind is falling apart and you need
> something that actually works. 2,000 of India’s sharpest minds found that
> it did. The only real question is why most people will still never open it.
>
> Follow @10minutegita for more such updates.
> Yahoo Mail: Search, Organize, Conquer
> <https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&c=US_Acquisition_YMktg_315_SearchOrgConquer_EmailSignature&af_sub1=Acquisition&af_sub2=US_YMktg&af_sub3=&af_sub4=100002039&af_sub5=C01_Email_Static_&af_ios_store_cpp=0c38e4b0-a27e-40f9-a211-f4e2de32ab91&af_android_url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yahoo.mobile.client.android.mail&listing=search_organize_conquer>
>
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