6-33 to 6-34

अर्जुन उवाच -
योऽयम् योगस्त्वया प्रोक्तः साम्येन मधुसूधन ।
एतस्याहम् न पश्यामि चन्चलत्वात् स्थितिम् स्थिराम् ॥ ३३ ॥
चन्चलम् हि मनः कृश्ण प्रमाथि बलवत् धृढम् ।
तस्याहम् निग्रहम् मन्ये वायोरिव सुदुष्करम् ॥ ३४ ॥

arjuna uvAca -
yo'yam yogastvayA proktaH sAmyena madhusUdhana |
etasyAham na pazyAmi cancalatvAt sthitim sthirAm || 33 ||
cancalam hi manaH kRzNa pramAthi balavat dhRDham |
tasyAham nigraham manye vAyoriva suduSkaram || 34 ||

अर्जुन उवाच [arjuna uvAca] Arjuna said मधुसूधन [madhusUdhana] Krishna, चन्चलत्वात् [cancalatvAt] due to the mind being volatile, अहम् न पश्यामि [aham na pazyAmi] I do not see यः अयम् योगः [yaH ayam yogaH] this yoga, which was त्वया साम्येन प्रोक्तः [tvayA sAmyena proktaH] told by you as equanimity, एतस्य स्थिराम् स्थितिम् [etasya sthirAm sthitim] as a state with any stability. कृश्ण [kRzNa] Krishna, मनः [manaH] the mind चन्चलम् हि [cancalam hi] is indeed unstable. बलवत् [balavat] As if by force, प्रमाथि [pramAthi] it causes diversions धृढम् [dhRDham] that are very strong. अहम् मन्ये [aham manye] I am of the opinion that सुदुष्करम् [suduSkaram] it is extremely difficult तस्य निग्रहम् [tasya nigraham] to gain control over it, वायोरिव [vAyoriva] just as it is difficult to gain control over the wind.

Is such a state of being really possible?

Arjuna said- For a long time, the mind has experienced a wide variety of beings, based on the differences between humans, differences between our Self, the Lord and so on. Given the variety it has encountered, I do not see a way in which the mind can be stationed firmly in the idea of equality.

The idea of equality was illustrated by You as the universal equivalence of all beings- All of them have a form that is pure knowledge and are equivalent to the Lord’s form, when they are not under the influence of their past deeds.

However, the mind has seen a wide variety of humans and other beings. The mind is accustomed to reacting to the various stimuli of the environment incessantly and is inherently volatile. Its entire experience goes against this equivalence. Hence, it is not possible for a person to make it stand in one place.

This mind will divert the person by force and firmly drive him elsewhere. Even among the stimuli he is used to, the mind cannot stay at one thought – it keeps wandering. Moreover, the Self has qualities that are opposite to the usual stimuli experienced by the mind.

Given all this, an attempt to make it stand still in the Self is like controlling an unfavorable strong wind with a small fan. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible.

In this way, a desire to know the means to control the mind is expressed.