असंयतात्मना योगो दुष्प्राप इति मे मतिः | वश्यात्मना तु यतता शक्योऽवाप्तुमुपायतः ||३६||
asaṃyatātmanā yogo duṣprāpa iti me matiḥ | vaśyātmanā tu yatatā śakyo'vāptum upāyataḥ || 36 ||
Yoga is hard for the uncontrolled self — but for the self-controlled one striving by right means, it is attainable.
Word by word (3)
- asaṃyata-ātmanā yogaḥ duṣprāpaḥ iti me matiḥ
- — yoga is hard to attain by one of uncontrolled self — such is my conviction · asaṃyata = uncontrolled, unrestrained (a-saṃyata — the opposite of saṃyata/disciplined). ātmanā = by the self/one (instrumental). yogaḥ duṣprāpaḥ = yoga is hard to attain (duṣprāpa = difficult to reach/obtain). iti me matiḥ = such is my opinion/conviction (me = my; matiḥ = thought, opinion, conviction). Krishna states his personal conviction: the uncontrolled self cannot attain yoga. This is not a moral judgment but a practical assessment — like saying 'a leaky cup cannot hold water.' Without the vessel (self-control), the yoga (water) cannot be held.
- vaśyātmanā tu yatatā śakyaḥ avāptum upāyataḥ
- — but by the self-controlled one striving by right means, it can be obtained · vaśyātmanā = by the self-controlled one (vaśya = controllable, under control; ātman — so: one whose self is under control). tu = but (the contrast). yatatā = by one who strives, one who puts forth effort. śakyaḥ = possible, capable of (from √śak, to be able). avāptum = to obtain, to attain (gerundive of ava + √āp). upāyataḥ = by right means, through proper methods (upāya = means, method). The qualifier: striving by RIGHT means (upāyataḥ). Not any effort — directed, appropriate effort. This connects to V35's specific remedy (abhyāsa + vairāgya) as the upāya (right means).
- vaśyātmā vs asaṃyatātmā / upāyataḥ (the boundary conditions)
- — controlled self vs uncontrolled self / right means — the three conditions of attainability · V36 sets the boundary conditions for yoga attainment. Two types: (1) asaṃyatātmā (uncontrolled self) — for them, yoga is duṣprāpa (hard to attain). (2) vaśyātmā (controlled self) + yatata (striving) + upāyataḥ (by right means) — for them, it is śakya (possible). The key insight is upāyataḥ (right means): even the self-controlled must use the correct method (V35's abhyāsa-vairāgya, not force or suppression). This closes the loop: V34's diagnosis → V35's remedy → V36's confirmation that the remedy works for those who apply it correctly.
Krishna concludes the V33-36 dialogue: my conviction is that yoga is difficult for the person whose self is uncontrolled. But for the self-controlled person who strives by right means (the abhyāsa-vairāgya of V35), yoga IS attainable. The door is open; the key is the right method applied with self-discipline.
A modern analogy
A garden that has not been tended (asaṃyatātmā) is hard to grow vegetables in — weeds dominate, soil is poor, water is wasted. But a tended garden (vaśyātmā) produces abundantly. The move from untended to tended is not a question of soil type — it's a question of consistent work (abhyāsa) applied in the right way (upāyataḥ). Any garden can be tended; any self can be controlled. It takes V35's method applied over time.
What it does NOT mean
V36 does NOT say that only naturally disciplined people can attain yoga. It says the UNCONTROLLED self finds it difficult — and the way to move from uncontrolled to controlled is precisely V35's abhyāsa-vairāgya. V36 describes the condition, not a fixed personality type.
Take with you
- V36's upāyataḥ (by right means) is the key qualifier: effort applied through wrong means (force, suppression, excessive austerity rejected in V16-17) will not produce the V36 attainment even for a disciplined person. Right means (V35's abhyāsa-vairāgya) are required.
- Self-control (vaśyātmā) is the condition, not the prerequisite: the path of V35 builds self-control progressively. V36 is not gatekeeping — it's describing the landscape: more self-control → more accessible yoga. Build the self-control through the practice.
- V36 closes the V33-36 dialogue unit: V33 (doubt about stability) + V34 (the mind is wind-like) + V35 (abhyāsa + vairāgya) + V36 (right means make it attainable for the self-controlled). The unit is complete: diagnosis → remedy → confirmation.
V36 closes the V33-36 dialogue by restating the condition-consequence structure: uncontrolled self → yoga hard to attain; self-controlled one striving by right means → yoga attainable. This structure is not fatalistic (some can, some can't) — it is conditional (the condition, while real, is addressable through V35's method). The word upāyataḥ (by right means) is crucial: it connects V36's 'attainable' back to V35's specific remedy (abhyāsa + vairāgya). The 'right means' are not a mystery — they are precisely the pair Krishna has just given. V36 thus closes V33-36 as a complete unit: problem diagnosed → remedy given → attainability confirmed for those who apply the remedy correctly.
Advaita lens
Shankaracharya: the vaśyātmā (controlled self) of V36 is the one who has made progress in the V24-26 practices — who has released saṃkalpas, who gradually quiets the mind, who consistently returns the wandering mind. This self-control is not a prerequisite for beginning but a description of progress. The asaṃyatātmā (uncontrolled self) is at the beginning of the path; the vaśyātmā is further along. V35's abhyāsa-vairāgya is the path between them.
Bhakti lens
The bhakta's self-control (vaśyātmā) is the disciplined devotional life: consistent practice of the presence of the Beloved, regular devotional activities, and the vairāgya that keeps lesser attachments from displacing the primary devotion. V36's 'right means' in bhakti context is the teacher's prescribed devotional method.
Karma-Yoga lens
V36's self-control requirement applies equally to karma yoga: the uncontrolled karma yogi cannot sustain nishkama action — attachment to results, desire for recognition, frustration at outcomes will inevitably corrupt the practice. The self-controlled karma yogi, applying V35's vairāgya (non-attachment) consistently, can maintain the purity of action that karma yoga requires.
Modern parallels
Psychological research on self-regulation (Roy Baumeister's willpower research, then revised 'ego-depletion' model, then the habit-formation corrective) confirms V36's practical point: self-control is not a fixed personality trait but a trainable capacity. The vaśyātmā is not born self-controlled — they built it through consistent practice (abhyāsa). V36's conditional structure (controlled self → attainable) is thus not a gatekeeping statement but a description of the development pathway.
Practice
V36 as the structure of a practice review: at the end of a month of practice, assess honestly: (1) Am I more vaśyātmā than I was at the start? (Even slightly?) (2) Have I been applying the upāyataḥ (right means — abhyāsa-vairāgya) or some other method? (3) What specific adjustment would bring me closer to V35's remedy? This monthly review is V36 as a self-assessment tool.
Public-domain translations (6) compare all →
Yoga is hard to attain by one of uncontrolled self — such is My conviction. But it can be obtained by the self-controlled one striving by right means. [1]
Yoga is hard to be attained by one of uncontrolled self: such is My conviction; but the self-controlled, striving by right means can obtain it. [4]
Yoga is hard to be attained by one whose self is not subdued — that is my view; but he who has the self controlled, striving rightly, can attain it. [5]
I agree with thee that it is most difficult for one with uncontrolled mind; but by right means with a well-governed mind it can be obtained. [6]
Difficult it is, I know, to win for those of unquiet hearts: but those who strive by right means and have subdued their spirits — they shall attain. [7]
Yoga is hard to be achieved by one of uncontrolled self — such is my conviction; but by him who has a self under control, it is achievable through proper means. [9]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
Yes, the mind is restless and hard to restrain — but through abhyāsa and vairāgya, it is governed.
O Krishna — the faithful yogi who fell short of yoga's perfection through wandering mind: what is their destination?
Even the wise act by their nature. All beings follow nature. Forced repression accomplishes nothing.
Greed, restless activity, and longing surge — know that rajas is predominant and karma-saṅga is binding.
Your own mind is your best friend when mastered; your worst enemy when not.
The self-conquered yogi finds the Supreme Self equally present through cold, heat, joy, pain, honour and dishonour.