यतो यतो निश्चरति मनश्चञ्चलमस्थिरम् ।ततस्ततो नियम्यैतदात्मन्येव वशं नयेत् ॥
yato yato niścarati manaś cañcalam asthiram |tatastato niyamyaitad ātmany eva vaśaṃ nayet ||
- यतः यतः · yataḥ yataḥ
- wherever
- निश्चरति · niścarati
- wanders off
- चञ्चलम् · cañcalam
- restless
- अस्थिरम् · asthiram
- unsteady
- नियम्य · niyamya
- having restrained
- वशम् · vaśam
- under control
- नयेत् · nayet
- should bring
“Wherever the restless, unsteady mind wanders off, restraining it from there, he should bring it under control into the self alone.”
— Original plain-language translation
Wandering is expected, not failure; return is the whole training. Each exit becomes an occasion for gentle retrieval. Repeated gathering slowly tames restlessness.
— Reader's notes (original)