It is very difficult to control the mind. Arjuna, when he was advised to perform the haṭha-yoga system to control the mind, he flatly refused that, "I am unable to control my mind in this way." He stated that cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa (BG 6.34): "Kṛṣṇa, the mind is so agitating and moving," cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi, "it is just like a madman." Just like you cannot control a madman. Sometimes you have to chain a madman for doing mischievous activities. Sometimes you have to send to some hospital for special care.
So Arjuna said, cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi, mad, balavat. And not only mad, "is very strong," and dṛḍham, and "very strong and determined." Tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye: "If You ask me to control my mind, it is very difficult for me." Tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye vāyor api suduṣkaram: "If there is some wind, strong wind, and if one thinks that 'I shall control this wind, stop this strong blowing of wind,' as it is impossible, similarly, the movement of my mind is so strong that I cannot promise that I can control this mind."
And after the statement of Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa said . . . Kṛṣṇa saw that His friend was becoming disappointed. Because he cannot prosecute the yogic system, so he's becoming disappointed. But He knew that Arjuna was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That . . . that was certain. Although his mind was very agitated because he was politician, he was warrior, still, his mind was fixed up in Kṛṣṇa. That He knew. Therefore He said that yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā (BG 6.47).
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, the technique is that you may be engaged in various types of work, but the mind must be always fixed up in Kṛṣṇa. That art you have to learn. How it is possible? It is possible. Perhaps you have not seen—in India the women, they go to draw water from the well, and they keep on the head. They are going, but the head is so balanced that the waterpot will never fall down. There are many instances that if you learn how to keep the balance, in spite of your movement, the waterpot on the head will not fall.
Similarly, if you mold your life in such a way that Kṛṣṇa should always be remembered, then, in spite of your mind being very agitated, your mind will be fixed up in Kṛṣṇa. That is required. Therefore in the devotional service we have got so many engagements.
- śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ
- smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
- arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ
- sakhyam ātma-nivedanam
- (SB 7.5.23)
This is the art. Just like Ambarīṣa Mahārāja. He was also great emperor, and he had to rule over all over the world. Still, sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18): he always fixed up his mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane.