2.60 Carried away by force Krishna speaks

यततो ह्यपि कौन्तेय पुरुषस्य विपश्चितः
इन्द्रियाणि प्रमाथीनि हरन्ति प्रसभं मनः

yatato hyapi kaunteya puruṣhasya vipaśhchitaḥ
indriyāṇi pramāthīni haranti prasabhaṁ manaḥ

Even for a person of discernment who is trying, son of Kunti, the restless senses carry the mind away by force.

Explanation

Even for a person of discernment who is trying.

The restless senses carry the mind away by force.

Trying is granted, and it is not enough. This is the same concession 6.34 makes about the mind being like the wind — the Gita repeatedly stops to admit that the method is hard.

Word by word

yatataḥ: while practicing self-control
hi: for
api: even
kaunteya: Arjun, the son of Kunti
puruṣhasya: of a person
vipaśhchitaḥ: one endowed with discrimination
indriyāṇi: the senses
pramāthīni: turbulent
haranti: carry away
prasabham: forcibly
manaḥ: the mind