एष वै परमो योगो मनस: सङ्ग्रह: स्मृत: । हृदयज्ञत्वमन्विच्छन् दम्यस्येवार्वतो मुहु: ॥ २१ ॥
eṣa vai paramo yogo manasaḥ saṅgrahaḥ smṛtaḥ hṛdaya-jñatvam anvicchan damyasyevārvato muhuḥ
- eṣaḥ
- this
- vai
- indeed
- paramaḥ
- supreme
- yogaḥ
- yoga process
- manasaḥ
- of the mind
- saṅgrahaḥ
- complete control
- smṛtaḥ
- thus declared
- hṛdaya-jñatvam
- the characteristic of knowing intimately
- anvicchan
- carefully watching
- damyasya
- which is to be subdued
- iva
- like
- arvataḥ
- of a horse
- muhuḥ
- always
An expert horseman, desiring to tame a headstrong horse, first lets the horse have his way for a moment and then, pulling the reins, gradually places the horse on the desired path. Similarly, the supreme yoga process is that by which one carefully observes the movements and desires of the mind and gradually brings them under full control.