Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 67

इन्द्रियाणां हि चरतां यन्मनोऽनुविधीयते । तदस्य हरति प्रज्ञां वायुर्नावमिवाम्भसि

indriyāṇāṃ hi caratāṃ yanmano'nuvidhīyate | tadasya harati prajñāṃ vāyurnāvamivāmbhasi

Translation

For, the mind which yields to the roving senses carries away his knowledge, as the wind (carries away) a ship on water.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

indriyāṇām

of the senses

hi

indeed

caratām

moving

yat

which

manaḥ

the mind

anuvidhīyate

is conformed to

tat

that

asya

of him

harati

carries away

prajñām

the intelligence

vāyuḥ

the wind

nāvam

the ship

iva

like

ambhasi

in the water

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

For, the mind that follows after the wandering senses — that runs after each object that appears — carries away the man's discriminative knowledge (prajñā), as the wind (vāyu) drives a ship from its course on the waters. The senses are restless; the unguarded mind that follows them is swept off the course of right knowledge.