The peace that rests in God

yuñjannevaṃ sadātmānaṃ yogī niyatamānasaḥśāntiṃ nirvāṇaparamāṃ matsaṃsthāmadhigacchati

Practising always like this, mind disciplined, the yogi reaches peace, the highest nirvana, which rests in me.

What it means

Krishna names where the practice leads. Nirvana. The word means blown out, like a flame of restlessness finally going quiet. It is not emptiness or nothingness. Krishna adds something important. This peace rests in me. For the Gita, the stillness at the end of meditation is full, alive and close to God.

The story

At the very start of the Gita, as two armies roar, Krishna sits between them and speaks to Arjuna as if smiling. Chaos all around, peace at the centre. That is the peace he is now describing.

In your life

After a long day caring for his elderly mother, Raj finally sits in the dark kitchen. Instead of reaching for the remote, he stays still for five minutes. Something in him, for a moment, is completely at rest.