VI: 19

Chapter 6, Verse 19

"A candle whose light is steady
In a shelter where no winds blow
Is like the Yogi of subdued thought
Practicing union with the Self."

Swami Shivananda:

This is a beautiful simile.  Yogis quote it quite often when they speak of concentration, steadiness and one-pointedness of mind.  A steady mind serves as a powerful searchlight to uncover the hidden spiritual treasures of the Self.

Sri Krishna Prem:

It is useless to try to make a flame steady in a windy place.  The mind must withdraw to a region where the winds of desire no longer blow before it can become more than momentarily steady.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi:

The Sanskrit word that Krishna uses in this verse is Chitta, which signifies that aspect of the mind which is a quiet and silent receptacle of impressions or seeds of desire.  Chitta is like water without ripples.