यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम् | यतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतसः || ११ ||
yatanto yoginaś cainaṁ paśyanty ātmany avasthitam yatanto 'py akṛtātmāno nainaṁ paśyanty acetasaḥ
yatantaḥ—endeavoring; yoginaḥ—yogis; ca—also; enam—this; paśyanti—can see; ātmani—in the self; avasthitam—situated; yatantaḥ—endeavoring; api—although; akṛta-ātmānaḥ—those whose minds are not purified; na—not; enam—this; paśyanti—can see; acetasaḥ—the undeveloped mind.
“The striving yogis see the soul established in the Self. But those with unpurified minds, even though striving, do not see it.”
The Self (Atman) can only be realized by those whose minds have been purified through sustained spiritual practice (sadhana). The yogi who strives with a refined, one-pointed mind perceives the Self shining within. Those who engage in spiritual effort with an impure, fragmented, or desire-ridden mind—even though they try—cannot perceive it, for it is the mind's impurity that veils the Self.
This verse explains why spiritual effort must be accompanied by ethical purification. If you meditate while harboring resentment, dishonesty, or strong sensory addictions, progress is obstructed. The practice of yama and niyama—ethical principles like truthfulness, non-harming, contentment—purifies the mind as a prerequisite for genuine spiritual vision.