यथा दीपो निवातस्थो नेङ्गते सोपमा स्मृता | योगिनो यतचित्तस्य युञ्जतो योगमात्मनः || १९ ||
yathā dīpo nivāta-stho neṅgate sopamā smṛtā yogino yata-cittasya yuñjato yogam ātmanaḥ
yathā—as; dīpaḥ—a lamp; nivāta-sthaḥ—in a windless place; na—does not; iṅgate—waver; sā—this; upamā—comparison; smṛtā—is considered; yoginaḥ—of the yogī; yata-cittasya—whose mind is controlled; yuñjataḥ—constantly engaged; yogam—in meditation; ātmanaḥ—on transcendence.
“As a lamp in a windless place does not flicker — that is the classic image for the yogi of controlled mind, absorbed in the yoga of the Self.”
The flame in a windless place burns straight, steady, and bright — neither pulled left nor right, neither flickering with anxiety nor dimmed by distraction. This is the most celebrated image in the Gita for the state of deep meditation. The yogi's mind, sheltered from the winds of desire and aversion, burns with the steady, clear light of awareness fixed on the Self. It is not a dead stillness but a living, luminous one.
This image can serve as a meditation object itself. Close your eyes and visualise a steady candle flame in a perfectly still room. Let that image become a metaphor for your own mind: present, clear, and undisturbed. When distractions arise during meditation, return to the image of the steady flame.