सूक्तिमुक्तावली - चंचल मन

विष्ठायामुपविष्टा क्षणात्तु नैवेद्यमधिवसति ।
तद्वच्चित्तं धर्मे कनके कान्तासु मक्षिकेव सति ॥

- सूक्तिमुक्तावली

viShThAyAm upaviShTA kShaNAt tu naivedyam adhivasati।
tadvat chittam dharme kanake kAntAsu makShikA iva sati ॥

- sUktimuktAvalii

A fly sits on waste one moment and sits on God's offering the next moment. Our mind is also fickle like that - it thinks about Dharma one moment, gold the next and wife the next moment.

- Suktimuktavali

सूक्तिमुक्तावली - मलिन मनः

संस्नाप्यापि करी चेन्मुक्तो मलिनः क्षणाद् भवति
    स्नानान्ते यदिबद्धस्तिष्ठेदमलः तथैव सत्सङ्गात् ।
जातं परमपवित्रं मनः पुनर्वो विषयिसहवासात्
    मलिनं स्यात्तच्चेशे बद्धं तिष्ठेत्सुनिर्मलं नूनम् ॥

- सूक्तिमुक्तावली

samsnApya api karI chet mukto malinaH kShaNAd bhavati
    snAnAnte yadi baddhaH tiShThet amalaH tathA eva sat sangAt।
jAtaM paramapavitraM manaH punarvo viShayisahavAsAt
    malinaM syAt tat cha iishe baddham tiShThet sunirmalam nUnam ॥

- sUktimuktAvalii

After washing the elephant, if it is left free, it will get muddy in a second. But if you keep it restrained, then it will remain clean. Similarly, our mind becomes clean when it comes in contact with a virtuous person. But if you talk to rogue later, it will again become polluted. However, if you can restrain it by thinking about God at all times, then it can kept clean and pure.

- Suktimuktavali

सुभाषितरत्नभाण्डागार - ज्ञानांकुश

मनो धावति सर्वत्र मदोन्मत्तगजेंद्रवत् ।
ज्ञानांकुशसमा बुद्धिः तस्य निश्चलते मनः ॥

- सुभाषितरत्नभाण्डागार

mano dhAvati sarvatra madonmatta gajendravat ।
jnAnAnkusha samA buddhiH tasya nishchalate manaH ॥

- subhAShitaratnabhANDAgAra

Mind is like an elephant in heat - it runs in every direction. Intellect is like the hook used by the mahout to control and steady the elephant. We must also use our wisdom to control our minds.

- Subhashitaratnabhandagara

कुमारसंभव - दीराः

विकारहेतौ सति विक्रियंते ।
येषां न चेतांसि त एव दीराः ॥

- कुमारसंभव

vikArahetau sati vikriyante ।
yeShAm na chetaamsi ta eva dIrAH ॥

- kumaarasambhava

Only the mendicants who have conquered their senses can prevent their mind from being drawn towards various worldly attractions.

- Kumarasambhava

त्यागात् प्रमादाद्धनम् नश्यति

दौर्मंत्र्यान्नृपतिर्विनश्यति यतिः संगात् सुतो लालनात्
विप्रोऽनध्ययनात् कुलं कुतनयात् शीलं खलोपासनात् ।
ह्रीर्मद्यादनवेक्षणादपि कृषिः स्नेहः प्रवासाश्रयात्
मैत्री चाप्रणयात् समृद्धिरनयात् त्यागात् प्रमादाद्धनम् ॥

daurmantryAt nRupatiH vinashyati yatiH sangAt suto lAlanAt
vipro anadhyayanAt kulam kutanayAt shIlam khalopAsanAt ।
hrIH madyAt anavekShaNAt api kRuShiH snehaH pravAsAshrayAt
maitrI cha praNayAt samRuddhiH anayAt tyAgAt pramAdAt dhanam ॥

A king gets destroyed by his unfair policies. A sage - by contact (attachment). A kid - by pampering. A brahmin - by not studying continuously. A family - by a bad son. Character - by befriending rogues. Mind - by liquor. Agriculture - by not monitoring it. Friendship - by traveling together to a far off place. Good friendship - by falling in love. Prosperity - by going against Dharma. Wealth - by spending recklessly. These are the ways the above objects get destroyed.

अकुशलानि शश्वत्

दैवेन ते हतधियो भवतः प्रसंगात्
    सर्वाशुभोपशमनाद्वि मुखेन्द्रिया ये।
कुर्वन्ति कामसुखलेशलवाय दीना
    लोभाभिभूतमनसोऽकुशलानि शश्वत् ॥

daivena te hatadhiyo bhavataH prasangAt
    sarva ashubhopashamanAdvi mukhendriyA ye ।
kurvanti kAmasukha lesha lavAya dInA
    lobhAbhibhUta manaso akushalAni shashvat ॥

Who are weak? Those whose mind gets corrupted easily (perhaps due to influence of fate). Those who lose faith in god (who can set right everything) and go the other way. Those who get greedy even for a small portion of material pleasures. Those who will always do the wrong thing. They are the people who are really weak.

अभिनवपाठावलि - भूषणं

किं भूषणं रुचिरमत्र यशो न रत्नं
     किं कार्यमार्यचरितं सुकृतं न दोषः ।
किं चक्षुरप्रतिहतं धिषणा न नेत्रं
    किं तापहारि मधुरं वचनं न पाथः ॥

- अभिनवपाठावलि

kim bhUShaNam ruchiram atra yasho na ratnam
    kim kAryam AryacharitaM sukRutaM na doShaH ।
kim chakShuH apratihataM dhiShaNA na netram
    kim tApahAri madhuram vachanam na pAthaH ॥

- abhinavapAThAvali

What decorate you? Fame. Not gems. What is one's duty? To live the Aryan way. Not sin. What gives you unlimited sight? Mind. Not eyes. What gives relief? Sweet words. Not Water.

- Abhinavapathavali

भागवत - द्वंद्वम्

अविद्यमानोऽप्यवभाति हि द्वयो
    ध्यातुर्धिया स्वप्नमनोरथौ यथा ।
तत्कर्म संकल्पविकल्पकं मनो
    बुधो निरुन्ध्यादभयं ततः स्यात् ॥

- भागवत

avidyamAno api avabhAti hi dvayo
    dhyAtuH dhiyA svapna manorathau yathA ।
tat karma saMkalpa vikalpakam mano
    budho niruMdhyAd abhayam tataH syAt ॥

- bhAgavata

Even though there is only one truth, it may appear as many. Just like a person who sits to meditate sees dreams and wishes as separate even though they are the same. Hence one must contain the mind that thinks in both directions - positive and negative. Only then can one be free from fear.

- Bhagavata

मनुस्मृति - बुद्धिर्ज्ञानेन शुध्यति

अद्भिर्गात्राणि शुध्यन्ति मनः सत्येन शुध्यति ।
विद्यातपोभ्यां भूतात्मा बुद्धिर्ज्ञानेन शुध्यति ॥

- मनुस्मृति

adbhiH gAtrANi shudhyanti manaH satyena shudhyati ।
vidyA tapobhyAm bhUtAtma buddhiH jnAnena shudhyati ॥

- manusmRuti

Water cleanses the body parts. Mind is cleansed by truth. Education and penance will cleanse the human soul. Intellect is cleansed by knowledge.

- Manu Smriti

रामायण - सुन्दरकाण्ड - मनः

मनो हि हेतुः सर्वेषामिन्द्रियाणां प्रवर्तने ।
शुभाशुभास्ववस्थासु तच्च मे सुव्यवस्थितम् ॥

- रामायण, सुन्दरकाण्ड

mano hi hetoH sarveShAm indriyANAm pravartane ।
shubha ashubhAsu avasthAsu taccha me suvyavasthitam ॥

- rAmAyaNa, sundara kANDa

Mind is the driver of all senses. It is the cause of all good and bad. When my mind is under my control, why should I worry? (as told by Hanumantha on seeing all the ladies in Ravana's harem in Lanka)

- Ramayana, Sundara Kaanda

मनु स्मृति - मनः पापः

परद्रव्येष्वभिध्यानं मनसानिष्टचिंतनम् |
वितथाभिनिवेशश्च त्रिविधं कर्म मानसम् ||

- मनु स्मृति

The following three are the sins committed by our mind (not our actions) - Longing for other people's treasures, thinking ill of others and having firm belief in the untruth.

- Manu Smriti

दक्षस्मृति - मनस्

न स्थिरं क्षणमप्येकं उदकं तु यथोर्मिभिः ।
वाताहतं तथा चित्तं तस्मात्तस्य न विश्वसेत् ॥

- दक्षस्मृति

When there wind blowing the water does not stay still even for a second. Our mind is just like that. It will keep changing every second. Never trust it.

- Daksha Smriti