Bhagavad Gita 16.16

aneka-citta-vibhrāntā

moha-jāla-samāvṛtāḥ

prasaktāḥ kāma-bhogeṣu

patanti narake ’śucau

 

With minds confused by countless schemes,

Ensnared within delusion’s dreams;

Attached to pleasures, bound by lust,

They fall to realms of filth and dust.

 

My dear Lord, distraction is an undesirable yet undeniable fact of the way my mind functions. Despite my best efforts to focus on the things that matter, my mind slips away quietly and quickly.

O omnipotent Lord, I need your protection to ensure that even when I do get distracted, as I inevitably will, my thoughts, emotions, and actions do not go too far in directions that are not just disruptive but destructive. Keep my distraction within safe boundaries by strengthening my intelligence and conscience internally, and by elevating my relationships and responsibilities externally.

O merciful Lord, just as a person walking on the street may slip and fall, so too may my attention slip and fall toward objects that are not worth contemplating. Yet a path can be made safe so that one who slips does not crack their head on a jagged stone and die. Similarly, help me fortify my external environment and sanctify my internal environment. Let my attention not fall so far that my distracted actions impel me to deeds so damaging that they cannot be undone.

O all-guiding Lord, help me to live within the protected perimeter of your words and your service. When I try to fulfill my desires and dreams, may they never take me away from you; rather, may they gradually become aligned with you and serve your desires and dreams—for me and for the world.

***

16.16 Thus perplexed by various anxieties and bound by a network of illusions, they become too strongly attached to sense enjoyment and fall down into hell.