This śloka continues the specific preparations for meditation. The earlier verses described the place, seat, posture, and gaze. Now Bhagavān describes the inner condition with which the meditator should sit.

The first word is praśāntātmā — one whose mind is calm. Here ātma means the mind, not the pure Self. A calm mind is not a dull mind. It is a mind that is free enough from agitation to be available for meditation. If the mind is burning with anger, regret, fear, excitement, or anxiety, the body may be sitting on the meditation seat, but the mind is elsewhere.

This calmness is connected to the handling of past and future. The past often disturbs through regret, guilt, hurt, and resentment. The future disturbs through worry, insecurity, and fear. If the mind is occupied by the past and future, the present is not available for meditation. A praśānta mind is one that can set aside the past and future sufficiently so that the present moment becomes available.

The next word is vigatabhīḥ — free from fear. Fear here especially includes anxiety about the future. “What will happen to me? What will happen to my family? What will happen to my health, money, children, reputation, and security?” Such fear may arise because we assume that everything must happen exactly according to our plan. But life is governed by many factors: our effort, others’ choices, past karma, and Bhagavān’s order. Therefore, the meditator must learn to say, “I will do what I can. I will contribute what I should. Whatever comes, may I have the strength to face it and learn from it.”

This is not passivity. It is intelligent surrender. A person who refuses to face the future becomes anxious. A person who welcomes the future as the field of prārabdha and learning becomes inwardly lighter. Fearlessness does not mean the future will contain only pleasant events. It means the mind gains the courage to face both pleasant and unpleasant events without losing itself.

Then Bhagavān says brahmacārivrate sthitaḥ — established in the vow or discipline of brahmacarya. Brahmacarya has many meanings depending on context. Here it should not be reduced only to celibacy, though celibacy is one important expression of it in certain āśramas. More broadly, brahmacarya means the disciplined life of a student committed to Brahman, Veda, śāstra, and spiritual growth.

A brahmacārī is one whose life is organized around learning and inner discipline. The mind is not scattered through excessive relationships, indulgence, entertainment, and emotional entanglement. Traditionally, a student in the gurukula related primarily to Bhagavān, the guru, and śāstra. This does not mean modern seekers must externally live in a gurukula to meditate. It means that during meditation, the mind must temporarily withdraw from the network of worldly roles and stand in the attitude of a student of truth.

Brahmacarya also means conservation and redirection of energy. The senses, emotions, speech, and imagination should not be allowed to leak energy in countless directions. A life of uncontrolled indulgence cannot produce a steady meditation mind. Therefore, brahmacārivratam supports meditation by reducing distraction and strengthening inner seriousness.

Manaḥ saṁyamya means having restrained the mind. The mind must be gathered, watched, and directed. It should not be allowed to run after every thought. This does not mean violently suppressing the mind. It means gently but firmly bringing it back to the chosen spiritual focus.

The next phrase is maccittaḥ — the mind centered on Me. Here “Me” refers to Bhagavān. The meditator’s mind is to be occupied by Bhagavān, not by worldly concerns. For an upāsaka, this can mean meditation on saguṇa-Īśvara, Bhagavān with attributes: compassionate, all-knowing, all-powerful, the order behind the universe, the source of grace. For a Vedāntic seeker, Bhagavān-centered meditation can also mature into ātma-dhyānam, because the truth of Bhagavān and the truth of the Self are not ultimately separate.

Finally, matparaḥ means one for whom Bhagavān is the supreme goal. This is the value-orientation behind meditation. If meditation is only for relaxation, health, success, power, or mystical experience, the mind will remain tied to limited goals. The meditator here sits with the highest orientation: Bhagavān, truth, mokṣa, and inner freedom are the goal. When the goal is clear, the mind gains seriousness. Without that conviction, meditation becomes casual.

Thus 6.14 gives the inner preparation for meditation: calmness, fearlessness, brahmacarya-discipline, mental restraint, Bhagavān-centeredness, and commitment to Bhagavān as the highest. The earlier verse arranged the body; this verse arranges the inner life.