In next verse Sri Krishna will describe the symptom of one who has conquered the mind, the mind will become friend when we have gone beyond duality

1-9: From Arurukshato (beginning stage) To Arudha stage (advance Stage) (Advancement in astang yoga)

Bg 6.7

jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya

paramātmā samāhitaḥ

śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu

tathā mānāpamānayoḥ

Word for word:

jita-ātmanaḥ — of one who has conquered his mind; praśāntasya — who has attained tranquility by such control over the mind; parama-ātmā — the Supersoul; samāhitaḥ — approached completely; śīta — in cold; uṣṇa — heat; sukha — happiness; duḥkheṣu — and distress; tathā — also; māna — in honor; apamānayoḥ — and dishonor.

Translation:

For one who has conquered the mind, the Supersoul is already reached, for he has attained tranquility. To such a man happiness and distress, heat and cold, honor and dishonor are all the same.

jitātmanaḥ, the person who has conquered the mind, what happens to that person? Praśāntasya, that person becomes Shant-asya, deeply peaceful, not just peaceful, but deeply peaceful–Praśāntasya. And such a person has approached closer to paramātmā, the transcendental soul–paramtma samāhitaḥ. This is first verse in BG where the word Parmatama is used. Before this there has been references to the absolute truth but the absolute truth is not named specifically as parmatma. Later on in BG Sri Krishna will refer as who is this Parmatma for example in 13.3.

BG 13.3

upadraṣṭānumantā ca

bhartā bhoktā maheśvaraḥ

paramātmeti cāpy ukto

dehe ’smin puruṣaḥ paraḥ

Yet in this body there is another, a transcendental enjoyer, who is the Lord, the supreme proprietor, who exists as the overseer and permitter, and who is known as the Supersoul.

He will refer to where he is staying, in this body. There is transcendental Purusa, and that person is overseer and permitter, He is enjoyer and maintainer and that is known as paramātmeti cāpy ukto. So exactly who is Parmatma is known, but now this is the first reference to the word Parmatam.

So Sri Krishna is saying, Super Soul is right next to us but the soul has turned away. The soul is looking outward to the material world, and it wanted to enjoy the material world. And what is causing the soul to enjoy, is the mind. It is filled with fantasy of material enjoyment, and the mind drags the soul away. When we bring the mind in control, what happens is the force which is dragging us away—directing us away from the super soul—that force becomes subsided. And when the force subsides, we can turn towards Sri Krishna.

So Sri Krishna is telling over here jitātmanaḥ, one who has conquered the mind is praśāntasya. The mind is always putting us in agitation,“this is wrong, that is wrong, this is not proper.” So, when the mind is controlled–praśāntasya, we will become peaceful. And when we are peaceful, we are not excited by hopes and pleasures of this world. Then we will turn from outer world to the inner world. We will be paramātmā samāhitaḥ, we will approach the super soul. And then, the character of that person is that, such a person is not too much affected or excited by the duality of the material world. Sri Krishna is talking about duality at three levels over here. Sheeta-Ushna, Shukha-Dhukha, Mana-Apamana.

  1. śītoṣṇa is at the level of the body: heat and cold which is at physical level,
  2. sukha-duḥkha is at mental level and
  3. mānāpamāna is at the level of the ego, honour and dishonour.

So all this three duality one transcends