प्रशान्तमनसं ह्येनं योगिनं सुखमुत्तमम्। उपैति शान्तरजसं ब्रह्मभूतमकल्मषम्।।6.27।।
praśānta‑manasaḥ hyenaṁ yoginaḥ sukham uttamam upaiti śāntarajasam brahma‑bhūtam akalmaṣam
Translation
Great transcendental happiness comes to the yogi whose mind is calm, whose passions are subdued, who is without sin, and who sees everything in connection with God.
Word Meanings
praśānta — peaceful, fixed on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa; manasaḥ — whose mind; hi — certainly; enam — this; yoginaḥ — yogi; sukham — happiness; uttamam — the highest; upaiti — attains; śānta‑rajasaḥ — his passion pacified; brahma‑bhūtam — liberation by identification with the Absolute; akalmaṣam — freed from all past sinful reactions.
Understanding the Verse
In this verse Krishna describes the ultimate reward for a dedicated practitioner of yoga. The first quality mentioned is a mind that is "praśānta," or tranquil. A tranquil mind is not distracted by fleeting thoughts, not swayed by external circumstances, and remains centered on the Divine. Such steadiness is the foundation upon which deeper spiritual progress is built.
The next attribute, "śānta‑rajasaḥ," indicates the subdual of the three gunas (qualities) of nature, especially the active and restless quality of rajas. When the passions that normally drive desire, ambition, and agitation are pacified, the seeker attains an inner equilibrium that is essential for perceiving the true nature of the self. This pacification is not a suppression of feeling but a transformation of the energetic currents into a gentle, steady flow that supports meditation.
"Brahma‑bhūtam" signifies the state of becoming one with Brahman, the supreme reality. It is a profound identification in which the individual self dissolves into the all‑pervading consciousness. In this state, the yogi no longer experiences separation; every action, thought, and perception is seen as an expression of the same divine source. Consequently, the ego‑driven motivations that give rise to sin are extinguished.
The term "akalmaṣam" reinforces this freedom from sin. It conveys that the yogi has exhausted all karmic debts accrued by past misdeeds, because once the mind rests in the divine, every act is automatically aligned with dharma. Therefore, there is no longer any cause for moral blemish.
Finally, the verse culminates with "sukham uttamam upaiti," indicating that the highest form of happiness—beyond worldly pleasure—is attained. This happiness is not temporary or dependent on external conditions; it is a deep, abiding bliss that arises from the realization of one's true nature as part of the infinite Brahman. It is a state of perpetual contentment that persists irrespective of the changing circumstances of the material world.
Krishna’s description thus serves both as a promise and a roadmap. The promise is that those who cultivate a tranquil mind, subdue their passions, and identify with the Divine will experience the supreme happiness. The roadmap outlines the progressive inner work: first calming the mind, then pacifying rajas, moving toward Brahman‑realization, and finally living a life free of sin. By following this path, the seeker transcends the cycle of birth and death and dwells forever in divine bliss.
