In plain words
serene, fearless, established in the vow of brahmacarya, controlling manas and thinking of Me, the yogin should sit collected, intent on Me as the highest.
Word for word
With a serene mind, fearless, established in the vow of the brahmacārin, having restrained the mind, with mind on Me, collected, one should sit, intent on Me as the highest.
प्रशान्तात्मा विगतभीर्ब्रह्मचारिव्रते स्थितःमनः संयम्य मच्चित्तो युक्त आसीत मत्परः
Other commentaries
The commentators
▸Bhagavadgītābhāṣyam
किञ्च —
प्रशान्तात्मा प्रकर्षेण शान्तः आत्मा अन्तःकरणं यस्य सोऽयं प्रशान्तात्मा, विगतभीः विगतभयः, ब्रह्मचारिव्रते स्थितः ब्रह्मचारिणो व्रतं ब्रह्मचर्यं गुरुशुश्रूषाभिक्षान्नभुक्त्यादि तस्मिन् स्थितः, तदनुष्ठाता भवेदित्यर्थः । किञ्च, मनः संयम्य मनसः वृत्तीः उपसंहृत्य इत्येतत् , मच्चित्तः मयि परमेश्वरे चित्तं यस्य सोऽयं मच्चित्तः, युक्तः समाहितः सन् आसीत उपविशेत् । मत्परः अहं परो यस्य सोऽयं मत्परो भवति । कश्चित् रागी स्त्रीचित्तः, न तु स्त्रियमेव परत्वेन गृह्णाति ; किं तर्हि ? राजानं महादेवं वा । अयं तु मच्चित्तो मत्परश्च ॥ १४ ॥
In plain words
And there is more —
‘Thoroughly tranquil’ means his very mind is completely calmed—that is what it means to be ‘praśāntātmā.’ ‘Fear departed’ simply means fearless. ‘Abiding in the vow of the celibate student’ means actually living out that vow—celibacy, serving one's teacher, eating only what's begged, and the rest. And more: ‘having restrained the mind’ means having drawn back all its restless activity. ‘Mind on Me’ means his mind rests on Me, the Supreme Lord. Disciplined and collected, he should simply sit. ‘With Me as the highest’ means I am his supreme goal, nothing beyond. Think of someone infatuated: his mind is fixed on a woman, yet he doesn't actually treat the woman herself as his highest goal—what he's really chasing is something else, a king's favor, say, or a great god's blessing. But this devotee has his mind on Me, and I alone am his highest goal.
Close to the Sanskrit
And what more —
‘Praśāntātmā’ means one whose mind—inner organ—is thoroughly calmed; he is ‘praśāntātmā.’ ‘Fear departed,’ i.e. fearless; ‘abiding in the vow of the celibate student’—the vow of the celibate student, namely celibacy, service to the teacher, eating only begged food, and so on—abiding in that, he would be a performer of that—that is the meaning. Moreover, ‘having restrained the mind’—i.e. having withdrawn the functions of the mind—this is meant; ‘with mind on Me,’ i.e. one whose mind is on Me, the Supreme Lord—he is ‘with mind on Me’; disciplined, i.e. collected, being so, he should sit. ‘With Me as the highest’—one for whom I am the supreme goal—he is ‘one with Me as the highest.’ Someone who is attached has his mind on a woman, but he does not regard the woman alone as the highest; what then does he regard as highest? A king, or a great god. But this devotee has his mind on Me and Me as his highest goal.