The yogi, with mind controlled

Holding body, head, and the back of the neck properly (samam), unmoving and steady, and having (next) looked in front of his nose without seeing in any direction, being himself quieted, with fears all gone, steady in observance of Brahma-conduct, having poised the mind with me as (its) thought, let him sit, united, with me as his Beyond (pare).

The yogi, with mind controlled, always meditating thus on the Self, arrives at my state, the nirvanic ultimate, which is peace.

But yoga is not for the excessive eater, and not for one who avoids food too intently, and not for one addicted to excessive sleep, also not to wakefulness.

Yoga becomes the destroyer of pain for one whose food and recreations are appropriate, whose efforts in actions are appropriate, whose sleeping and waking are appropriate.

When the controlled mind stays only on the Self, without long mg for all objects of desire - then one is called united (yukta).

Thus, Krishna continues, the yogi becomes like a lamp standing where there is no wind. Controlled by the practice of yoga, the lower mind becomes quiet. Seeing the self in the Self - the consciousness is directly conscious of itself - the yogi rejoices. He does not waver from the truth, and now he 19 not moved even by heavy pain. He sees the Self, and in his meditation he thinks of nothing else. Having found it, being established in the unity, he sees the same Self everywhere and lives in the Divine, whatever he is doing.

Arjuna, the disciple, now sees before him what appears to be a difficult task. He points out the difficulty of controlling the mind and also wonders what happens if the aspirant fails to achieve the desired state or even falls by the wayside. Krishna has already said that from whatever cause the unsteady mind wanders off, the disciple should hold it back and lead it into the power of the alma. And the power of atme is the influence of the Self. When the Self is seen even a little, its appeal or pull is tremendous. That is what makes the philosophical or metaphysical vision or insight, to which the disciple should resort again and again. How ever, Shri  Krishna is endlessly patient. He says:

Certainly the restless mind (mamas) is difficult to control, but by practice (abhyasa) and uncolouredness (vairagya) it is controlled.

Practice (abhyasa) and uncolouredness (vairagya) are the same two words given by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras as the basis of the practice he lays down.

In reference to Arjuna's second question, about failure, Shrr1 Krishna replies in detail:

Having reached the worlds of those who have done good, and having dwelt (there) very many years, he who fell from yoga is born in a pure and fortunate house. Or he even comes into a family of wise yogis, though a birth such as this is very hard to obtain in this world. There he obtains the buddhic attainments of his previous incarnation and thence again strive for full accomplishment.

It is generally considered among Hindu scholars that the first six chapters contain the philosophical teachings of the Gita, while the next six contain the devotional, and the last six contain information of a more detailed or practical kind. This sixth chapter was called the Dhyanayoga by the famed commentator Shankaracharya. The reader will have noticed how it aims at the deepest philosophical insight