yatendriyamanobuddhirmunirmokshaparaayanaha |
vigatechhaabhayakrodo yaha sadaa mukta eva saha || 28 ||

That person who has restrained his senses, mind and intellect, and whose ultimate goal is liberation, who is devoid of desire, fear and anger; that person is also a monk, he is ever liberated.

yatendriyamanobuddhihi : restrained senses, mind and intellect
munihi : monk
moksha : liberation
paraayanaha: ultimate goal
vigata : devoid
ichhaa : desire
bhayaha : fear
krodaha : anger
yaha : one who
sadaa : ever
mukta : liberated
eva : also
saha : that person

Shri Krishna continues the preview of steps needed for preparing ourselves for meditation. The “that person” refers to the person from the previous shloka who has prepared himself physically for meditation. Now, the internal preparation is pointed out.

First, Shri Krishna says that while sitting for meditation, there should be no other objective but that of liberation. If the objective is not pure, if one wants to harm someone by meditation, then the practice will be distracted and the goal will not be reached. In the Puraanic literature, there are many examples of demons that practiced meditation for powers that would help them destroy others. Such goals are not to be harboured. The only goal should be liberation.

Also important is the role that we identify with when we sit for meditation. If sit down as father, we will always think of children. If sit down as an employee, we will think of job-related problems all the time. These roles do not go away easily due to our strong identification with one or many roles. There should be no role while meditation, only the goal of liberation.

So therefore, one who through karmayoga and purified his mind of fear, anger and desire, who has restrained his sense organs, and whose ultimate goal is liberation and not some worldly goal, that person is ready for meditation. But what is the object of meditation? The last shloka of this chapter addresses this point.