FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 2.55

శ్రీభగవానువాచ ప్రజహాతి యదా కామాన్సర్వాన్పార్థ మనోగతాన్ । ఆత్మన్యేవాత్మనా తుష్టః స్థితప్రజ్ఞస్తదోచ్యతే ॥ ౫౫ ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
[shree-bhagavaan uvaacha]
prajahāti yadā kāmān
[prajahaati yadaa kaamaan]
sarvān pārtha mano-gatān
[sarvaan paartha mano-gataan]
ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ
[aatmany evaatmanaa tushtah]
sthita-prajñas tadocyate
[sthita-prajnas tadochyate]
Word-for-word
śrī - bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said prajahāti — gives up yadā — when kāmān — desires for sense gratification sarvān — of all varieties pārtha — O son of Pṛthā manaḥ - gatān — of mental concoction ātmani — in the pure state of the soul eva — certainly ātmanā — by the purified mind tuṣṭaḥ — satisfied sthita - prajñaḥ — transcendentally situated tadā — at that time ucyate — is said .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
śrī - bhagavān uvāca
the Supreme Personality of Godhead said
prajahāti yadā kāmān
prajahāti
gives up
yadā
when
kāmān
desires for sense gratification
sarvān pārtha mano-gatān
sarvān
of all varieties
pārtha
O son of Pṛthā
manaḥ - gatān
of mental concoction
ātmani
in the pure state of the soul
ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ
eva
certainly
ātmanā
by the purified mind
tuṣṭaḥ
satisfied
sthita-prajñas tadocyate
sthita - prajñaḥ
transcendentally situated
tadā
at that time
ucyate
is said .
Important Words
  • prajahāti — gives up
    Pra + √hā — to abandon thoroughly. Stronger than tyaj. The desires are not 'managed' but *thrown out*. The verse names a clean break, not a negotiation.
  • kāmān — desires
    Plural accusative — *the desires*. All of them, named in the plural. The Gauḍīya commentary specifies: mātrika kāmas — those that arise within the mind — including subtle ones.
  • manaḥ - gatān — mind-arisen
    Compound — *gone-to-the-mind*, arising in the mind. The desires renounced are not just outward but mental. The verse closes the inner door, not only the outer.
  • ātmani — in the self
    Locative of ātman. Paired with ātmanā (instrumental) in the same verse: *in* the ātmā, *by means of* the ātmā. Gauḍīya reading: the jīva-ātmā, by its purified mind, is satisfied in the Paramātmā — Kṛṣṇa seated within (cf. Prabhupāda's purport: "eternally serving the Supreme Lord"). Not a self-enclosed circuit; the inner Lord is the object.
  • sthita - prajñaḥ — established in wisdom
    Compound — *stationed in prajñā*. The first formal definition Kṛṣṇa gives of the sthita-prajña, answering Arjuna's question 2.54. The Gītā's anthropological centerpiece is now named.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O Pārtha, when a man gives up all varieties of desire for sense gratification, which arise from mental concoction, and when his mind, thus purified, finds satisfaction in the self alone, then he is said to be in pure transcendental consciousness.
Purport

The Bhāgavatam affirms that any person who is fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or devotional service of the Lord, has all the good qualities of the great sages, whereas a person who is not so transcendentally situated has no good qualifications, because he is sure to be taking refuge in his own mental concoctions. Consequently, it is rightly said herein that one has to give up all kinds of sense desire manufactured by mental concoction. Artificially, such sense desires cannot be stopped. But if one is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then, automatically, sense desires subside without extraneous efforts. Therefore, one has to engage himself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness without hesitation, for this devotional service will instantly help one onto the platform of transcendental consciousness. The highly developed soul always remains satisfied in himself by realizing himself as the eternal servitor of the Supreme Lord. Such a transcendentally situated person has no sense desires resulting from petty materialism; rather, he remains always happy in his natural position of eternally serving the Supreme Lord.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
55. The Lord said: When he completely gives up all desires which arise from the mind alone, and is satisfied with the soul alone by that mind, he is called sthita-prajṣa.
Commentary

Step by step, Kṛṣṇa answers each of the four questions, from this verse until the end of the chapter. (This verse answers the first question: What is the nature of the jīvan-mukta?) He gives up all desires, so that not even one desire remains for any object. He is able to give up these desires because they belong to the mind (manogatān); they are not the intrinsic quality of the soul. If they were the intrinsic quality of the soul, they could not be given up, just as fire never gives up heat. The cause for this is stated. He is satisfied by the soul whose very nature is bliss (ātmanā tuṣṭaḥ), in the mind (ātmani) which has withdrawn from sense objects. The śruti says: yadā sarve pramucyante kāmā ye ’sya hṛdi śritāḥ atha martyo ’mṛto bhavaty atra brahma samaśnute When all the desires situated in the heart are cleared away, the mortal becomes immortal and enjoys Brahman. Kaṭha Upaniṣad 6.14

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
55. The Lord said: When he completely gives up all desires which arise from the mind alone, and is satisfied with the soul alone by that mind, he is called sthita prajṣa.
Commentary

Being asked, the Lord answers these questions one by one until the end of the chapter. He answers the first question with this one verse. “O son of Pṛthā, when a person completely gives up all desires situated in the mind, he is known as sthita prajṣa. As desires belong to the mind, it is possible that they can be given up. If they belonged to the ātmā, then they would be difficult to give up, just as it is difficult for fire to give up its quality of heat.” “But can one remain like a dry piece of wood?” “One is completely satisfied (tuṣṭaḥ) in the mind which has withdrawn from desires (ātmani) with ones svarūpa or the Lord (ātmanā), whose essence is self-manifesting bliss. The person who gives up all sense objects as insignificant, and enjoys the bliss of the self is said to be situated in samādhi. He is called sthita prajṣa.” According to Medinī: ātmā puṁsi svabhāve’pi prayanta-manasor api dhṛtāv api manīṣāyāṁ śarīra-brahmaṇor api Atmā refers to the human being, nature, fire, mind, determination, understanding, body, and Brahman (jīva and the Lord). The word brahma in this verse refers to jīva or īśvara.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

This is called "sthita‑prajna" or transcendentally situated. The symptoms are basically two: there is no material affections and he is so pure his satisfaction in consciousness in entirely spiritual on the self alone. This is actually basically describing someone who attains this consciousness on the Jnana path ‑ a pure samadhi type of person. But it is also true in the Bhakti path because everything that is true about someone in the Jnana level, how he is detached from matter, is also true in the Krsna consciousness level. These things will become clear as we go on. The second question Krsna answers is in Text 56 and 57: "How he speaks?". The inner meaning of this question is "how is his mentality and words affected by the affection, equanimity or anger of others?" In other words, "if one is angry with you or affectionate with you or just neutral with you and you are on that platform of self realization, how do you react to that in your mind and in your words?"

[ 3 . How does he speak? (How are his mentality and words affected by the affection, equanimity, or anger of others?) Such a pure soul is neither mentally disturbed, elated, attached, fearful, or angry, and he verbally neither praises nor criticizes the good and evil he attains. (56‑57) ]

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Answers first question “General description and characteristics of a self-realized person”

He gives up all material desires of sense gratification born of mental concoction
Thus purified in mind one finds satisfaction in the self alone
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
2.55 In the verses beginning from, 'When one fully renounces৷৷.', and ending with the completion the Chapter, instruction about the characteristics of the man of steady wisdom and the disciplines (he had to pass through) is being given both for the one who has, indeed, applied himself to steadfastness in the Yoga of Knowledge after having renounced rites and duties from the very beginning [Even while he is in the stage of celibacy.], and for the one who has (applied himself to this after having passed) through the path of Karma-yoga. For in all the scriptures without exception, dealing, with spirituality, whatever are the characteristics of the man of realization are themselves presented as the disciplines for an aspirant, because these (characteristics) are the result of effort. And those that are the disciplines reiring effort, they become the characteristics (of the man of realization). [There are two kinds of sannyasa vidvat (renunciation that naturally follows Realization), and vividisa, formal renunciation for undertaking the disciplines which lead to that Realization. According to A.G. the characteristics presented in this and the following verses describe not only the vidvat-sannyasin, but are also meant as disciplines for the vividisa-sannyasin.-Tr.] O Partha, yada, when, at the time when; prajahati, one fully renounces; sarvan, all; the kaman, desires, varieties of desires; manogatan, that have entered the mind, entered into the heart . If all desires are renounced while the need for maintaining the body persists, then, in the absence of anything to bring satisfaction, there may arise the possibility of one's behaving like lunatics or drunkards. [A lunatic is one who has lost his power of discrimination, and a drunkard is one who has that power but ignores it.] Hence it is said: Tustah, remains satisfied; atmani eva, in the Self alone, in the very nature of the inmost Self; atmana, by the Self which is his own indifferent to external gains, and satiated with everything else on account of having attained the nector of realization of the supreme Goal; tada, then; ucyate, he is called; sthita-prajnah, a man of steady wisdom, a man of realization, one whose wisdom, arising from the discrimination between the Self and the not-Self, is stable. The idea is that the man of steady wisdom is a monk, who has renounced the desire for progeny, wealth and the worlds, and who delights in the Self and disports in the Self.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
2.55 The Lord said When a person is satisfied in himself with himself, i.e. when his mind depends on the self within himself; and being content with that, expels all the desires of the mind which are different from that state of mind - then he is said to be a man of firm wisdom. This is the highest form of devotion of knowledge. Then, the lower state, not far below it, of one established in firm wisdom, is described:
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
2.55 Prajahati etc. [The expression 'a man-of-stabilized-intellect' denotes] a man whose intellect has stabilized, i.e., has grown roots. Growing roots is growing roots permanently on the Self. For, if that is achieved, the agitation in the form of desire born of the distraction by sense-objects comes to an end. Therefore, the nomenclature 'a man-of-stabilized-intellect' applied to a man-of-Yoga, has an etymological sense and it is appropriate in this way. In this manner one estion has been answered.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
2.55 The Blessed Lord said When a man completely casts off, O Arjuna, all the desires of the mind and is satisfied in the Self by the Self, then is he said to be one of steady wisdom.
Commentary

2.55 प्रजहाति casts off? यदा when? कामान् desires? सर्वान् all? पार्थ O Partha? मनोगतान् of the mind? आत्मनि in the Self? एव only? आत्मना by the Self? तुष्टः satisfied? स्थितप्रज्ञः of steady wisdom? तदा then? उच्यते (he) is called.Commentary In this verse Lord Krishna gives His answer to the first part of Arjunas estion.If anyone gets sugarcandy will he crave for blacksugar Certainly not. If anyone can attain the supreme bliss of the Self? will he thirst for the sensual pleasures No? not at all. The sumtotal of all the pleasures of the world will seem worthless for the sage of steady wisdom who is satisfied in the Self. (Cf.III.17VI.7?8).

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
2.55 The Blessed said O Partha, when one fully renounces all the desires that have entered the mind, and remains satisfied in the Self alone by the Self, then he is called a man of steady wisdom.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
2.55 Lord Shri Krishna replied: When a man has given up the desires of his heart and is satisfied with the Self alone, be sure that he has reached the highest state.
Related values & verses
Primary values
Santosha (Contentment)Sthitaprajna (Steady Wisdom)
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 3.43 BG 6.18 BG 12.13 SB 1.2.6 SB 5.5.1 SB 11.14.27 CC Ādi 4.165 CC Madhya 8.227 CC Madhya 24.149 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.20BRS 1.2.255
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The sthita-prajña abandons all desires of the mind and is fully satisfied in the self by the self.
Practical Applications
  • Audit one day's worth of mental desires; notice how few are even your own.
  • Spend ten minutes resting as a soul rather than a desirer.
  • Discover one inner satisfaction that does not require external acquisition.
Reflection Questions
  • Which desires occupy my mind that, when honest, I would not want to fulfill?
  • What does it mean to be 'satisfied in the self by the self' for me right now?
Analogy

A lake fed by no streams and drawing none — content with its own depth — has no need for the world's rain or the world's drainage. The sthita-prajña is this lake. He has dropped all mano-gata-kāmān; he is ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ. Self-satisfied in the self, by the self.

Stories
Dadhīci offers his bones

When the devas needed Vajra to kill Vṛtra, only Dadhīci's bones could form the weapon. The sage, asked, gave his body without flinching. He had no kāma left of the mano-gata variety — no project for his own body, no plan for its preservation.

He was ātmany eva ātmanā tuṣṭaḥ — content in the Self alone, by the Self. The bones were already not his; giving them was therefore not a sacrifice in the ordinary sense. He demonstrated the verse from the giving-side: when self-satisfaction is real, what the world wants from the body is no obstacle to relinquishing it.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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