FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 5.20

న ప్రహృష్యేత్ప్రియం ప్రాప్య నోద్విజేత్ప్రాప్య చాప్రియమ్ । స్థిరబుద్ధిరసమ్మూఢో బ్రహ్మవిద్‍బ్రహ్మణి స్థిత: ॥ ౨౦ ॥
na prahṛṣyet priyaṁ prāpya
[na prahrishyet priyam praapya]
nodvijet prāpya cāpriyam
[nodvijet praapya chaapriyam]
sthira-buddhir asammūḍho
[sthira-buddhir asammoodho]
brahma-vid brahmaṇi sthitaḥ
[brahma-vid brahmani sthitah]
Word-for-word
na — never prahṛṣyet — rejoices priyam — the pleasant prāpya — achieving na — does not udvijet — become agitated prāpya — obtaining ca — also apriyam — the unpleasant sthira - buddhiḥ — self-intelligent asammūḍhaḥ — unbewildered brahma - vit — one who knows the Supreme perfectly brahmaṇi — in the transcendence sthitaḥ — situated .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
na prahṛṣyet priyaṁ prāpya
na
never
prahṛṣyet
rejoices
priyam
the pleasant
prāpya
achieving
na
does not
nodvijet prāpya cāpriyam
sthira-buddhir asammūḍho
udvijet
become agitated
prāpya
obtaining
ca
also
apriyam
the unpleasant
brahma-vid brahmaṇi sthitaḥ
sthira - buddhiḥ
self-intelligent
asammūḍhaḥ
unbewildered
brahma - vit
one who knows the Supreme perfectly
brahmaṇi
in the transcendence
sthitaḥ
situated .
Important Words
  • prahṛṣyet — rejoices
    Optative of pra + √hṛṣ. Pra intensifies — 'overly rejoices, becomes elated.' The Gītā negates not all joy but the over-elation that signals attachment to outcome. Paired with udvijet later in the verse, it covers both swings of the emotional pendulum.
  • sthira-buddhiḥ — self-intelligent
    Sthira — steady, firm. Buddhi — intelligence. The compound names not abundant intelligence but stable intelligence. The Gītā repeatedly prefers sthira-buddhi over mere brilliance; brilliance under emotional swing is worth nothing.
  • asammūḍhaḥ — unbewildered
    A + sam + mūḍha. 'Not thoroughly confused.' The triple-negative form intensifies. The brahma-vit is not just clear in this moment; he is structurally not-confused — moha cannot reassemble itself around him.
  • brahma-vit — one who knows the Supreme perfectly
    Brahma — the Supreme. Vit — knower (from √vid). Compare tattva-vit in verse 8-9. The chapter steadily uses these -vit compounds to mark the soul who has personally verified, not merely studied.
  • brahmaṇi sthitaḥ — situated in the transcendence
    Again the locative of standing. The verse closes by placing the brahma-vit *inside* brahman, not next to it. Knowledge of the Supreme is not external survey; it is interior residence.
A person who neither rejoices upon achieving something pleasant nor laments upon obtaining something unpleasant, who is self-intelligent, who is unbewildered, and who knows the science of God is already situated in transcendence.
Purport

The symptoms of the self-realized person are given herein. The first symptom is that he is not illusioned by the false identification of the body with his true self. He knows perfectly well that he is not this body but is the fragmental portion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is therefore not joyful in achieving something, nor does he lament in losing anything which is related to his body. This steadiness of mind is called sthira-buddhi, or self-intelligence. He is therefore never bewildered by mistaking the gross body for the soul, nor does he accept the body as permanent and disregard the existence of the soul. This knowledge elevates him to the station of knowing the complete science of the Absolute Truth, namely Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. He thus knows his constitutional position perfectly well, without falsely trying to become one with the Supreme in all respects. This is called Brahman realization, or self-realization. Such steady consciousness is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
20. He whose intelligence is fixed, who is free of bewilderment, who has knowledge of Brahman, and who is situated in Brahman, does not rejoice on attaining what is dear, and does not become agitated on attaining what is not favorable.
Commentary

Such a person is equal in the face of objects both dear and not dear in this world. Attaining dear objects he does not rejoice and attaining unwelcome objects he does not become disturbed. The potential mood of prahṛṣyet and udvijet stands for the indicative present in this verse, or can mean that the person should practice that mood during the stage of sādhana. (Attaining dear objects, he should not rejoice and attaining unwelcome objects he should not become disturbed.) He is not bewildered (asaṁmūḍhaḥ), since bewilderment arises only from identification with joy, lamentation and other emotions.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
20. He whose intelligence is fixed in ātmā, who is free of bewilderment due to connection with his body, and who realizes Brahman, and thus does not rejoice on attaining what is enjoyable and does not become agitated on attaining what is disagreeable, is situated in Brahman.
Commentary

This verse speaks of the characteristics of the person situated in Brahman. Situated in his present body, he does not rejoice or lament on attaining favorable or unfavorable conditions attained by prārabdha karmas. Why? His intellect is fixed in his ātmā (sthira buddhiḥ) (rather than the body). He is not bewildered by identifying the eternal ātmā and the temporary body (asaṁmūḍhaḥ). He realizes the Brahman with its quality of equality (brahma vit). The person of these qualities is situated in Brahman.

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

Symptoms of self-realized soul

Being without desire or hatred, one’s intelligence does not rejoice or lament
One remains sharp in intelligence and
‘Unbewildered’ – Fixed in the self

Focus of Learning

(a) Text 5.20 – 5.21 describes the symptoms of a self realized soul (5.20 – 5.21)

(b) Foremost symptom – no illusion of false bodily identification

This symptom is the basis of not rejoicing or lamenting for material dualities

(c) “Sthira-Buddhih” – Steadiness of mind – Not rejoice/lament for bodily relations or achievements:

Based on knowledge that he is not this body but fragmental portion of Supreme Personality of Godhead

(d) Unbewildered – Not misidentify Body as soul/nor take body as permanent.

(a) “Equanimity of mind” – Sign of Self realization

Importance of equanimity – at such a stage one is considered to have conquered material conditions specifically birth and death
Thus there is no rebirth but one can enter into the spiritual sky

(b) Lord and living entity are “flawless” – How? Because

On spiritual platform they are free from all attraction and hatred – this makes living entity eligible for spiritual sky

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF TEXT 5.19

A devotee of Krishna recognizes everything that happens to him as Krishna’s kindness,

and everything therefore increases his devotion. Ref SB 10.14.8 “tat te ’nukampa…”

“My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless

mercy upon him, all the while patiently suffering the reactions of his past

misdeeds and offering You respectful obeisances with his heart, words and

body, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim.”

Such a devotee is mukti-pade, already liberated

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
5.20 Brahmavit, a knower of Brahman, as described; sthitah, who is established; brahmani in Brahman- who is not a performer of actions, i.e. one who has renounced all actions; sthira-buddhih, should have his intellect steady-the man of steady intellect is one who has the unwavering, firm conviction of the existence of the one and the same taintless Self in all beings; and further, asammudhah, he should not be deluded, he should be free from delusion. Na prahrsyet, he should not get delighted; prapya, by getting; priyam, what is desirable; na ca udvijet, and surely, neither should he become dejected; prapya, by getting; apriyam, what is undesirable-because the acisition of the desirable and the undesirable are causes of [Ast.'s reading is 'horsa-visadau kurvate, cause happiness and sorrow' in place of 'harsa-visada-sthane, sources of happiness and sorrow', which (latter) reading occurs in G1. Pr. and A.A.-Tr.] happiness and sorrow for one who considers the body as the Self; not for the one who has realized the absolute Self, since in his case there can be no acisition of desirable and undesirable objects. Further, the one who is established in Brahman-
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
5.20 Whatever is experienced as pleasant by one staying in a body and remaining in a particular condition because of the subtle impressions of his old Karmas, and whatever is experienced as unpleasant - on attaining those two types of experiences, one should not feel joy or grief. How? By having the mind on that 'Which is steadfast' i.e., the self, 'Undeluded,' i.e., one must be free from the delusion of identity of the steadfast self with the transient body. And how can this be? He who knows Brahman and abides in Brahman, i.e., by becoming a knower of Brahman by instruction by the teachers - such a person abides steadily, engaged in the practices towards winning Brahman. What is said is this: From the instructions received from the sages who know the truth, one should learn what has to be learnt about the self. Endeavouring to actualise the same, one does not consider the body as the sefl and remains fixed in the joyous experience of the vision of the steadfast self. Let him not rejoice and grieve when he experiences pleasant and unpleasant things, as such experiences result from the Prakrti and are transient.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
5.20 Na prahrsyet etc. In the case of this person, who habitually looks [upon all] alike, the classification of foes and friends is at the level of mundane business alone, and not internally, as he is firmly established in the Brahman.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
5.20 Resting in Brahman, with steady intellect and undeluded, the knower of Brahman neither rejoiceth on obtaining what is pleasant nor grieveth on obtaining what is unpleasant.
Commentary

5.20 न not? प्रहृष्येत् should rejoice? प्रियम् the pleasant? प्राप्य having obtained? न not? उद्विजेत् should be troubled? प्राप्य having obtained? च and? अप्रियम् the unpleasant? स्थिरबुद्धिः one with steady intellect? असम्मूढः undeluded? ब्रह्मवित् knower of Brahman? ब्रह्मणि in Brahman? स्थितः established.Commentary This is the state of a Jivanmukta or a liberated sage or a Brahmana who identifies himself with the Self or Atman. He always has a balanced mind. He is never deluded. He has abandoned all actions as he rests in Brahman. He who has an unbalanced mind? who identifies himself with the body and mind feels pleasure and pain? exhilaration of spirits when he gets a pleasant object and grief when he obtains an unpleasant object. (Cf.VI.21?27?28XIII.12XIV.20)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
5.20 A knower of Brahman, who is established in Brahman, should have his intellect steady and should not be deluded. He should not get delighted by getting what is desirable, nor become dejected by getting what is undesirable.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
5.20 He who knows and lives in the Absolute remains unmoved and unperturbed; he is not elated by pleasure or depressed by pain.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 2.56 BG 12.17 BG 14.24 SB 11.13.36 SB 1.9.11 SB 7.9.19 CC Madhya 22.145 CC Antya 20.21 CC Madhya 19.149 Īśa Upaniṣad 7 BRS 1.1.11
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
He who neither rejoices in pleasant nor laments in unpleasant — steady, undeluded, knowing Brahman — is situated in Brahman.
Practical Applications
  • Practice not rejoicing too much in good news; not lamenting too much in bad.
  • Cultivate the steady center.
  • Recognize wild swings as illusion's symptom.
Reflection Questions
  • What recent news did I over-rejoice or over-lament about?
  • What does the steady center feel like by contrast?
Analogy

A skilled physician receives both the patient's recovery and the patient's relapse with the same steady hand — neither inflated by success nor crushed by failure, because his identity is not pinned to either outcome. The brahma-vit moves through pleasant and unpleasant news the same way. The hand stays steady because the identity is elsewhere.

Stories
Kuntī's prayer for misfortune

After the war, when Kṛṣṇa was preparing to leave Hastināpura for Dvārakā, Queen Kuntī offered her famous prayer. She asked the Lord to grant her continued misfortunes, because misfortunes were what had kept her mind fixed on Him.

She had received unpleasant — exile, the burning of the lac-house, Draupadī's humiliation, the war's losses. She received pleasant — her sons enthroned, the kingdom restored, Kṛṣṇa Himself her relative. She did not rejoice over the pleasant nor lament the unpleasant; she only valued whichever condition kept her mind fixed on the Lord.

Na prahṛṣyet... na udvijet. Kuntī's prayer is the verse's autobiography. Sthira-buddhiḥ asammūḍhaḥ — steady intelligence, undeluded — describes her exactly.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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