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Bhagavad Gita Weekly – Chapter 2 – Sankhya Yoga – Characteristics of a Sthita Prajna – Verses 57 to 60, Part 16

This is part 16 of Bhagavad Gita Weekly series. In the last part of this series, we looked at chapter 2, verses 52 to 56.

Shree Krishna continues with his answers to Arjuna’s question about the characteristics of sthita prajna – the enlightened souls – and how their enlightenment manifests in their day-to-day behaviour. We stopped at verse 56 in the last part where Shree Krishna says, “one whose mind remains undisturbed amidst misery, who does not crave for happiness or pleasure, and who is free from attachment, fear, and anger, is called a sage, a man of steady wisdom.”

As Shree Krishna says, a sthita prajna is free from all attachment, fear and anger and never craves for either happiness or pleasure. Thus, a sthita prajna is called a sage, a man of unwavering wisdom.

Let us now continue from chapter 2, verse 57 onwards. You can read all the previous posts by clicking here and the very last one by clicking here.

Jump to the Commentary for Chapter 2, verses 57 to 60

Chapter 2, Verse 57

यः सर्वत्रानभिस्नेहस्तत्तत्प्राप्य शुभाशुभम्।
नाभिनन्दति न द्वेष्टि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता।।

yaḥ sarvatrānabhisnehas
tat tat prāpya śubhāśubham
nābhinandati na dveṣṭi
tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā

One who remains unattached under all conditions, and is neither delighted by good fortune nor dejected by tribulation, he is firmly fixed in perfect knowledge.

Chapter 2, Verse 58

यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वशः।
इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता।।

yadā saṁharate cāyaṁ
kūrmo ’ṅgānīva sarvaśaḥ
indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyas
tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā

One who is able to withdraw his senses from their sense objects, just as a tortoise withdraws its limbs into its shell, is firmly established in perfect consciousness.

Chapter 2, Verse 59

विषया विनिवर्तन्ते निराहारस्य देहिनः।
रसवर्जं रसोऽप्यस्य परं दृष्ट्वा निवर्तते।।

viṣayā vinivartante
nirāhārasya dehinaḥ
rasa-varjaṁ raso ’py asya
paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate

Spiritual aspirants may restrain their senses from the objects of enjoyment, but the taste for the sense objects remains in them. However, even this desire for the sense enjoyment ceases for those who realize the Ultimate Consciousness.

Chapter 2, Verse 60

यततो ह्यपि कौन्तेय पुरुषस्य विपश्िचतः।
इन्द्रियाणि प्रमाथीनि हरन्ति प्रसभं मनः।।

yatato hy api kaunteya
puruṣasya vipaścitaḥ
indriyāṇi pramāthīni
haranti prasabhaṁ manaḥ

O Arjuna, the senses are so strong and turbulent, that they can forcibly carry away the mind of even a vigilant person of sound judgment and self-control.

Commentary for Chapter 2, verses 57 to 60

Having explained the characteristics of a sage who has unwavering wisdom, free from all kinds of attachments from not only all material objects, but also fear and anger and is also free from all cravings for happiness and pleasures, Shree Krishna now continues to answer Arjuna in verse 57, “one who remains unattached under all such conditions, and is neither delighted by good fortune nor dejected by tribulation, he is firmly fixed in perfect knowledge.”

An enlightened soul is someone who is a master of his mind. He recognises the very essential truth of life that, “I am not this body”, but “aham brahmasmi”, that “I am the atma” and that atma can neither be destroyed, nor be modified by any forces of the world, even the God. If I am the atma which is eternal and undestroyable, is there anything else I should ever worry about?

Such a soul doesn’t fear death, is free from all kinds of attachments to material objects and objects of pleasure and is steadily situated in the absolute truth, being fully in harmony and union with the Ultimate Consciousness, the Parabrahman.

Such a soul who is situated in the transcendental consciousness remains free from all kinds of attachments. They are unaffected by happiness or sorrows, victory or defeats, likes or dislikes… They are neither influenced nor affected by their loved ones nor by the people who hate them the most. They are neither delighted by good fortunes nor dismayed by misfortunes. They remain in sameness, unaffected and their individual consciousness in complete harmony with the Ultimate consciousness.

As we know, life in this material world is full of turbulence. There are so many factors that affect our life which are completely beyond our control. We usually get affected even by the tiniest things. For example, we get annoyed when it rains, even though we very well know that we can neither stop the rain nor do something to make it rain as and when we wish. It is beyond our control. Similarly, we are forever affected by various other factors outside of our control and remain disappointed, angry, sad and unhappy.

However, if we recognise a very simple fact that living in this world is like sailing in the ocean, full of turbulence, like the waves that keeps rocking the boat. If we get annoyed and angry every single time the wave rocks our boat, there is no way we would ever enjoy our sailing.

Every turbulence in this life is like the waves rocking the boat, part and parcel of this whole living experience. Only when we start to recognise that very fact, we can stay unaffected by it and start enjoying life and be truly happy.

Shree Krishna tells Arjuna that, a sthitaprajna is someone who, with his unwavering intellect and with the power of his discrimination, stays unattached to all conditions that are transient, and remain fully in harmony in their transcendental consciousness.

Continuing his answers to Arjuna, Shree Krishna says in verse 58, “One who is able to withdraw his senses from their sense objects, just as a tortoise withdraws its limbs into its shell, is firmly established in perfect consciousness.”

A sthitaprajna is a realised master who understands the eternal truth that I am not this body and that everything we do with the only intention to satisfy our physical body is transient. They understand that the true knowledge is the knowledge of the self. Such a person withdraws from all material objects of pleasure just like how a tortoise withdraws its limbs as and when it wishes.

Because they detach themselves from all things transient and travel deeper into their own self to realise their godlike qualities, they always remain in perfect harmony with the Ultimate consciousness and are thus situated in perfect knowledge.

As we know from our own experiences, our thirst for physical pleasures are endless. It is like how adding oil onto the fire would only make the fire to get larger, attempting to quench our thirst for physical pleasures and desires of senses only make us want for more such pleasures, not realising that, all of that is only temporary. The only way to find lasting happiness is to dive deeper into ourselves, seeking or at least attempting to seek the knowledge of our own true self – to realise that aham brahmasmi.

Shree Krishna continues (59), “Spiritual aspirants may restrain their senses from the objects of enjoyment, but the taste for the sense objects remain in them. However, even this desire for the sense enjoyment ceases for those who realize the Ultimate Consciousness.”

Many of us refrain ourselves from sense objects and various objects of pleasure during fasts or during pilgrimages, for example. Similarly, a sick man, due to his ill health, may also withdraw himself from various sense objects and food habits. However, such abstinences are only temporary. The moment that phase is over, the moment our fast is over, we return back to the same old habit of chasing all that we refrain ourselves from, with the intention to only satisfy our sense objects, with or without even realising it.

Here in this verse, Shree Krishna clearly explains the difference between such people who abstain themselves from sense objects temporarily and a sthitaprajna – an enlightened soul.
Those who have never experienced the joy of realising the presence of god in them, never give up their thirst for more and more sense objects to satisfy their own greed. However, a sthitaprajna, having realised their true nature and experienced the ultimate joy – ananda, never ever have any urge to go back to anything that never lasts. They know that the only thing that lasts is the knowledge that I am brahman that I am anu-sat, anu-chit and anu-ananda!

…it is not just about forcefully refraining ourselves from desires, but removing the very seed of those desires from our mind is what guides us to true knowledge. Only when we are able to remove the very seed of desires for sense objects, then shall we raise our consciousness to higher levels, ceasing the need for all desires except the desire to realise our true self and to be one with the Whole, the God.”

As Shree Krishna explains, it is not just about forcefully refraining ourselves from desires, but removing the very seed of those desires from our mind is what guides us to true knowledge. Only when we are able to remove the very seed of desires for sense objects, then shall we raise our consciousness to higher levels, ceasing the need for all desires except the desire to realise our true self and to be one with the Whole, the God.

The innate nature of our soul is to seek union with the Whole. Until we achieve that, we are always in search of something greater than what we already have. Some of us mistake our innate need for that greater something as the need for more and more money or other material objects, not realising that, none of that ever last forever.

Having once experienced the bliss of their union with the Whole, a sthitaprajna never have any urge to go back and experience any lesser joy than being one with the parabrahman which is the  ultimate joy! For such an enlightened soul, even the very seed for such desires cease to exist.

It is said in Taittiriya Upanishad, “raso vai sah rasam hyevaayam labdhvaa ’nandi bhavati”, meaning, “God is all bliss. When the soul attains God, it becomes satiated in that bliss.

Shree Krishna then says (60), “O Arjuna, the senses are so strong and turbulent, that they can forcibly carry away the mind of even a vigilant person of sound judgment and self-control.”

God is all bliss. When the soul attains God, it becomes satiated in that bliss.

As we see, Sanatana Dharma recognises the power of our mind and the extreme difficulty and mastery required for us to have control over it. That is why, huge parts of our vedas, yoga, our classical dances, music, etc. all exist with the sole aim to help us master our mind. Even the whole theme of Bhagavad Gita is about how to be the master of our mind.

As we see, Sanatana Dharma recognises the power of our mind and the extreme difficulty and mastery required for us to have control over it. That is why, huge parts of our vedas, yoga, our classical dances, music, etc. all exist with the sole aim to help us master our mind. Even the whole theme of Bhagavad Gita is about how to be the master of our mind.

As Shree Krishna points out here, even those who has immense self control and is self aware, finds it difficult to control the mind. Even Arjuna, who with his razor sharp focus shot the eye of the bird during the archery contest organised by his Guru Dronacharya, admits in chapter 6 of the Gita, verse 34, “O Krishna, the flickering mind is certainly turbulent, strong and obstinate. I think that subduing the mind is more difficult than the wind.” That, bringing the wind under one’s control could be easier than controlling the mind!

There is a beautiful story of an illustrious sage, Saubhari Muni, in the Srimad Bhagavatam. The Muni was so powerful and had such control over his mind and body that he used to submerge himself in the Yamuna river and meditate. Once when he was meditating submerged in the water, he notice two fishes mating. The sight of the fishes mating filled Muni’s heart with sexual desires and he couldn’t stop, but to fulfill his sexual desires.

Mandhata was the king of Ayodhya at that time. The king had fifty beautiful daughters. Knowing this, Saubhari Muni went to the King and requested to give one of his daughters’ hands in marriage.

Looking at the old sage, the King wondered how his young daughter’s life would be ruined if he let the old Muni marry any of his daughters. However, the king also knew of the extreme danger if he declines the Muni’s wish, thinking about the possibility of being cursed by such a powerful person.

The king found a way and suggested to the Muni to come to the palace the next day and he asked all his fifty daughters to be present as well. If any of his daughter like the Muni to be her husband, Muni could marry her. Sage agreed to that idea and left the palace.

However, using his yogic powers, the Muni knew what was running in the mind of the King and turned himself into a handsome young man and came to the palace the next day. All his fifty daughters fell for that handsome, young man standing in front of them! The king had no choice but to follow his own word and arranged all daughters to be married to Saubhari Muni.

Saubhari Muni thus married all the fifty daughters. Using his yogic powers again, he assumed fifty forms and created fifty palaces for all his wives and lived with them separately. They lived for 1000s of years, having children and grandchildren and literally creating a city of their own family.

One day, Saubhari Muni, coming to his senses, realised his mistake and exclaimed, “Alas! Those of you, who make plans to attain happiness through material acquisitions, be careful. Look at my degradation – where I was and where am I now after 1000s of years! I created fifty bodies by my yogic powers, and lived with fifty women for thousands of years. And yet, the senses did not experience any fulfillment, they only kept hankering for more. Learn from my downfall and be warned not to venture in this direction.”

As the story of Saubhari Muni clearly shows, it is difficult to control the mind, even for such a extremely powerful sage, what about us, the mortals!

How do we tame such a mind? Shree Krishna explains that in the next verses which we will see in the next part of this series.

Let’s conclude here for now.

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात्पुर्णमुदच्यते
पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

Om Puurnnam-Adah Puurnnam-Idam Puurnnaat-Purnnam-Udacyate
Puurnnasya Puurnnam-Aadaaya Puurnnam-Eva-Avashissyate ||
Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih ||
My Pranams to you!