Features of a Stitha Prajña

·         Arjuna asks,

·         “What are the features of a sthita-Prajña who is established in samādhi?

·         How does a sthita-dhīḥ (person of stabilised mind) speak, sit and walk?”

·         When a man

·         gives up all desires which arises from mental concoction and

·         when his ātmanā (mind)  finds satisfaction in ātmani (his Self - ātmā) alone.

·         Then he is said to be Stitha-Prajña (in pure transcendental consciousness).

·         One who remains unperturbed amid sorrows and is not elated in happiness.

·         One who is free from

·         Rāga (attachment),

·         Bhaya (fear) and

·         Krodha (anger)

·         is called a Stitha-Dhiḥ Muni (a sage established in wisdom)

·         He who

·         has no affection anywhere,

·         Achieving good or evil, neither praises nor envies.

·         His Prajñā (knowledge/wisdom) is firmly established.

·         One who withdraws his senses from the sense objects (just as a turtle withdraws all its limbs into its shell), his Prajñā is firmly established.

·         Through restrictions the dehinah (ātmā of a Stitha Prajña) practises refraining sense-objects. Even after renouncing the sense of enjoyment, still his sense of enjoyment remains. (However) Upon experiencing the Supreme (in the process), he (eventually) ceases from (the sense enjoyment). 

·         While doing the effort (described above), the turbulent sense organs forcibly carry away the mind even of a vipaścitaḥ Purușa (man of discriminating knowledge).

·         Keeping all those under control,

·         situated in association with ‘Me-Supreme’,

·         one whose senses are in full subjugation,

·         his Prajñā is firmly established. (is known as a man of steady intelligence)

·         When a person dwells on sense objects,

·         he develops attachments for them.

·         From such attachment, desire develops,

·         from desire develops anger

·         From anger, delusion arises and

·         From delusion, bewilderment of smŗti (memory) occurs.

·         When the smŗti is bewildered, Buddhi is lost.

·         When buddhi is lost, his downfall occurs.

·         But one

·         who has become free from rāga and dveșa (attraction and repulsion),

·         whose sense objects act under his control.

·         one whose ātmā follows regulated freedom

·         he attains the blessings (of the Supreme).

·         For such blessed ones, all their sorrows are destroyed. In such a happy – conscious state, very soon his Buddhi gets fully established.

·         There  

·         Cannot exist buddhi (transcendental intelligence), if a person is ayuktasya (not associated with Buddhi Yoga).

·         One also cannot have bhavanā (the right thought process), if he is ayuktasya.

·         If he is not having the right thought process (abhāvayatah), he cannot attain Śanti.

·         And without Śanti, where is Sukham?

·         Certainly while the senses are wandering, the mind becomes attached to them, carrying away his Prajñā (wisdom), as the wind sweeps away a boat on the water.

·         Therefore one whose senses are restrained from their sense-objects, his Prajñā is firmly established.

·         What is night (dark) for all living beings is awakening for a saḿyamī (self-controlled person). (Refers to transcendental consciousness).

·         That which arouses (awakens) all living beings is night (dark) for a sage (self-controlled person). (Refers to sense gratification).

·         As the ocean (which is) always filled, (still remains) steadily established, when (more) water enter (into it), similarly the person (who remains undisturbed) when all kāma enter (into him), achieves śanti, not who desires to fulfil desires. (kāma-kāmi).

·         A person who

·         has given up all desires, lives a desire-less life,

·         one who is without a sense of proprietorship and

·          is devoid of ego

·         attains peace.

·         After attaining this transcendental (brāhmi) state, a person is never bewildered. Being situated in this state when a person dies, he attains Brahma-Nirvāņam (Oneness with Brahma).

·         Arjuna asked,

·         “If Buddhi is better in your opinion than Karma, then why you are engaging me in this ghastly Karma (war)?

·         My Buddhi is certainly bewildered by (your) equivocal statements.

·         So please tell precisely one (path) through which I may excel.”

·         There are two kinds of nişţhā in this loka, as previously said by Me.

·         By Jñāna Yoga of Sānkhya.

·         By Karma Yoga of Yogis.