Sthitaprajna - Gita Chapter 2 Verse 56

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namaste.

 

Some additional remarks on BG 2.56

 

BG 2.56:

 

He, whose mind is not afflicted by adversities, and who does not hanker

after pleasures, who has become free from attachment, fear and anger,

is said to be a munI, of steady wisdom.

 

Adversities are of three kinds: adhi-Atmika, adhi-bhoutika and

adhi-daivika. In the face of such sorrow-causing agents, the one who

does not get perturbed is duhkheshhu anudvignamanAh, unperturbed

by adversities.

 

Similarly, the sukhAs, the pleasures are also of three kinds

adhi-Atmika, adhi-bhoutika and adhi-daivika. The one who is not

elated (or whose enthusiam is not there for such pleasures) is

one who is called sukheshhu vigataspr^hah.

 

RAga, bhaya and krodha are antahkaraNavr^ttIs.

RAga is the essence or remainder of the pleasant feeling left

behind in the mind due to the past perceptions of the sense organs.

Bhaya (fear) is the antahkaraNavr^tti caused when a situation arises

that can cause the rAga (defined earlier) to be destroyed, and if

the jeeva is unable to prevent (or thinks he/she is unable to

prevent) that particular loss of rAga, the resulting

antahkaraNavr^tti is bhaya (fear).

Krodha (anger): If the desire in the mind is not fulfilled, it

results in antahkaraNavr^tti called krodha. Another way to look

at krodha is: when a situation arises that can cause the rAga

(defined above) is to be destroyed, and if the jeeva thinks that

he/she can prevent that situation, the resulting antahkaraNavr^tti

is called krodha (anger).

 

The sthitaprajna is one who is vItarAgabhayakrodha i.e. one who

is free from attachment, fear and anger.

 

(based on Shri Shankara's bhagavadgItAbhAshhya, Madhusudanasaraswati's

GUDhArthadIpikA, and Ananadagiri's TIkA on gItAbhAshhya)

 

 

Regards

Gummuluru Murthy

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