CH 2, Verses 54 & 55

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Verse 55

Shree Bhagavaan uvaacha:

 

Prajahaati yadaa kaamaan sarvaan Paartha mano-gataan /

aatmany-evaa'tmanaa tushhTaH sthita-praGYastado'chyate //

When a man gives up completely all the desires of the mind and becomes

exclusively content with his mind fixed in the Self, then is he said to be a

man of stable wisdom.

 

LESSONS FROM BHAGAVAD GITA – 6

(As taught by Parama Pujya Sri Swamiji)

Compiled by: Swami Dattananda

Bhakti Mala, June 1992

 

In the concluding stanzas of the second chapter, Arjuna puts a question to Sri

Krishna. He asks, “What, O Kesava, is the characteristic of the man of steady

wisdom, merged in super conscious state? How does the man firm in wisdom speak?

How does he sit? How does he walk?” (Chapter 2, Verse 54).

 

After listening to Sri Krishna’s discourse in the beginning of the second

chapter, Arjuna came to know that the real man is the Self and not the body and

attainment of the Self must be the aim of man’s life. Thereafter, in the middle

of this chapter, Sri Krishna talks about the doctrine of Karma Yoga, by the

practice of which one can attain purity of mind and Self-Realization.

 

As a natural course, Arjuna’s mind is now filled with the highest ideal of

Self-Realization. He wants to know how a man of Self-Realization will conduct

himself in the society, how he will talk and behave, so that he could model his

life accordingly following the footsteps of such a great soul.

 

Therefore Sri Krishna explains to Arjuna the chief characteristics of a man of

steady wisdom born of Self-Realization. The Lord says, “When a man gives up

completely all the desires of the mind and becomes exclusively content with his

mind fixed in the Self, then is he said to be a man of stable wisdom” (Chapter

2, Verse 55).

 

People have lot of desires. Some like to possess lot of wealth, some others

want name and fame, power and position, and some others want worldly sense

pleasures and progeny. These desires remain in seed form in the subconscious

mind. Whenever a man comes into contact with the objects of this world, these

desires come to the surface of his mind and drag him towards their

satisfaction. A foolish man is enticed by the superficial attractions of the

sense objects. He runs after them and gets himself caught in the clutches of

Samsara.

 

A man of wisdom, on the other hand, knows that desire cannot be mitigated by its

enjoyment, as fire cannot abate by feeding it with all worldly pleasures.

Therefore the man of wisdom gives up all the desires of his mind and remains at

peace within himself.

 

An eagle flies in the skies. But it always looks down on earth for dead bodies

for its prey. However great may be one’s excellence in social status or

knowledge of the scriptures, as long as one’s eyes are fixed in sense

pleasures, one reduces himself to the status of a bird or a beast.

 

Happiness is not to him who is given to lust and greed. Worldly objects cannot

make us happy. Happiness is something we possess within. But man forgets this

fact due to delusion and runs after worldly pleasures in search of happiness.

The musk deer runs miles and miles in the forest in search of the source of the

musk scent that emanates from its own gland in its body, and finally dies due to

exhaustion. But that animal, which knows that the source of the scent is its

own musk gland in its body, will not run madly in its search outside and die.

 

Like the deluded musk deer, man, without knowing the source of joy is within

him, that is, his own Self, runs after the worldly objects and lands himself in

miseries, and dies broken-hearted. But that man who knows that the source of

all happiness is his own Self discards the worldly objects. He clears up all

the impurities from his mind and finds that happiness, which he has been

seeking in the outside world, is in his own Self. As the thought of the world

dies in him he enjoys the bliss that is within him. Then he becomes

exclusively content with his mind fixed in the Self. Such a man is said to be

a Stithaprajna (a man of stable wisdom).

 

 

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