Summary:
Chapter 2, Verse 54: Arjuna asks Krishna to describe the characteristics and behavior of a sthita-prajna – one whose knowledge of reality is fully assimilated and who lives with firm wisdom. After understanding that moksha (liberation) is the only true goal and that objects cannot provide lasting fulfillment, Arjuna seeks to understand how someone who has realized this truth actually lives and conducts themselves in the world.
What You Really, Really Want:
Following verses in CH2 will speak of a wise person, one who is liberated while alive. Called a sthita-prajna.
Before we speak of such a being, we first need to see what have they figured out, consciously or unconsciously, that made them so focused and committed on attaining moksha. In a nutshell: That moksha (liberation) is the only goal in life. There's no other pursuit then moksha.
But you don't have to figure it out. Vedanta has already figured it out for you. Here's what Vedanta has to say about what you're really seeking behind all experiences, activities, relationships, careers, and countless objects…
Subject and Object: The Fundamental Division
Vedanta inquiry starts by categorizing life into two realities: the subject (knower) and the object (known). I am the subject, the conscious being – while everything else, including my body, mind, emotions, and external world, falls into the category of objects.
An object is anything perceivable or experiencable. I, the subject, remain distinct from all objects, for I am the one to whom they are known.
The Three Pursuits that Drive Human Life
Despite this fundamental distinction, life is spent in pursuit of various objects, which fall into three broad categories: security, pleasure, and virtue. The subject, believing itself to be lacking or incomplete, is motivated to obtain these in an effort to find fulfillment.
1. The Pursuit of Security (Artha)
This refers to acquiring resources to ensure survival and protection. Security encompasses material wealth, physical safety, social status, and relationships… anything that provides stability and shields against uncertainty. Examples: food, clothing, shelter, financial assets, social connections, and professional skills.
2. The Pursuit of Pleasure (Kama)
Pleasure involves the enjoyment of sensory and emotional gratification. It includes experiences that delight the senses, entertain the mind, and touch the heart. Examples: music, movies, fine dining, travel, hobbies, and romance.
3. The Pursuit of Virtue (Dharma)
Virtue refers to living in alignment with universal values (samanya dharma). It involves ethical conduct, duty, and selfless actions that uphold harmony within society and within oneself. Also includes having sense of purpose and meaning in life. Examples: honesty, compassion, charity, justice, and fulfilling responsibilities.
The Misconception of External Fulfillment
These three pursuits are driven by a deeper longing, the desire for freedom from limitation. Consciously or unconsciously, every action is an attempt to remove a perceived inadequacy, hoping that security, pleasure, or virtue will provide lasting fulfillment.
However, if we honestly examine our experiences, we must acknowledge that none of these pursuits have ever delivered the permanent satisfaction they seem to promise. Despite temporary pleasure, security, or a sense of virtue – the feeling of incompleteness inevitably resurfaces.
Why? Because every pursuit centers around objects, and objects cannot be the source of lasting joy.
Why Objects Cannot Provide Lasting Fulfillment
- No single object pleases everyone. What one person treasures, another rejects.
- No single object pleases anyone all the time. What brings joy today may bring frustration tomorrow.
This means the object itself is not the source of happiness. Yet, despite this knowledge, we remain caught in a cycle of seeking, perpetually chasing after something to fill the void.
The Temporary Relief of Obtaining an Object
When we finally obtain the object of our desire, something interesting happens:
- The mental agitation that arose from wanting the object temporarily ceases.
- The sense of inadequacy vanishes for a short while.
- In that moment of relief, we experience happiness.
But because we lack inquiry (viveka), we mistakenly attribute happiness to the object, rather than recognizing that happiness was always present. The disappearance of mental disturbance merely revealed what was already there.
The Return of Limitation and Renewed Seeking
Since we do not recognize that happiness arises from the temporary removal of mental agitation, we conclude that the object was the source of joy. When dissatisfaction returns, we repeat the cycle:
- A new sense of limitation arises.
- We seek another object to remove it.
- The object is obtained, bringing temporary relief.
- The cycle begins again.
This is the pattern of worldly life (samsara), where fulfillment remains fleeting and dependency on external factors continues.
What the Constant Search Reveals
The fact that every action is aimed at removing limitation implies something profound: My nature is free of limitation.
If limitation were my intrinsic nature, I would be at peace with it, I would not feel discomfort in its presence, nor would I seek to remove it.
The very act of wanting to be free from limitation implies that my true nature is already free. This is a key Vedantic insight.
The Nature of Happiness
Every action we take is in pursuit of happiness, which suggests that happiness is intrinsic to us. This is further confirmed by analysis:
- We never seek unhappiness.
- We never seek to reduce or eliminate the happiness we already have.
- The fact that we are not satisfied with fleeting fulfillment indicates that what we truly seek is something permanent, something that is not subject to change.
The Need for Moksha: The Choiceless Choice
The fact that no object provides lasting fulfillment proves that what we truly desire cannot be derived from any external thing – whether an experience, a relationship, or an achievement. This means that what we truly seek is something beyond all objects, beyond time and space itself.
- This is why permanent freedom (moksha) is the only real solution.
- The mind will not rest until it attains freedom that is absolute and independent of objects.
- Thus, moksha is not merely a choice – it is a choiceless choice.
Hopefully now you've come to see you're only ever pursuing moksha. Thus inquiry makes the sthita-prajna (one who has attained moksha or found permanent freedom) – more relevant. That's why I've introduced this section before verse 54…
Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 54:
Sthita-prajna – One who is living the vision of Oneness
अर्जुनः उवाच ।
स्थितप्रज्ञस्य का भाषा समाधिस्थस्य केशव ।
स्थितधीः किम् प्रभाषेत किम् आसीत व्रजेत किम् ॥ २-५४॥
arjunaḥ uvāca ।
sthitaprajñasya kā bhāṣā samādhisthasya keśava ।
sthitadhīḥ kim prabhāṣeta kim āsīta vrajeta kim ॥ 2-54॥
Arjuna said: Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)! What is the description of a person of firm wisdom, one whose mind abides in the self? How does such a person, whose mind is not shaken by anything, speak, sit, and walk?
- Definition of sthitaprajna:
- Sthita = stable. Prajna = knowledge.
- Meaning: One with stable/firm knowledge, deeply assimilated. If don’t know definition, then may impute subjective notions like, “detached, uninvolved from everything, desireless, etc”.
- Arjuna’s Question: Is there a person who has a solid understanding of Self, who completely assimilated the BG vision? How does he/she behave (sit, walk, talk) while living?
NEXT VERSE: Krishna’s following verses show conduct of a wise person, how she/he carries oneself…
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Course was based on Swami Dayananda (Arsha Vidya) home study course.
Recorded 9 March, 2025