2.55 - Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 2, Verse 55

In Bhagavad Gita 2.55, Lord Krishna begins to answer Arjuna's question about the characteristics of a sthita-prajna (a person of steady wisdom). This verse marks the beginning of Krishna's detailed description of someone who has attained spiritual enlightenment and maintains unwavering intelligence despite life's challenges.

Krishna defines the sthita-prajna as one who "prajahati yada kaman" - completely renounces all desires born of the mind. This isn't merely about suppressing desires but thoroughly eliminating them at their root. The verse points to the mind as the breeding ground for desires, referring to them as "mano-gatan" (those originating from the mind). Our minds constantly wander, attaching to external sensory experiences and creating impressions that generate new desires. These mental impressions become the architects of our cravings, perpetuating a cycle of temporary satisfaction followed by renewed wanting.

What makes this verse particularly profound is that Krishna doesn't simply advocate for the abandonment of desires without offering an alternative source of fulfillment. He states "atmany evatmana tushtah" - such a person becomes completely satisfied within themselves, finding joy in the self alone. This self-satisfaction isn't about isolation or emotional detachment but rather about discovering the inherent bliss of one's spiritual nature. The soul, being a fragment of God who is infinite bliss, naturally contains within it the capacity for complete fulfillment.

The enlightened person described here has redirected their consciousness from external seeking to internal discovery. Rather than chasing ephemeral pleasures that inevitably fade and lead to renewed dissatisfaction, they've turned inward to connect with their true spiritual identity. This inward journey transforms their relationship with desire itself - not eliminating all wanting, but elevating it from material cravings to spiritual aspirations.

This verse highlights a fundamental spiritual paradox: external pleasures, despite their immediate appeal, cannot provide lasting satisfaction because they fail to address our deepest need for self-realization. The mind's constant wandering and imagination often exaggerates the happiness we'll receive from acquiring things, relationships, or circumstances. We pursue these external objects thinking they'll bring fulfillment, only to discover their satisfaction is temporary at best. The sthita-prajna has broken this cycle by recognizing that true joy comes not from acquisition but from self-understanding.

Krishna's teaching here challenges us to examine our relationship with desire. Rather than seeing desires as inherently problematic, he points to their source - the wandering mind disconnected from spiritual awareness. When we become overly identified with our mental projections about what will make us happy, we remain perpetually dissatisfied, always chasing the next thing. By contrast, the person of steady wisdom has recognized that happiness exists within and can be accessed through spiritual connection rather than sensory pursuits.

The verse ultimately reveals that stable wisdom isn't achieved through mere intellectual understanding but through a fundamental shift in consciousness. The sthita-prajna has learned to distinguish between the mind's imagined sources of happiness and the soul's genuine fulfillment. This discernment allows them to remain steadfast amid life's fluctuations, neither elated by gains nor dejected by losses. Their satisfaction comes from within, independent of external circumstances, making them truly established in wisdom, as Krishna concludes: "sthita-prajnas tadocyate" - such a person is called one of steady intelligence.