Gita Shloka
CHAPTER 2, VERSE 55
sri bhagavan uvaca
prajahati yada kaman
sarvan partha mano-gatan
atmany evatmana tustah
sthita-prajnas tadocyate
| Sri bhagavan uvaca |
Sri Bhagavan said; |
| partha |
O Partha; |
| yada |
when; |
| prajahati |
he gives up; |
| sarvan |
types of; |
| kaman |
of material
desires; |
| manah-gatan |
arising from the mind; (and) |
| eva |
indeed; |
| atmani |
within his (controlled) mind; |
| tustah |
he is satisfied; |
| atmana |
by his (blissful) soul; |
| tada |
at that time; |
| ucyate |
he is called; |
| sthita-prajnah |
a person of steady intelligence. |
| |
|
Sri Bhagavan said:
"O Partha, when the jivatma gives
up all material desires arising from the mind and when,
with his mind thus controlled, he becomes satisfied by
the blissful nature of the self alone, then he is to be
known as sthita-prajna, a person of steady intelligence."
Now, Sri Bhagavan, from this sloka beginning with
prajahati until the end of the chapter, answers four of
Arjuna's questions in sequence.
Sarvan denotes one who does
not have a scent of material desire. The word mano-gatan
indicates the ability to give up material desires born of a nonspiritual
nature which are opposed to the dharma of the soul.
If the nature of these desires were spiritual, it would not be
possible to give them up, just as fire cannot give up heat. This
is because a controlled mind, after realizing the atma, which
is blissful by nature, becomes satisfied by the atma alone. The
srutis confirm this:
yada sarve pramucyante
kama ye 'sya hrdi sthitah
atha martyo 'mrto bhavaty
atra brahma samasnute
- Katha Upanisad 2.3.14
When all desires are removed from the heart, the mortal (bound) jivatma attains realisation of brahma and immortality.
One should also study the sloka: atmany eva ca santustah
(Gita 3.17).
The great bhakta Prahlada Maharaja has given a
similar instruction in Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.10.9):
vimuncati yada kaman
manavo manasi sthitan
tarhy eva pundarikaksa
bhagavattvaya kalpate
O lotus-eyed Lord, when a man gives up all the material desires
situated in his heart, he becomes eligible to attain opulence
equal to Your own.
This text excerpt has been taken from Srimad Bhagavad-Gita - A profound translation of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja. (Available at www.purebhakti.com)
Please note: All copyright remains with them for this information.
