प्रजहाति यदा कामान्सर्वान्पार्थ मनोगतान् ।
आत्मन्येवात्मना तुष्टः स्थितप्रज्ञस्तदोच्यते ॥
prajahāti yadā kāmān sarvān pārtha mano-gatān |
ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ sthita-prajñas tadocyate ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 2.55)
“O Pārtha,
When one completely casts away
All desires situated in the mind,
Being satisfied in the self specifically
By means of the self,
Then one is said to be
One of steady wisdom (sthita-prajña).”
Commentary
atra ca yāni sādhakasya jñāna-sādhanāni tāny eva svābhāvikāni siddhasya lakṣaṇāni | ataḥ siddhasya lakṣaṇāni kathayann evāntaraṅgāni jñāna-sādhanāny āha yāvad adhyāya-samāpti | tatra prathama-praśnasyottaram āha—prajahātīti dvābhyām | manasi sthitān kāmān yadā prakarṣeṇa jahāti | tyāge hetum āha ātmanīti | ātmany eva svasminn eva paramānanda-rūpe ātmanā svayam eva tuṣṭa ity ātmārāmaḥ san yadā kṣudra-viṣayābhilāṣāṁs tyajati tadā tena lakṣaṇena muniḥ sthita-prajña ucyate |
(Subodhinī-ṭīkā on Bhagavad-gītā: 2.55)
“Here, furthermore, specifically those which are the natural characteristics of one who is accomplished (siddha) are the means of accomplishment (sādhanas) of knowledge (jñāna) for a practitioner (sādhaka). Thus, just by discussing the characteristics of one who is accomplished, he [viz., Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa] describes the internal means of accomplishment (sādhanas) of knowledge (jñāna) [for practitioners (sādhakas)] until the end of the chapter. In this regard he states with two [verses], prajahāti … [i.e., BG 2.55–56], the answer to the first question [of Arjuna in the previous verse, that is, ‘What is the definition of one of steady wisdom (sthita-prajña)?’] When one completely casts away [all] desires situated in the mind [is the meaning of the verse half of BG 2.55]. He states the cause in regard to relinquishing [all desires desired in the mind]: ātmani … [i.e., he states the second half of BG 2.55]: being satisfied in the self specifically, that is, specifically in one’s own nature of paramount bliss [i.e., in the paramount bliss that is inherent in the self], by means specifically of the self itself, that is, being one whose satisfaction is because of the self (ātmārāma), when a sage relinquishes desire for the trivial objects of the senses, then by virtue of that characteristic he is said to be one of steady wisdom (sthita-prajña).”
catūrṇāṁ praśnānāṁ krameṇottaram āha—prajahātīti yāvad adhyāya-samāptiḥ | sarvān iti kasminn apy arthe yasya kiñcin mātro’pi nābhilāṣa ity arthaḥ | mano-gatān iti kāmānām anātma-dharmatvena parityāge yogyatā darśitā | yadi te hy ātma-dharmāḥ syus tadā tāṁs tyaktum aśakyeran vahner auṣṇyavad iti bhāvaḥ | tatra hetuḥ—ātmani pratyāhṛte manasi prāpto ya ātmānanda-rūpas tena tuṣṭaḥ | tathā ca śrutiḥ—‘yadā sarve pramucyante kāmā ye’sya hṛdi śritāḥ | atha martyo’mṛto bhavaty atra brahma samaśnute ||’ iti |
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“He states the answer to the four questions [of Arjuna in the previous verse] in order until the end of the chapter: prajahāti … [i.e., Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa answers the first of Arjuna’s four questions starting here in BG 2.55]. ‘All’ (sarvān) conveys [that one of steady wisdom is] one who has no desire whatsoever for any sort of object. By [the description of desires as] ‘situated in the mind’ (mano-gatān), desires’ fitness for relinquishment because of [their] not being attributes of the self (ātma) is shown, since if they were attributes of the self (ātma), then one would not be able to relinquish them, like fire’s heat. This is the purport [i.e., as it is impossible for fire to remove from itself the heat that it produces because heat is an intrinsic attribute of fire, so no one can remove from the self an attribute that is intrinsic to the self; because desires are situated in the mind and thus not intrinsic to the self, it is possible to relinquish them]. The cause in this regard [is then stated]: one is satisfied by that which is attained in the self, that is, in the restrained mind, [namely], the self, that the nature of which is bliss. Similarly also, the Śruti [i.e., Kaṭha Upaniṣad 6.14, says the following], ‘When all the desires present in one’s heart are dispelled, then a mortal becomes immortal and here experiences Brahman.’”