Chapter 2, Verse 54 (Bhagavad Gita 2.54)
Chapter 2: Sānkhya Yog – Transcendental Knowledge
Sanskrit Shloka
अर्जुन उवाच स्थितप्रज्ञस्य का भाषा समाधिस्थस्य केशव। स्थितधीः किं प्रभाषेत किमासीत व्रजेत किम्
Transliteration
arjuna uvācha sthita-prajñasya kā bhāṣhā samādhi-sthasya keśhava sthita-dhīḥ kiṁ prabhāṣheta kim āsīta vrajeta kim
Word Meanings
arjunaḥ uvācha—Arjun said; sthita-prajñasya—one with steady intellect; kā—what; bhāṣhā—talk; samādhi-sthasya—situated in divine consciousness; keśhava—Shree Krishna, killer of the Keshi Demon; sthita-dhīḥ—enlightened person; kim—what; prabhāṣheta—talks; kim—how; āsīta—sits; vrajeta—walks; kim—how
Translation
Arjuna said: O Krishna, what are the symptoms of one whose consciousness is steady and who is absorbed in transcendence? How does such a person of steady wisdom speak, how do they sit, and how do they walk?
Meaning & Commentary
This verse marks a pivotal shift where Arjuna moves from mere inquiry into battle strategy to seeking the nature of enlightenment. It teaches that true spiritual maturity is not merely an internal mental state, but one that inevitably manifests in outer behavior and physical conduct. The inquiry implies that a realized soul’s interaction with the world—their speech, posture, and movement—becomes an expression of divine equanimity rather than reactive impulses. It reminds us that our external actions are the reflection of our internal alignment, and that wisdom must be anchored in the bedrock of a steady, non-reactive consciousness. By asking how such a person lives, Arjuna encourages us to seek tangible models of transcendence who walk among us.