Bhagavad-gītā 2.55

Explain simply

Speaker: Śrī Kṛṣṇa

श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
प्रजहाति यदा कामान्सर्वान्पार्थ मनोगतान् ।
आत्मन्येवात्मना तुष्टः स्थितप्रज्ञस्तदोच्यते ॥५५॥

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
prajahāti yadā kāmān
sarvān pārtha mano-gatān
ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ
sthita-prajñas tadocyate

Word for word (synonyms)

śrī bhagavān uvāca
the Supreme Personality of Godhead said
prajahāti
gives up
yadā
when
kāmān
desires for sense gratification
sarvān
of all varieties
pārtha
O son of Pṛthā
manaḥ-gatān
of mental concoction
ātmani
in the pure state of the soul
eva
certainly
ātmanā
by the purified mind
tuṣṭaḥ
satisfied
sthita-prajñaḥ
transcendentally situated
tadā
at that time
ucyate
is said

Translation

The Blessed Lord said: O Pārtha, when a man gives up all varieties of sense desire which arise from mental concoction, and when his mind finds satisfaction in the self alone, then he is said to be in pure transcendental consciousness.

Purport

Other scriptures cited in this purport: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

The Bhāgavatam affirms that any person who is fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or devotional service of the Lord, has all the good qualities of the great sages, whereas a person who is not so transcendentally situated has no good qualifications, because he is sure to be taking refuge in his own mental concoctions. Consequently, it is rightly said herein that one has to give up all kinds of sense desire manufactured by mental concoction. Artificially, such sense desires cannot be stopped. But if one is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then, automatically, sense desires subside without extraneous efforts. Therefore, one has to engage himself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness without hesitation, for this devotional service will instantly help one on to the platform of transcendental consciousness. The highly developed soul always remains satisfied in himself by realizing himself as the eternal servitor of the Supreme Lord. Such a transcendentally situated person has no sense desires resulting from petty materialism; rather, he remains always happy in his natural position of eternally serving the Supreme Lord.

What this verse teaches

[A1] Symptoms of a sthita-prajña

Gita for Life
Desire and lust
In thematic compilations 1

Equanimity and Satisfaction

  • When one gives up all desire for sense gratification, which arise from mental concoction, finds satisfaction in the self alone. (2.55 prajahāti yadā kāmān...)
Śrīla Prabhupāda lectures 4

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.