Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2, Verse 57

English Translation

The wisdom of that person remains established who has not attachment for anything anywhere, who neither welcomes nor rejects anything whatever good or bad when he comes across it.

Detailed Commentary

2.57. Explanation— [In the previous verse, the Lord spoke of remaining unperturbed while performing one's prescribed duties. Now, in this verse, He speaks of remaining equipoised and unperturbed amidst favorable and unfavorable circumstances that arise according to one's karma.] 'यः सर्वत्रानभिस्नेहः'— He who is without attachment (sneharahit) everywhere, meaning one whose attachment (āsakti) is not to one's own body, senses (indriyāṇi), mind (mana), intellect (buddhi), spouse, children, home, wealth, etc. Considering oneself stable when things endure and becoming disturbed when they falter, feeling proud upon gaining wealth and sorrowful upon losing it – this is attachment (sneha) to objects. A *Sthitaprajña Karmayogī* has no such attachment (sneha) to any object. Even though objects exist externally, internally he remains unattached (nirlipta). 'तत्तत्प्राप्य शुभाशुभं नाभिनन्दति न द्वेष्टि'— When, due to *prārabdha* (destiny based on past actions), auspicious (śubha) and inauspicious (aśubha), desirable (śobhanīya) and undesirable (aśobhanīya), favorable (anukūla) and unfavorable (pratikūla) situations arise before such a person, he is neither delighted by the favorable nor distressed by the unfavorable. Rejoicing in favorable circumstances and grieving in adverse ones – this is *abhinandana* (rejoicing/welcoming) and *dveṣa* (aversion). The one without attachment (sneharahit) does not rejoice in favorability nor harbor aversion towards adversity. The use of 'tat, tat' (that, that) implies that he remains unattached (nirlipta) to all those favorable and unfavorable objects and events that can cause agitation (vikār) and do so in ordinary people. 'तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता'— His intellect (buddhi) is stable (sthir), unmoving (achal) in the *Paramātmā* (Supreme Self). The discriminative wisdom (vivek) has awakened in his intellect that he has no connection with the good and bad of the world. Good and bad situations keep changing, but his true nature (svarūpa) is stable; therefore, the changing cannot have any relation with the unchanging. In reality, change does not occur in one's true nature (svarūpa), nor in the body, senses (indriyāṇi), mind (mana), or intellect (buddhi). There is no change in one's true nature (svarūpa), and the workings of *Prakṛti* (nature) naturally keep changing. The difference arises in the intellect (buddhi) due to identification (tādātmya) with the body. When this identification (tādātmya) ceases, the intellect (buddhi) becomes stable (sthir). Another perspective is that no matter how sharp the intellect (buddhi) may be, it cannot comprehend the *Paramātmā* with its limited capacity. But when the intellect (buddhi) merges (līn) into the *Paramātmā*, no other separate entity remains in it – this is the intellect becoming established (pratiṣṭhita) in the *Paramātmā*. A *Karmayogī* is active. In the fifty-sixth verse, the Lord spoke of remaining free from agitation (udveg) in the success or failure of actions, and in this verse, He speaks of being free from rejoicing (abhinandana) and aversion (dveṣa) amidst favorable and unfavorable circumstances according to *prārabdha*. Connection: Now, from the next verse, the Lord begins to answer the question: 'How does a *Sthitaprajña* sit?'