Bhagavad Gita 2.55
Spoken by Krishna ☆ Key verse · Verse 55 of 72
श्रीभगवानुवाच । प्रजहाति यदा कामान्सर्वान्पार्थ मनोगतान् । आत्मन्येवात्मना तुष्टः स्थितप्रज्ञस्तदोच्यते ॥
śrī bhagavān uvāca | prajahāti yadā kāmān sarvān pārtha mano-gatān | ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ sthita-prajñas tadocyate ||
Steady wisdom begins here: when all desires fall away and the Self finds fullness in itself alone.
Word by word (3)
- prajahāti kāmān sarvān
- — completely casts off all desires · Pra+jahāti (from hā, to abandon) — the 'pra' prefix intensifies: completely, thoroughly casts off. Sarvān = all, without exception. Not suppression — jahāti means genuine abandonment, the way a snake sheds its skin: it is gone, not held at bay. The desires of the manas (mind) — mano-gatān — are the ones specifically addressed: mental desires, the wanting-mind.
- ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ
- — satisfied in the Self by the Self alone · Ātmani (in the Self) + ātmanā (by the Self) + tuṣṭaḥ (satisfied, content). The instrumental and locative of ātman together create a closed loop: the Self finds its satisfaction within itself, not in any external object. This is the Gita's definition of inner sufficiency — the opposite of the addictive seeking mind.
- sthita-prajñas tadocyate
- — then one is called of steady wisdom · The defining mark: the first sign of sthita-prajña is not extraordinary achievement or asceticism, but the internal event of desires being shed and self-sufficiency taking their place. All other qualities (V56-72) flow from this foundational inner shift.
Krishna answers: When someone has completely shed all the desires of the mind, O Arjuna, and is fully content within themselves — satisfied in the Self, by the Self — that person is called one of steady wisdom.
A modern analogy
Think of someone who genuinely doesn't need external validation — not because they've suppressed it, but because they've found a source of contentment inside. They enjoy things, they engage with life — but there is no desperate hunger. No need for the next achievement, the next compliment, the next experience to feel okay. That inner sufficiency is ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ.
Take with you
- Desires don't have to be suppressed — they can be outgrown. The sthitaprajña doesn't fight desires; they simply fall away.
- Self-sufficiency is the Gita's foundational inner quality — all other wisdom-marks build from this.
- Notice the quality of your wanting: does it have a desperate edge (lack-based) or is it light, take-it-or-leave-it (abundance-based)?
- Contentment in oneself is not isolation or passivity — it is the ground that allows full engagement without desperation.
Public-domain translations (5) compare all →
The Blessed Lord said: O Partha, when one completely renounces all the desires of the mind and is satisfied in the Self alone by the Self — then he is called a man of steady wisdom. [1]
The Blessed Lord said: When a man completely casts off, O Partha, all the desires of the mind, and is satisfied in the Self alone by the Self, then is he said to be one of steady wisdom. [4]
The Lord said: When a man has driven out all desires from his heart, O Partha, and when the spirit is content within itself, then he is called a man of settled understanding. [6]
When one, O Pritha's Son! being self-contained, Shall drive back all the clamours of the mind From every sense, and fix the heart on God, 'Steadfast in soul' we call him. [7]
The Blessed Lord said: When a man abandons, O Partha, all desires that enter the mind, and is himself content in the Self with the Self, then is he called one of steady wisdom. [9]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
Arjuna asks: what does the truly wise person look like? How do they speak, sit, and move?
Unmoved in sorrow, ungreedy in joy, free from passion, fear, and anger — that is the steady sage.
Where the mind ceases, stilled by yoga — where the Self sees itself and rests content in itself: this is samādhi.
No thrill, no hatred, no grief, no craving — renouncing both good and evil — this full-devotee is dear to Me!
All desires pour into the sage like rivers into the ocean — the ocean stays unmoved. That is peace.
The self-conquered yogi finds the Supreme Self equally present through cold, heat, joy, pain, honour and dishonour.
Verse 55 of 72 · back to Chapter 2