Sankhya Yoga · Verse 54

Bhagavad Gita 2.54

Steady wisdom must be recognizable in ordinary movement.

Wisdom translation, edited by Ankur Shukla. Commentary AI-drafted, human-reviewed. Reviewed June 2026. Methodology →

अर्जुन उवाचस्थितप्रज्ञस्य का भाषा समाधिस्थस्य केशव ।
स्थितधीः किं प्रभाषेत किमासीत व्रजेत किम् ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
अर्जुन बोले हे केशव परमात्मामें स्थित स्थिर बुद्धिवाले मनुष्यके क्या लक्षण होते हैं वह स्थिर बुद्धिवाला मनुष्य कैसे बोलता है, कैसे बैठता है और कैसे चलता है ॥
English
Arjuna said: O Kesava, what are the marks of one whose wisdom is steady and who is absorbed in stillness? How does a person of steady understanding speak, sit, and walk?

What this verse means

Arjuna asks how a person with steady wisdom behaves in daily life — how they speak, sit, and move.

Context & commentary

On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna has just heard Krishna describe the mind that has crossed confusion. Before the war can begin, he asks for a practical sign: what does a person of steady wisdom actually look like in speech, posture, and movement?

Why this verse still matters

You meet someone who stays calm under pressure and wonder, what makes them different? Arjuna asks the same thing before the hardest decision of his life.

The takeaway

Real wisdom should show up in ordinary behavior, not just in ideas.

Word-by-word translation

अर्जुन उवाच (Arjuna said) / स्थितप्रज्ञस्य (of one whose wisdom is steady) / का (what) / भाषा (mark or description) / समाधिस्थस्य (of one established in complete stillness) / केशव (O Kesava) / स्थितधीः (one of steady understanding) / किम् (how) / प्रभाषेत (would speak) / किम् (how) / आसीत (would sit) / व्रजेत (would walk) / किम् (what)

Explore related themes: kurukshetra (95 verses), equanimity (23 verses)

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