Stable wisdom is the doorway to yoga.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
श्रुतिविप्रतिपन्ना ते यदा स्थास्यति निश्चला ।समाधावचला बुद्धिस्तदा योगमवाप्स्यसि ॥
śruti-vipratipannā te yadā sthāsyati niścalā samādhāv acalā buddhis tadā yogam avāpsyasi
Use this verse when too many teachings confuse you.
Meaning
When your intellect, confused by what you have heard, becomes steady and unmoving in samadhi, then you will attain yoga.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Yoga arrives when the intellect becomes steady.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna points to inner steadiness beyond conflicting opinions. The seeker may hear many teachings, philosophies, and methods. But yoga is attained when the mind becomes deeply settled in truth. This is not narrow-mindedness; it is mature clarity after inquiry.
Read the traditional commentary
This verse describes the culmination of the journey sketched in the preceding verse. The 'śruti-vipratipannā' — intelligence confused and pulled in different directions by the diverse, apparently contradictory prescriptions of scriptural texts — must eventually settle into unmoving stillness. The Vedic literature, vast and multifaceted as it is, can actually become an obstacle if the seeker clings to its elaborately described rewards and rituals as the ultimate goal.
Samadhi here denotes not merely meditative absorption but the state of complete inner steadiness — a condition in which the buddhi (intelligence) is no longer agitated by conflicting impulses, desires, fears, or even spiritual ambitions. When this stillness becomes the stable ground of one's being rather than an occasional peak experience, one has arrived at the true yoga.
The word 'avāpsyasi' — you will attain — carries a note of certainty. Krishna is assuring Arjuna that this state is not speculative or reserved for extraordinary beings; it is the natural destination of the sincere practitioner. The verse thus closes the loop opened in verse 41, where Krishna spoke of the resolute, single-pointed intelligence.
Here we see its full flowering: a mind that has processed all knowledge, released all divided allegiances, and rests in unshakeable clarity.
In daily life
Let learning lead to centeredness, not more confusion.
A seeker may explore many paths, but eventually needs one steady practice.
Try this today
Choose one core practice and commit to it for seven days.
My wisdom becomes steady and my mind becomes clear.Reflect
What practice helps my mind become steady?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘śruti-vipratipannā’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on samadhi, in other chapters
- Verse 6.20When practice quiets the mind, you behold the Self by the Self and find complete fulfillment within.
- Verse 8.27True understanding ends confusion and bears fruit in steady, unbroken practice maintained through every season of life.
- Verse 10.7Truly seeing the Divine in all things steadies the heart into an unshakable inner union.
- Verse 13.25There are many authentic paths to the Self — meditation, knowledge, and selfless action all lead home.
Swipe left for 2.54 · True wisdom must become visible in conduct.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 2.53
Who says Bhagavad Gita 2.53, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 2.53, in Chapter 2, Sankhya Yoga (Sankhya Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 2.53 mean?
When your intellect, confused by what you have heard, becomes steady and unmoving in samadhi, then you will attain yoga. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 2.53 for daily life?
Let learning lead to centeredness, not more confusion. A seeker may explore many paths, but eventually needs one steady practice.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 2.53 mean?
śruti-vipratipannā — bewildered by the flowery words of the Vedas, distracted by conflicting scriptural opinions; te — your; yadā — when; sthāsyati — remains, stands firm; niścalā — unwavering, motionless, steady.
Where does verse 2.53 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 53 of 72 in Chapter 2, Sankhya Yoga. The next verse is 2.54.