True stability begins with inner contentment.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
श्रीभगवानुवाच |प्रजहाति यदा कामान्सर्वान्पार्थ मनोगतान् |आत्मन्येवात्मना तुष्टः स्थितप्रज्ञस्तदोच्यते ॥५५॥
śrī bhagavān uvāca | prajahāti yadā kāmān sarvān pārtha manogatān | ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ sthita-prajñas tadocyate ||55||
Use this verse when desire makes you restless.
Meaning
The Blessed Lord said: O Partha, when a person gives up all desires arising in the mind and is satisfied in the self by the self, that person is called one of steady wisdom.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
A steady person is inwardly fulfilled, not dependent on endless desires.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna begins defining the sthita-prajna. The first sign is inner contentment. This does not mean having no practical goals; it means the person is not psychologically enslaved by desire. They act, create, serve, and live, but their worth is rooted within. Modern life constantly manufactures desire. This verse teaches inner sufficiency.
Read the traditional commentary
With this verse begins the famous sthitaprajna section — Krishna's description of the person of steady wisdom (sthita-prajna). This portrait is one of the most compelling ideals of human development in all world literature.
A sthitaprajna is someone whose contentment does not depend on external circumstances. They are 'satisfied in the Self by the Self' — they have found within themselves a source of contentment that is self-sufficient, that does not require specific outcomes, people, or experiences to feel whole.
This is the opposite of how most of us live. We are externally satisfied — contingently content, dependent on things going our way. The sthitaprajna's happiness is unconditional because it is rooted in the Self, which is unconditional.
This is not suppression of desire — it is transcendence of it. A sthitaprajna doesn't forcefully push away desires; the desires naturally lose their grip as the person discovers a satisfaction within that exceeds anything the outer world can provide.
For us, verse 55 is both a description and an aspiration. We may not be there yet, but we can begin practicing: noticing when we are seeking our contentment outside, gently redirecting toward inner stillness, asking what it would mean to need less from outside in order to feel okay.
In daily life
Build goals, but do not make your happiness hostage to them.
A professional can pursue promotion while not feeling incomplete without it.
Try this today
Pause and name one thing already complete within you today.
I am rooted in inner contentment.Reflect
Which desire is making me feel incomplete?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘स्थितप्रज्ञ:’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on contentment, in other chapters
- Verse 3.39Desire is like fire that grows the more you feed it — lasting peace comes from understanding this, not from chasing one more fulfilment.
- Verse 6.8True fulfillment comes from inner realization, not possessions — to the awakened, gold and a clod of earth hold equal pull.
- Verse 4.20When your contentment no longer depends on outcomes, you can act fully yet remain inwardly untouched.
- Verse 10.5Cultivating virtues like non-violence and contentment is really aligning yourself with their Divine source.
Swipe left for 2.56 · Freedom is not emotional numbness; it is emotional mastery.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 2.55
Who says Bhagavad Gita 2.55, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 2.55, in Chapter 2, Sankhya Yoga (Sankhya Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 2.55 mean?
The Blessed Lord said: O Partha, when a person gives up all desires arising in the mind and is satisfied in the self by the self, that person is called one of steady wisdom. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 2.55 for daily life?
Build goals, but do not make your happiness hostage to them. A professional can pursue promotion while not feeling incomplete without it.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 2.55 mean?
प्रजहाति — gives up; यदा — when; कामान् — desires; सर्वान् — all; आत्मन्येव — in the Self alone.
Where does verse 2.55 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 55 of 72 in Chapter 2, Sankhya Yoga. The next verse is 2.56.