QUALITIES OF A STHITAPRAGNYA

09/26/11

 " Whereso any doeth all his deeds  renouncing self for Me, full of Me, fixed to serve only the Highest, night and day musing on Me,  him will I swiftly lift forth from life's ocean of distress and death"  - - - - -- - - - - - -  " Be certain  none can perish trusting Me "          Bhagavad Geeta. 

       Hello to you all !         Somvaar  Suprabhaath ! 

       Bharateeya  Praacheena  Vedic  Vaangmayam  ( India's  ancient Vedic  literature )  addressed itself to entire humanity as such, and not to a particular region or sect.  Our Vedic scripture  is  beyond the dimensions of space, time and matter.  It identified the core problem of the humans, and revealed the solution. This wisdom that blossomed  millenia back, is eternal, and applicable at all times everywhere. It enunciates the supreme objective of human life, and offers a step-by-step process to achieve the same  which is Deliverance.  The Upanishads ( that are at the end of the Veda-s ) clearly bring out this, thru the three-stage path of  'Sravana' (listening), 'Manana' (reflection), and 'Nidhi-Dhyaasana' (living that subjective experience with steadfastness).  Corresponding to these three stages are: the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutra-s (explanatory clarifications of Upanishads, authored much later by Sage Baadaraayana), and the Bhagavad Geeta (in Mahabharata  penned by Sage Vyaasa) which is the quintessence of all Wisdom, and reveals the practical way of living that Wisdom, in a down-to-earth manner.  During the discourse between Arjuna and Lord Krishna, the former asks the latter to delineate the qualities and characteristics  of a 'Sthita Pragnya' (one who is well established in that Wisdom).  Today  I wish to reproduce from Bhagavad Geeta, how Lord Krishna  revealed those qualities, to serve as  practical guidelines and ideals in life to all humans :  

      " Lord Krishna:  When one . . . abandoning desires which shake the mind -- finds in his soul full comfort for his soul, he has attained the Yog - - - that man is such, in sorrows not dejected, and in joys not overjoyed, ;  dwelling outside the stress of passion, fear and anger;  fixed in calms of lofty contemplation; ---- such an one is Muni, is the Sage, the true Recluse !  He who to none and nowhere overbound by ties of flesh,  taking evil things and good, neither desponding nor exulting, such bears  wisdom's plainest mark !

    He who shall draw, as the wise tortoise draws its four feet safe under its shield, his five frail senses back under the spirit's buckler from the world, which else assails them, such an one has wisdom's mark.

    That man alone is wise, who keeps the mastery of himself !  If one ponders on the objects of sense, there springs attraction. From attraction grows desire. Desire flames to fierce passion. Passion breeds recklessness. Then, the memory --- all betrayed---  lets noble purpose go, and saps the mind, till purpose mind and man,  are all undone.  But, if one deals with objects of the sense, not loving and not hating, making them serve his free soul, which rests serenely lord,  lo!  such a man comes to tranquility.  

    The mind that gives itself to follow shows of sense, seeth its helm of wisdom rent away, and, like a ship in waves of whirlwind, drives to reck and death.  Only with him whose senses are not swayed by things of sense, --- only with him who holds his mastery, shows wisdom perfect. 

 ---- Like the ocean, day by day receiving floods from all lands, which never overflows;  its boundary-line not leaping, and not leaving, fed by the rivers,  but unswelled by those,  so is the perfect one !  To his soul's ocean, the world of sense pours streams of witchery.  They leave  him as they find, without commotion, taking their tribute, but remaining sea. 

     Yea !   whoso, shaking off the yoke of flesh, lives lord,  not servant, of his lusts,  set free from pride,  from passion,  from the sin of 'self', . . . . toucheth tranquility ! "

(  The above narration is reproduced from the book  " Song  Celestial "  ( Geeta in poems )  composed by  Sir. Edwin Arnold. 

     Thus have you regaled the  Words of  Nectar  from the  Divine  Geetacharya  Himself !   As they sink into us, let us strive towards  Wisdom,  Peace  and  Happiness !