Of the four questions raised by Arjuna on the subject of the fruition and fulfillment of yoga, the first relating to the still, absorptional state, called sthita-prajnata has been answered by Krishna briefly but completely. The remaining questions alone, which go together, have to be answered. In fact, all these relate to the same point. Krishna begins to answer these by first describing sthitadhi in the following verse:
“He who remains unruffled in duhkhas and un-yearning, unhankering amidst sukhas, who is constantly given to sublimate and transcend raga, dvesha and bhaya (desire, resentment and fear) is a sthitadhi. He is verily a Muni, one given devoutly to rumination.”
As the sthita-prajna was described in just one verse, here too Krishna uses only one verse to describe the sthita-dhi. The prajna, consciousness, remains steady and still only when it is absorbed in itself. Such stillness and absorption can result only with the cessation of all activities and interactions, objective and subjective.
The question now is about the sthita-dhi. Dhi denotes intelligence, buddhi. Intelligence is always given to knowing or understanding. Buddhi can remain active with its role even when one remains bodily active. In fact, it is the alertness of the buddhi that keeps one efficient and sensitive in his performance in any field. When buddhi acquires its spiritual steadiness and composure one becomes a sthita-dhi.
By introducing the concept of the sthita-dhi and following that of the sthita-prajna both Arjuna and Krishna have presented a new spiritual ideal, virtually a new dimension of spiritual wisdom and realization. Sthita-dhi according to the Bhagavad Gita is the best Knower and Yogi. Krishna himself is an example par excellence.
The sthitadhitva is not something that can be achieved all of a sudden. Coming to know of the Inward Self, in the way Arjuna was instructed by Krishna, the seeker has to strive devoutly to gain sthitaprajnata, as Krishna has described the state.
In the sthita-prajna state alone, the Self will be realized in fullness directly. The mystery as to how the immortal Self shines distinctly, transcending the mortal body, will be revealed only for the sthita-prajna.
But the sthita-prajna state cannot and will not be the be-all and end-all of spiritual sadhana. It is a state of stillness though of full brilliance and contentment. If utter inactive state is to be the goal of spiritual effort, then that would be clearly disharmonious with our life, which thrives on intense activity and interactions. What is the way out then? What should follow the sthita-prajna state, and how? Wherein lies the linkage of our interactional life with spiritual seeking and its fulfillment?
Krishna answers this point by giving a beautiful description of the sthita-dhi. The sthita-dhi is not at all inactive. In him the dhi intelligence, remains sthita. In the former, the prajna, consciousness, was still and steady. Here only the buddhi will remain stable and steady. The difference is quite marked. Normally, intelligence closely follows the activities of man every time. The alert buddhi is what makes one active and efficient. But it gets ruffled, deluded and agitated because of activities. Such dislodgment should not be, rather will not be, there in the sthita-dhi.
Krishna makes this point very clear by using two phrases in the first half of the verse: the sthita-dhi will remain unruffled (anudvignamanah) in duhkhas (miseries) and un-yearning in sukhas.
It is not that he has no duhkha. The duhkha-producing events or involvements will be there, no doubt, as they are unavoidable whenever senses come in contact with their objects, as explained earlier (2nd chapter verse 14). But these duhkha producing events and situations will not be able to ruffle his mind and dislodge him from his deeper moorings bestowed by sthita-prajnata. The udvega (agitation) part of the process will be distinctly absent.
Likewise, in sukha, the sukha-producing events and episodes, his mind will not have any sense of yearning or hankering. He will not long for any sukha or sukha-producing events or situations. Whatever yearning was there would have left because of the sthita-prajnata. Sthitaprajnata acts like fire in burning the dry leaves of desires and lingerings.
Vyavahara, interactions, are always in the world in which all the others also live. The world is thus more a place for the ignorant and unseeking kind. The nature of vyavahara is thus to cause repeatedly duhkha and sukha, following sense-object contacts. This fate of life and the world cannot be altered at all. At the same time all the change can be in the mind of the Knower. The ignorant will get subdued by the sukhaduhkhas whereas the sthita-dhi will get enriched and sublimated by the same. The main factor in this sublimation is his spiritual vision, the great sthita-prajnata he experienced, the Self he realized directly in himself.
Sukha and duhkha are but transitory. They surface only to subside. In the process they turn the attention of the sthita-dhi to the Consciousness beneath them. That Consciousness does not suffer any coming or going, emergence or subsidence. Both sukha and duhkha steep the sthita-dhi in the unchanging and ever-full Consciousness. The attention gets focused on the unchanging Self, for which the changing sukha-duhkhas become a constant reminder, a facilitator. Sukha-duhkhas thus assume a new role of stabilizing and composing the sthita-dhi.
This new fact, this supreme truth, will naturally find expression in whatever the sthitadhi speaks and explains. Thus Arjuna’s question “What will the sthitadhi speak” has a conclusive answer in Krishna’s words. In the Knower, the Knowledge will remain pronounced. Thus the sthita-dhi will always highlight the sthita-prajna state and how it changes one’s perception and interactional attitude and response so thoroughly.
By using the plural words “duhkheshu” and “sukheshu”, Krishna clearly alludes that the sthita-dhi will have to conduct his vyavahara in the company of duhkha and sukha. This means, like all others, he too cannot escape the persons, places and events that will seemingly cause the sukha-duhkha inputs. For only then, they will be the usual worldly interactions. But while he meets them one after another, every time they will only stabilize and sublimate his mind and vision instead of breathing any disharmony or dislodgement. Later, in the 6th chapter also, Krishna describes the state of yoga as “duhkha-samyoga-viyogam yoga-sanjnitam – bereft of the touch of duhkha, though yet coursing through it.
In the second half of the verse, Krishna goes to a deeper level and explains how the sthita-dhi always preserves the transcendental note in him. Duhkha and sukha are what result in the mind from all interactions. But what prompts or activates these interactions? Normally it is the raga (desire), dvesha (hatred) or bhaya (fear) that dominates the mind of man and compels him to act and interact. This is so even for animals and birds.
To fulfill a desire or to give expression to some resentment or dislike or to safeguard against a fear, are all the interactions resorted to. No activity can verily be thought of in ordinary people except as a resultant or outcome of raga, dvesha and bhaya. But this is not the case with sthita-dhi. The sthita-dhi will not and does not act due to any desire, dislike or fear. If at all, with every vyavahara, he will only be sublimating raga-dvesha-bhaya. If others’ vyavaharas tend to increase and reinforce raga-dvesha-bhayas, the sthita-dhi’s constantly aim at ensuring a steady sublimation of these. If the others’ are a pravrtti process (involvemental one), his will be a nivrtti pursuit (disinvolvemental one). The difference is too pronounced.
Desire cannot be the real motivation for any action or interaction. This point has already been dealt with earlier. Desire is a result of ignorance. To desire is to get disturbed mentally. It will be to constrict oneself severely and thus be less effective, not wholesome in performance. Sanga, which surely results from desire, is always a hindering factor, never a helpful one. So the futility of desiring cannot be ignored by the spiritual seeker or thinker. What to speak of the Knower then?
Your interactions will perforce, nay will naturally, be because of the nature of creation itself. It is Nature and Nature’s propulsion that remain constantly at work everywhere. Nature consists of sattva, rajas and tamas – the three self-sustaining gunas. Rajas is at the back of all activities and interactions. The action part of the whole pursuit proceeds from rajas. Sattva, representing knowledge and light, gives the necessary insight and motivation for actions. Tamas exerts its influence to generate fatigue due to action and therefore necessitates withdrawal and rest. So, in remaining oneself active, we should see the display of the composite of sattva, rajas and tamas, all of which are constituents of Nature. Man has no say in the constant display of gunas. Why then intercept the sequence by the habit of desiring and spoil the natural flow of things?
Following sthita-prajnata, which enlightens the seeker with a direct experience of the Self – the Self that is free, impersonal and transparent, one becomes illumined and the effect of his illumination is quite evident in the life and movements thereafter. Earlier raga, dvesha and bhaya used to dominate his mind keeping him constantly in stress and strain. Now the same raga-dvesha-bhayas begin to turn their role. They begin to get sublimated every time.
Activity becomes a flow of gunas, a natural and harmonious expression, and one’s interactions mean no special entry or exit into this wholesome sequence. Instead of trying to allow and follow desire, hatred and fear, the process of the Knower becomes one of dissuading them and sublimating the mind thereby. Previously each action used to spring from raga or dvesha or bhaya, and as a result used to strengthen these. But now each action begins to sublimate the very same urges and makes the mind even, calm and harmonious. No action, as such, suffers in the process. Instead, all interactions become more effective and creative. Krishna’s active life is itself a very good example.
Sankara’s life equally is another illustration. Bheeshma’s is yet another striking example of spiritual profoundness. All these Knowers were full with their respective activities. But none of their Sthita-prajna and Sthita-dhi activities ever tended to eclipse or weaken their wisdom or inward sublimity and stability. In the hands of the challenging interactions, the sthita-prajna Yogi will only get progressively enriched, sublimated and strengthened. This will, in turn, enable and empower him to take up more creative pursuits.
See how Krishna was rightly stimulated by Arjuna’s plight in Kurukshetra and how the confessions of the fighter evoked an inspiring response from the ‘charioteer’. His spiritual sensitiveness tickled greatly, Krishna began to speak forth such truthful and forceful words, each of which spelt out a new vision, caution, compulsion and resolve in Arjuna. Till then the wisdom of the Soul remained in the Upanishads alone, to be discussed and imparted by Sages from hermitages to those solitary ascetic seekers, who had left the active world behind in pursuit of their spiritual quest. The great wisdom had then been viewed as the flair of the ascetic thinkers. But in and through Bhagavad Gita, as we discuss it here now, the same wisdom found an altogether new orientation, a wholesome dimension!
Krishna has his own definitions for every spiritual concept, be it yoga, sannyasa, tyaga, sthita-prajnata or the like. And they are matchless and splendid!
Think of Sankara and the tremendous pedestrian journeys he undertook in the ancient Bharat, meeting exponents of different philosophies, seeking debate and discussion, making even soul-stirring stakes in the process sometimes. What for? Only to bring to light the great wisdom of the Upanishads and exhort the opponents to correct their thinking and ideologies. Was it a simple act of restful austerities, or the most vibrant active life of dissemination and discussions?
There are many who pursue spiritual wisdom, resigning themselves from all activities and involvements. At best they read, listen and ruminate. There are others, who do all these but also remain engrossed in their natural activities and challenges. It is a question of one’s right response on the one hand and his ability and readiness to incorporate the timely integrating dimensions.
Krishna has significantly used the word ‘Muni’ along with sthitadhi. What does this mean? Muni becomes so because of his manana-seelatva (the practice of reflection or rumination). Manana must remain strong and constant in him. In the sthita-dhi evidently the manana or munitva will be quite pronounced. That is how he remains a sthitadhi. What he discovered and realized in the sthita-prajna state, how that holds good even when he wakes up and plunges into activities, how the Soul, different from the body, though associated with the body, does not lose any of its nature and features, despite whatever the body does from time to time, how the Subject always excels the object, how on account of the object involvement the Subject should not and does not ever suffer any change – all these must clearly shine in the sthitadhi. It is his manana-seelatva that ensures all this.
Previously the manana was about the karma, its phala and the like. Now it has become deeper and the focus is the Self, its realization and how this realization has to be preserved. The effort to carry forward the benefits of sthita-prajnata even when one wakes up from it to plunge into activities, constitutes the essence of the new manana (rumination). The sthita-dhi simultaneously becomes a Muni as well. The emphasis is again on the vyavasayatmika-buddhi which Krishna presented in verse 41 of this chapter. The role of buddhi is supreme in the whole spiritual pursuit.
(Part of the Series Essential-Concepts-In-Bhagavad-Gita)