Bhagavad Gita - II - 65
Prasade Sarva Duhkhanam Hanirasyopa Jayate|
Prasanna Chetaso hyashu Buddhih Paryavatishthate||
In that state of divine blessedness, all sorrow is destroyed. In its place, there is a a cheerful and enthusiastic state of mind that surrounds the intellect and heart. Enthusiasm is the greatest religion. It is an offshoot of intense Shraddha and faith. Without enthusiasm, the intellect loses its fuel that makes it stand straight. When all the impurities of the mind that keep the intellect on shaky ground is gone, there is nothing else left for the mind to be steady and this steady mind is the state of a Sthitha Prajna.
- Swahilya Shambhavi.
Prasade Sarva Duhkhanam Hanirasyopa Jayate|
Prasanna Chetaso hyashu Buddhih Paryavatishthate||
In that state of divine blessedness, all sorrow is destroyed. In its place, there is a a cheerful and enthusiastic state of mind that surrounds the intellect and heart. Enthusiasm is the greatest religion. It is an offshoot of intense Shraddha and faith. Without enthusiasm, the intellect loses its fuel that makes it stand straight. When all the impurities of the mind that keep the intellect on shaky ground is gone, there is nothing else left for the mind to be steady and this steady mind is the state of a Sthitha Prajna.
- Swahilya Shambhavi.
14 comments:
Greetings and good wishes for the new year!Thank you for fresh posts in Bamboo Wisdom! Hope it will continue for the rest of the year too!
Let us know, please, if your books /articles get published. Best wishes!
Thanks Anonymous. Yes sure, I hope it continues ttoo. Articles appearly regularly every Sunday on Page 11 of the Sunday Magazine of The New Sunday Express in South India, Orissa and New Delhi too.
Thank you for Bamboo Wisdom posts.At this blog space, could you please write a little more to understand Sthitha Pragnya correctly.Is it being 'unperturbed' about everything? Will it not create an 'indifferent' attitude, allowing the situation to 'be' even when course correction seems necessary? Request you to write on it for my clarification.Thanks.
Good wishes for the New Year 2013
greetings! for the new year and sankranthi/pongal.
thank you for your blog posts on the 'gita'. Could you please explain some more to understand 'intense Shraddha' and 'impurities of the mind'. Do you mean meditation to be free of thoughts ? Does it happen only by the grace of god? Thank you.
Namaste: Sthitha comes from the word Steady or to Stand and Prajna is awareness. Sthitha Pragna is a person who is endowed with a steady awareness of the essence of one's self. The Prajna or consciousness has the quality of being in parts, especially when it is expressing through the lens of the mind. However, when seen through the clear vision of the consciousness alone, it is steady. Thoughts and actions expressing through this steady state of consciousness make for the qualities of the sthitha prajna.
Intense Shraddha is the gateway for divine wisdom according to the Bhagavad Gita - Shraddhavan Labhate Jnanam. Having come a long way to seek the truth from a Master or through the scriptures, without having a complete knowledge or experience of the truth, one should have Shraddha or an unshakeable faith in the words of the Guru and the Shastras - Guru Vedantata Vakyeshu Vishwasaha Shraddha. Faith in the existence of the truth, in the means to achieve it and in one's own self that it is possible is Shraddha.
The second part of the question on Sthitha Prajna: It is not exactly being unperturbed and aloof to happenings around us, but it is being in that state of an undivided whole when the other's pain and suffering becomes our own. So the help comes with a lot of confidence and surety and not born out of emotional pity or a lack of the complete picture.
A Sthitha Prajna can be of greater help in situations when required than a person who is caught in a temperamental mind. So when situations need to be left alone, he will do that and when corrections are needed, he can do that too.
A pure mind is a quiet mind that is tranquil and shows the world as it is. An impure mind is a disturbed and shaky mind that distorts the picture we say both in the material world, emotional and spiritual understanding. Meditation is not being free of thoughts, but being with the consciousness that is the very substratum of thoughts. Yes of course, Divine grace is that very substratum which blesses us with this state of mind. Even the thought of wanting to meditate, happens only because of divine grace.
Thank you for the prompt reply and clear explanation of Stitha Prajna. I have been way off the mark in understanding this.So ignorant!Wow! and soooo difficult to attain this 'state of undivided whole'!!!Oh! how tough it must be to attain this clear vision of consciousness alone!!!Wonder how one goes about towards it?Surly one must be blessed to reach it!!
The state of undivided whole is not difficult to attain. Only thing that choice has to be made for the pursuit. It is difficult only when one doesn't want it, but wants everything else. Shraddha, says the Bhagavad Gita, faith in the words of the scriptures and the Guru, is the way...shraddhavan labhate jnanam.
Thank you madam for raising hope and saying it is possible to attain the state of undivided whole and just requires our sincere belief, unshakable faith and earnest pursuit.
Got to reduce other distractions and increase focus on spiritual understanding.
greetings! and good wishes for the new year!In your blog site you have explained in simple words the treasures of Pathanjali' Yoga sutras, Krishna's Gita and Tirumandiram and Vignana Bhairava Tantra, and thank you for the same.
Can you please suggest some readings for beginners?
What could be a starter for a youngster (of mixed parentage and atheist)or someone who has limited time to devote on understanding spirituality? Would also appreciate if a list of some daily prayers is made available on your blog site too, please. Thank you very much. Jyothi.
As for books, they are innumerable. You just have to walk to a book shelf on spirituality and pick up something that appeals to you. The book is also like a Guru, when you are ready, the right book will reach you.
As for daily prayer, my favourite one is the dhyana shlokas preceding Atma Bodha:
Pratah Smarami Hridi Samsphurad Atma Tatwam| Satchit Sukham Paramahamsa Gatim Tureeyam| Yadswapna Jagrati Sushuptam Avaiti Nithyam| Tadbrahma Nishkalamaham Nachabhuta Sanghaha|| I remember that self, which illuminates in my heart, being existence, knowledge and bliss and the space to which all great yogis attain, beyond the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep - that Brahman, the pure one, am I and not the combination of these five elements.
Greetings!Thanks and appreciate your quick reply to the request.Jyothi.
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