Buddhi yoga and Stitha prajna

स्थितप्रज्ञस्य का भाषा समाधिस्थस्य केशव।

स्थितधीः किं प्रभाषेत किमासीत व्रजेत किम् ॥गीत २-५४॥

Having heard about Buddhi yoga, Arjuna wants to know what are the characteristics of a person who has mastered it. How would such a person speak, walk, sit and behave?

दुःखेष्वनुद्विग्नमनाः सुखेषु विगतस्पृहः।

वीतरागभयक्रोधः स्थितधीर्मुनिरुच्यते॥गीत २-५६॥

A person, who has mastered Buddhi yoga and reached the state of Stitha prajna would neither be excited by joy nor depressed by sorrow, will never be swayed by passion, fear or anger. Sri Ramachandra, an embodiment of Stitha prajna lived such a life as told by Krishna. Let us try to understand this by comparing two contrasting mind sets, one of Ravana and another of Rama.

द्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते।

सङ्गात्संजायते कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते॥गीत २-६२॥

क्रोधाद्भवति संमोहः संमोहात्स्मृतिवेभ्रमः।

स्मृतिभ्रंशाद्बुद्दिनाशो बुद्दिनाशात्प्रणश्यति ॥गीत २-६३॥

Ravana’s mind was always thinking of enjoyment, actions driven by attachment and desires; one such thought was to have the most beautiful Sita in his Anthapura. Brooding on this thought resulted in a deep rooted desire; he got angry and threatened everybody including his brother Vibhishana, wife Mandodari, and friend Maricha who warned him against his pursuit. His mind was deluded, delusion masked all past memories, lost his discrimination, ultimately leading to self-destruction. It was similar wavering disturbed mind of Duryodhana which lead to his down fall / pit fall.

In contrast, Rama was always pleasant (Smitha vadana) and equanimous, neither swayed by the joy of kingship nor by the sorrow of going to forest, a perfect son, a model husband and even an ideal enemy who gave enough opportunities for Ravan to correct himself. Even Hanuman was like that, dutiful, steadfast on his goal, never got distracted by inducements on his way (Minaka parvata while going to Lanka). Krishna says these are the characteristics of a Sthita Prajna, a state of balanced buddhi, in other words buddhi yoga.

Boiling and burning mind          -------------------> Bubbling and blooming mind

(Ravana, Duryodhana's mind)                                   (Rama, Hanuman's mind)

 

रागद्वेषवियुक्तैस्तु विषयानिन्द्रियैश्चरन्।

आत्मवश्यैर्विधेयात्मा प्रसादमधिगच्छति ॥गीत २-६४॥

प्रसादे सर्वदुःखानां हानिरस्योपजायते।

प्रसन्नचेतसो ह्याशु बुद्दिः पर्यवतिष्टते॥गीत २-६५॥

Such a person devoid of raga and dwesha would still pursue all the worldly affairs and lead himself/herself to Prasannata. All his/her miseries will vanish, and such a pleasant minded person will establish in true self. Having reached this state, humans become devine, nara becomes narayana, pashu becomes pashupati.