Bhagavad Gītā › Chapter 2 › Verse 56
Bhagavad Gītā 2.56: Steady in joy and sorrow
दुःखेष्वनुद्विग्नमनाः सुखेषु विगतस्पृहः ।
वीतरागभयक्रोधः स्थितधीर्मुनिरुच्यते ॥
duḥkheṣvanudvignamanāḥ sukheṣu vigataspṛhaḥ
vītarāgabhayakrodhaḥ sthitadhīrmunirucyate
Recitation: NehalDaveND (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA 4.0, adapted, original recording
Meaning
One whose mind is not agitated in sorrow, who has no craving amid pleasures, and who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady wisdom (sthitadhī). It is part of Kṛṣṇa’s answer (2.55–2.72) to Arjuna’s question in 2.54 about the sthita-prajña.
For children
Krishna says: “A wise person stays calm when sad things happen, and doesn’t grab for more when happy things happen. They are not ruled by fear or anger.”
Arjuna has asked Kṛṣṇa (2.54) how a person of steady wisdom speaks, sits and moves. In this verse Kṛṣṇa begins to describe such a person.
Word by word
दुःखेष्वनुद्विग्नमनाः — Not shaken when sorrow comes,
- duḥkha: sorrow, pain
- anudvigna: not shaken, not upset
- manas: mind
सुखेषु विगतस्पृहः — not greedy for more when joy comes
- sukha: happiness, joy
- vigata: gone away
- spṛhā: craving, longing
वीतरागभयक्रोधः — free from clinging, fear and anger
- vīta: free from
- rāga: clinging, attachment
- bhaya: fear
- krodha: anger
स्थितधीर्मुनिरुच्यते — such a wise one is called steady-minded
- sthitadhī: one whose mind is steady
- muni: sage, wise person
- ucyate: is called
Kṛṣṇa speaks this verse. The Sanskrit is checked against four editions; meanings and word notes are simple learning aids written for MahaPrabha Gurukul, awaiting review by a Sanskrit teacher.