Summary:

Chapter 2, Verse 70: The wise person, like an ocean that remains full and unchanged regardless of waters entering it, maintains inner fullness whether desires are fulfilled or not. Unlike those who crave objects, the sthita-prajna recognizes that no experience defines their completeness. Enlightenment isn't total desirelessness, but has no binding-desires (willingness to transgress dharma to achieve them, and insistent on specific outcomes). If desires are unmet, one engages in solution-mode or accepts the situation. For example, when Krishna attempted (which is a desire) to convince Karna to join the Pandavas and was rejected, he walked away smiling — his peace unaffected by the outcome. This instance also shows Lord isn't someone who forces you to make decisions, but offers you possibilities which you have to collapse. A sthita-prajna cannot be identified by lifestyle or external traits, but by their unshakable recognition of their true nature.

Revision of Verse 69:

Comparing perspectives of wise and unwise:

1. Unwise ring describes itself as one of many, amidst ornaments. Wise ring appreciates, I am gold, appearing as this incidental ring.
2. Cause of universe can’t be seen else it becomes another effect. For example you don't see the intelligence inside the seed that'll cause an entire tree to grow. For this reason, unwise people think — since we can’t see the cause, it either (a) doesn’t exist, or (b) it’s away from us. The sthita-prajna appreciates cause is the very truth/substance of all forms (effects) —  appreciates all-pervading presence of Ishvara (Intelligence).

What difference does it make if I see the gold (Ishvara) in all ornaments (forms)?

1. Decisions change:
   • It changes how you make decisions. If don’t understand yourself as a bigger entity, your decisions are made from smallness, and “my likes, my dislikes” — you care little how you treat others, thus it affects environment.
2. Resilience:
   • The weight of situations don’t throw you off. Without a bigger picture, you’re prone to taking things personally, easily hurt.
3. Emotional Intelligence:
   • Sthita-prajna is not in denial of emotions, nor lets them rule him/her.
4. Self-image:
   • Sense of inferiority / superiority goes away.
   • You never truly sacrifice for others — you act for your benefit alone. When people claim “I sacrificed my life for my children or wife, husband, work, etc” — they overlook a simple truth: you wanted to make those choices. The involvement gave you validation, made you feel needed, and kept boredom at bay. You are always the center of your life. The difference lies in how this center operates. Selfish Self-Image creates win-lose situations (your needs met at others' expense). Selfless Self-Image creates win-win situations (your needs met while serving others). Both approaches still originate from self-interest, but the difference is whether that interest is enlightened. When you consider your impact on others while honoring yourself, superiority and inferiority complexes naturally dissolve. The healthy path isn't denying self-interest, but expanding it to include the greater whole.

NEXT VERSE: Sthita Prajna is like the Ocean, ever full…

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 70:
When your mind regresses, bring it back

आपूर्यमाणम् अचल-प्रतिष्ठम्
समुद्रम् आपः प्रविशन्ति यद्वत् ।
तद्वत् कामाः यम् प्रविशन्ति सर्वे
सः शान्तिम् आप्नोति न काम-कामी ॥ २-७०॥
āpūryamāṇam acala-pratiṣṭham
samudram āpaḥ praviśanti yadvat ।
tadvat kāmāḥ yam praviśanti sarve
saḥ śāntim āpnoti na kāma-kāmī ॥ 2-70॥

Just as water flows into the ocean that is brimful and still, so too, the wise person into whom all objects enter, gains peace, (remains unchanged) whereas, the desirer of objects does not gain peace.

The Ocean Metaphor: Always Full

Krishna compares the sthita-prajna (one firmly established in wisdom) to an ocean — full regardless of waves that come and go. When rain falls or waves leave, the ocean neither rejoices nor grieves. Similarly, the wise person's sense of fullness remains unchanged whether desires are fulfilled or not.

For example, when Krishna attempted (which is a desire) to convince Karna to join the Pandavas and was rejected, he walked away smiling — his peace unaffected by the outcome. This instance also shows Lord isn't someone who forces you to make decisions, but offers you possibilities which you have to collapse.

This understanding counters the spiritual cliché that enlightenment equals complete desirelessness or detachment from the world. The wise person doesn't need to stay away from things (as all that is here is Ishvara) — they recognize, “No experience defines or limits my fullness”.

The Nature of Desires in the Wise

As a sthita-prajna, you understands that fullness is your essential nature (svarupa), making dependence on desires naturally fall away. This doesn't mean desires disappear — rather, they no longer have binding power.

When desires are unfulfilled, the wise person doesn't passively respond with new-age platitudes like “It's all meant to be, just let go!” Instead, they engage in solution-mode.

For Revision – What are Binding vs. Non-Binding Desires?

• Binding desires (unwise person): Binding desires obsess over outcomes, causing disturbance when unfulfilled. Two characteristics tell your desires are binding: (1) Willingness to transgress dharma to achieve them, and (2) Loss of composure when they remain unfulfilled; meaning you're attached to specific outcomes.  Even noble desires — like wishing to help a community — can become binding when we're attached to outcomes rather than action itself.
• Non-binding desires (wise person): Non-binding desires guide action without disturbing inner peace. 

Beyond External Appearances

This oceanic analogy also shows you cannot identify a sthita-prajna by lifestyle or personality traits. For instance, Krishna lived in a palace making consequential decisions, while Vyasa lived simply. 

What defines the wise is not their circumstances but their unshakable recognition of their true nature.

NEXT VERSE: Wise person enjoys absolute tranquility. But to come to that place, FIRST need to develop relative tranquility as it’s a process…

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Course was based on Swami Dayananda (Arsha Vidya) home study course.

Recorded 4 May, 2025