Person of steady integral spiritual wisdom. (Glossary for the Vahinis)

Action or work relates to the world. The world in turn, is related to God, so Krishna propounded that all actions must be performed with the intention of pleasing God. This type of action is a characteristic feature of a Sthitaprajna, or a person who has mental equipoise. A Sthitaprajna performs his actions, firmly established in the Atma. Krishna explained to Arjuna that a Sthitaprajna has an even mind, which is neither elated by joy nor dejected by sorrow. The Sthitaprajna dwells always in the spirit without giving way to grief, lust, fear and delusion. His vision beholds the spirit everywhere. Krishna pointed out that Arjuna would be able to realise this true nature only when he became a Sthitaprajna. The primary quality of a Sthitaprajna is the control of the senses. (SSB 1979, p. 31)

The Sthitaprajna will be ever engaged in Manana or contemplation and rumination. He is called Muni. His intellect is steady because the senses do not harry it. One point has to be understood here.

Conquest of the senses is essential for Sadhana; but that is not all. So long as the objective world continues to attract the mind, one cannot claim complete success. That is why Krishna says, ‘Arjuna! Establish mastery over the senses, then you need have no fear, for they become like serpents with the fangs removed’. (GV, p.42)

The Indriyas, or senses have to be fully destroyed. That is the hallmark of a Sthitaprajna. The Sthitaprajna sleeps in the Deha - consciousness and wakes in the awareness of the Atma. He will not awake, even by mistake, in the sensory world, the world where ordinary man is most vigilant! (GV, p.44)

Whoever does all his work being aware of his own reality, will accomplish great things. Such actions, performed with the awareness of Atma, are free from bondage. To carry on your work, while being fully aware of your identity with the Atma, requires perfect control over the sense organs. It is an essential precondition. Once you enjoy complete control over your sense organs you can be described as a Sthitaprajna, a person imbued with the highest wisdom. (DBG, p. 1 19)

The word, Sthitaprajna, that we have been using, which means a wise man, referred to by some people as having something to do with worldly people. This confusion comes about because it has been said that, when everyone is awake, the Sthitaprajna is asleep, and when he is awake all the other people are sleeping. According to such a definition, you would conclude that those who work night shifts, such as the night watchman and station master, who are awake at night, when others are sleeping and asleep during the day when others are awake, are all Sthithaprajnas. But, obviously, this is not the correct meaning of the word. All those people who base their lives on this impermanent world will be fully awake to this world and its objects. The Sthitaprajna, on the other hand, will be asleep and indifferent and immune to worldly objects. Ordinary people will not be alive to the beauty of the Atma; they will be sleeping through that. But, when it comes to this world and its sense objects they will be fully alert and awake. Therefore, the Sthitaprajna is one who is asleep to the principle of the world and who is fully awake to the principle of Atma. Sthitaprajna does not mean one who has renounced world. Live in the midst of the things, which are incidental to your daily life. But keep your attention and concentration constantly on the Atma. That is the way you will be a Sthitaprajna.

Here a doubt may arise, why does such a person need to work at all? But, if a Sthitaprajna had such an attitude and did no work, he would not be able to inspire others to work. The wise man has to set an example for ordinary people, so that they will be able to follow him. He himself will not have any interest in work, nor will he have any ambitions regarding work. But, for the good of mankind he will take up work. ‘Therefore, Arjuna,’ said Krishna, ‘Become an ideal person. You are very close to Krishna. You are His relative and you are very dear to Him. Keep the inner significance of all these teachings in your heart. I want to raise you as an example to the world. I will use you as my instrument. You will be instrumental in doing a number of great things for Me in the world’. (DBG, pp. 123-124)

Arjuna’s only duty was to implicitly follow Krishna’s commands. Arjuna said, ‘Swami, I will obey Your commands, whatever they maybe. Whatever you ask of me I will do. I will not undertake anything on my own, anything that is outside of Your directions.’ This is the true attitude of Sthitaprajna. A Sthitaprajna will not have the feeling of ‘I’ and mine. He won’t have any egoism or attachments. Accepting and following every command of the Lord, while destroying all traces of ego and possessiveness are noble qualities of a Sthitaprajna. That is the reason why the qualities of a Sthitaprajna are explained at length in the second chapter of the Gita. (DBG, p. 157)

Krishna told Arjuna, ‘When you firmly believe that everything in this creation is the manifestation of divinity, then you will become a Sthitaprajna, and you will have gained the highest wisdom. Arjuna, you will have gained the highest wisdom. Arjuna, carry out My commands and become a Sthitaprajna.’ (DBG, p. 255)

The upward path, the higher stage — that is for the Sthitaprajna. If the mind is subdued, that alone is enough; it is not necessary then to conquer the external senses. If the mind has no attachment with objects, the senses have nothing to cling on to; they perish by inanimation; love and hate are both starved out of existence. The bonds with the objective world are cut, though the senses may yet be affected by it. For him who has been blessed by an awareness of the Atma, how can anything worldly bring grief or joy? (AV, p.250)

The Sthitaprajna will be free from all desire and ever engaged in the contemplation of the Atma... Now there are two processes in this: To give up all the promptings of desire in the mind is the negative process; to implant joy, ever-present joy therein, is the positive process. The negative process is to remove all the seedlings of wrong and evil from the mind; the positive process is to grow, in the field cleansed thus, the crop of attachment to God.

When all beings are experiencing night, the Sthitaprajna would keep himself awake.  When all beings are awake, the Sthitaprajna would be asleep... The inner meaning of this of this statement is very profound. Ordinary men are very vigilant in affairs that concern the senses... Wakefulness for them is the care they bestow on worldly pursuits. But the Sthitaprajna is unconcerned with these things. He is, so to say, asleep. What does sleep mean? It means happiness resulting from the inactivity of the senses. . This is the inner meaning. It is far from the literal meaning which, if taken as true, would entitle thieves, watchmen and others to the name Sthitaprajna, for all these keep awake during the night and sleep during the day! Once man is free from undue attachment to the body and its appurtenances, he is liberated also from the pulls of joy, grief, good, bad, pleasure, pain etc. he is firmly established in equanimity, fortitude and undisturbed balance. (ML, p. 26-28)