arjuna uvāca sthita-prajñasya kā bhāṣā samādhi-sthasya keśava sthita-dhīḥ kiṁ prabhāṣeta kim āsīta vrajeta kim
"Arjuna said: O Krishna, what are the characteristics of one who is stable in wisdom and absorbed in deep meditation? How does such a person speak? How does he sit? How does he walk?"
What This Means:
Arjuna asks a practical question: 'Okay, you've described this wise, realized person. But what do they actually look like? How would I recognize one? How do they talk, sit, and move through the world?'
Going Deeper:
This is one of the most important questions in the Gita. Arjuna wants a practical description of 'sthitaprajna' (one with stable wisdom). What follows (verses 55-72) is Krishna's profound portrait of the realized person—their inner state and outer behavior. This becomes a map for spiritual seekers.
How To Apply This:
This is a great question to ask about any spiritual teaching: 'What does it look like in practice?' Theory is useful, but you need to know how wisdom manifests in daily life. How would a wise person handle my situation? This concrete modeling is how we learn.
Key Sanskrit Terms: