śrī-bhagavān uvāca prajahāti yadā kāmān sarvān pārtha mano-gatān ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ sthita-prajñas tadocyate
"The Supreme Lord said: When a person completely gives up all desires of the mind and is satisfied in the Self alone, by the Self, then they are called stable in wisdom."
What This Means:
Krishna answers: A truly wise person has let go of all mental desires. They're satisfied by themselves, in themselves. They don't need external things to be happy—their happiness comes from within. This is what stable wisdom looks like.
Going Deeper:
The key phrase is 'atmani eva atmana tushtah' (satisfied in the Self by the Self). The wise person's fulfillment is self-contained—not dependent on acquiring objects, achieving goals, or being treated a certain way. This isn't repression of desire; it's the natural fading of desire when the source of all happiness (the Self) is discovered within.
How To Apply This:
Ask yourself: How much of my happiness depends on external circumstances? The wise person's contentment comes from within. Start cultivating this: spend time in silence, discover the peace that exists independent of what's happening outside. The more you contact this inner source, the less you'll need from the world.
Key Sanskrit Terms: