Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 Verse 56 भगवद् गीता अध्याय 2 श्लोक 56 दुःखेष्वनुद्विग्नमनाः सुखेषु विगतस्पृहः। वीतरागभयक्रोधः स्थितधीर्मुनिरुच्यते।।2.56।। English Translation - Swami Gambirananda 2.56 That monk is called a man of steady wisdom when his mind is unperturbed in sorrow, he is free from longing for delights, and has gone beyond attachment, fear and anger. English Translation - Swami Sivananda 2.56 He whose mind is not shaken by adversity, who does not hanker after pleasures, and is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady wisdom. English Translation - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan 2.56. He, whose mind is undisturbed in the midst of sorrows; who is free from desire in the midst of pleasures; and from whom longing, fear and wrath have totally gone-he is said to be a firm-minded sage. English Commentary - Swami Sivananda 2.56 दुःखेषु in adversity? अनुद्विग्नमनाः of unshaken mind? सुखेषु in pleasure? विगतस्पृहः withut hankering? वीतरागभयक्रोधः free from attachment? fear and anger? स्थितधीः of steady wisdom? मुनिः sage? उच्यते (he) is called.Commentary Lord Krishna gives His answer to the second part of Arjunas estion as to the conduct of a sage of steady wisdom in the 56th? 57th and 58th verses.The mind of a sage of steady wisdom is not distressed in calamities. He is not affected by the three afflictions (Taapas) -- Adhyatmika (arising from diseases or disorders in ones own body)? Adhidaivika (arising from thunder? lightning? storm? flood? etc.)? and Adhibhautika (arising from scorpions? cobras? tigers? etc.). When he is placed in an affluent condition he does not long for sensual pleasures. (Cf.IV.10). English Translation of Sanskrit Commentary By Sri Shankaracharya's 2.56 Moreover, that munih, monk [Sankaracarya identifies the monk with the man of realization.] ucyate, is then called; sthita-dhih, a man of steady wisdom; when anudvignamanah, his mind is unperturbed; duhkhesu, in sorrow when his mind remains unperturbed by the sorrows that may come on the physical or other planes [Fever, headache, etc. are physical (adhyatmika) sorrows; sorrows caused by tigers, snakes, etc. are environmental (adhibhautika) sorrows; those caused by cyclones, floods, etc. are super-natural (adhidaivika). Similarly, delights also may be experienced on the three planes.] ; so also, when he is vigata-sprhah, free from longing; sukhesu, for delights when he, unlike fire which flares up when fed with fuel etc., has no longing for delights when they come to him ; and vita-raga-bhaya-krodhah, has gone beyond attachment, fear and anger. English Translation of Commentary - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan 2.56 Dukkhesu etc. Only that sage whose mental attitude is free from desire and hatred in the midst of pleasure and pain, and not anyone else, is a man-of-stabilized-intellect. This is also proper. For- English Translation of Ramanuja's Sanskrit Commentary 2.56 Even when there are reasons for grief like separation from beloved ones, his mind is not perturbed, i.e., he is not aggrieved. He has no longing to enjoy pleasures, i.e., even though the things which he likes are near him, he has no longing for them. He is free from desire and anger; desire is longing for objects not yet obtained; he is free from this. Fear is affliction produced from the knowledge of the factors which cause separation from the beloved or from meeting with that which is not desirable; he is free from this. Anger is a disturbed state of ones own mind which produces affliction and which is aimed at another sentient being who is the cause of separation from the beloved or of confrontation with what is not desirable. He is free from this. A sage of this sort, who constantly meditates on the self, is said to be of firm wisdom. Then, the next state below this is described: Commentary - Chakravarthi Ji This verse and the next verse, the Lord answers the question “How does he speak?” His mind is not disturbed by adhyatmika suffering in the form of hunger, thirst, fever, or headache, by the adhibhautika suffering coming from snakes or tigers, or by the adhidaivika suffering arising from extremes in wind or rain. When someone asks about himself, he says simply that this suffering is his prarabdha karma which he must unavoidably endure. He is not agitated with suffering (duhkhesv anudvigna manah). He does not say anything to himself or out loud to others. This absence of disgust at his situation is understood by the intelligent person to be the symptom of an undisturbed person. False indifference to suffering, the mark of the imposter, however, is understood by the wise man. Such a pretender is called fallen or depraved. In the face of opportunities for happiness, he is without desire and says to himself or others that it is simply his prarabdha karma which he must tolerate. And the intelligent person recognizes his quality of being devoid of desire for happiness. These qualities are made clearer. He is devoid of attachment to enjoyment (vita raga), devoid of fear from such things as tigers that want to eat him. He is devoid of anger towards friends who have attacked him. As an example, Jada Bharata in front of the Goddess Durga, did not show fear or anger towards the candala leader who wanted to kill him. Rudra Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary The Supreme Lord Krishna continuing the answer to the first question of verse 54 states that: He who is unperturbed, who is free from desires though amidst pleasures is not agitated even upon being put into misery because there is the absence of any attachment, affection, fear or anger. Thus by being devoid of all these characteristics one can be understood to be a person of steady wisdom. Brahma Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary Lord Krishna gives an expansion of this in the next three verses. For those situated in wisdom these instructions are essential being the means. It has been declared that whatever instructions have been recommended for those seeking advancement, these selfsame instructions are seen distinctively in the actions of those situated in wisdom. To assume erroneously that something is pleasant then it becomes a source of attachment. Rasa sentiment, raga attachment and rakti beauty are said to be erroneous assumptions. Shri Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary To be free from an agitated mind is not to become aggrieved when situations arise of impending affliction and difficulty or bereavement for something cherished and lost. To not be elated in happiness is to remain in an unattached and passive state even when joyous events occur. Desire is the longing for things not obtained. One must learn to be free from this. Fear is worrying for prospective sorrow which may be caused by bereavement of what is cherished and the projection of the coming of unwanted things. One must learn to be free from this. Anger is that disturbed state of mind and irritated feelings produced of pain from others causing separation from what is cherished or giving the experience of things not cherished. One must learn to be free from this. Such a being is a muni or one of profound contemplation on the soul. This being is known as sthita-prajna situated in perfect knowledge of transcendental consciousness. Lord Krishna describes the next lower stage in the next verse. Kumara Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary To be free from an agitated mind is not to become aggrieved when situations arise of impending affliction and difficulty or bereavement for something cherished and lost. To not be elated in happiness is to remain in an unattached and passive state even when joyous events occur. Desire is the longing for things not obtained. One must learn to be free from this. Fear is worrying for prospective sorrow which may be caused by bereavement of what is cherished and the projection of the coming of unwanted things. One must learn to be free from this. Anger is that disturbed state of mind and irritated feelings produced of pain from others causing separation from what is cherished or giving the experience of things not cherished. One must learn to be free from this. Such a being is a muni or one of profound contemplation on the soul. This being is known as sthita-prajna situated in perfect knowledge of transcendental consciousness. Lord Krishna describes the next lower stage in the next verse. Transliteration Bhagavad Gita 2.56Duhkheshwanudwignamanaah sukheshu vigatasprihah; Veetaraagabhayakrodhah sthitadheer munir uchyate. Word Meanings Bhagavad Gita 2.56duḥkheṣhu—amidst miseries; anudvigna-manāḥ—one whose mind is undisturbed; sukheṣhu—in pleasure; vigata-spṛihaḥ—without craving; vīta—free from; rāga—attachment; bhaya—fear; krodhaḥ—anger; sthita-dhīḥ—enlightened person; muniḥ—a sage; uchyate—is called