What is Sthitpragya or Stithapragnya?

In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Shri Krishna tells Arjun to become sthitpragya (state in which doubts arise about, ‘I am the doer,’ while under the foundation of the ego). When one sets a goal to reach a particular inner state, it is natural to feel curious about the qualities of a person who has already reached that state. With this same curiosity, Arjun too asks Lord Shri Krishna in the second chapter as follows.

sthitapragnyasya kaa bhaashaa samaadhisthasya keshav |
sthitadhih kim prabhaashet kimaasit vrajet kim || 54||

Meaning “O Keshav! What is the nature of a sthitpragya person? How does such a person speak? How do they sit? How do they walk?” In other words, what is the conduct of a person who has attained this state?

In reply, the Lord explains to Arjun that the one who has become steady in pragnya (right intellect), who can separate the non-essential from the essential and hold on to the essence, that is the state of sthita pragnya.

Yah sarvatraaabhisnehstattatprapya shubhaashubham |
Naabhinandati na dveshti tasya pragnya pratishthita || 57||

In this verse, Lord Shri Krishna also says that the person who remains unattached in all situations; who does not rejoice with praise when something favourable happens, nor feels hatred when something unfavourable occurs, such a person’s pragnya (the direct liberating light of the Self) becomes steady.

Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan, in very simple language, explains the essence of the state of a sthitpragya, saying that if one is in the state of sthitpragya, then the person does not become emotional. The one who remains in motion is called sthitpragya. When inner stability never shakes; when nothing affects them; when insult comes, or days of happiness or sorrow come, yet they remain untouched by all of it, that is called sthita pragnya. But the state of sthitpragya does not constantly produce Samadhi (a blissful state that comes about when one becomes free from mental, physical and externally induced suffering). Until the knowledge of one’s true Self arises, samadhi does not occur. When delusion falls away, then samadhi arises!

To lift up Arjun, who had become emotional and disheartened at the thought of fighting his own loved ones, Lord Shri Krishna instructed him to become sthitpragya. Whereas Lord Shri Krishna Himself always remained in a far higher state, a state of complete detachment.

Param Pujya Dadashri, who knows the very heart of Lord Shri Krishna, says that, “Sthitpragya begins from the moment you begin to make a differentiation through words when you say, “This is the Atma and it is separate from everything else.” The state of sthitpragya begins from the moment you utter the difference till the moment you attain the experience of the Soul (the Self). That is the state of sthitpragya.”

He says that, “Sthitpragya means to recognize and know the attributes of the Self through the intellect that has become pure, but not the actual experience of these qualities. With the state of sthitpragya, one knows and recognizes the universe and its elements; that verily is called the state of shuddha samkit.”

Sthitpragya is not the state of direct experience. It means being steady in pragnya, moving towards pragnya. There are two words: buddhi, which means agnya (the energy of ignorance) and pragnya (the liberating energy of the Self). That which does not allow one to come out of the worldly cycle is called intellect and that which does not allow one to come out of the Self is called pragnya. The state that leads one towards the Self is called the sthitpragya state, but in that state the Self is not yet fully realized. As Narsinh Mehta said, “Saying ‘I’m the doer, I’m the doer’ is ignorance.” Similarly, a person in the sthita pragnya state begins to doubt, thinking, “I am not the doer; I am the Self,” but this does not yet come into direct experience for him.

In the state of sthitpragya, the intellect begins to become right, thinking, “I should not hurt anyone, I should not create enmity, and if someone hurts me, I should not take revenge.” Thus, sthitpragya is a state in which a person is turning away from the worldly life, but has not yet fully entered into the Self. It is a high state, but there is a great difference between the state of sthitpragya and truly realizing the Self. Sthitpragya is the state in which a person becomes steady in pragnya. After reaching this state, one still has to attain the Self (Atma). Once the Self is attained, all actions are resolved with equanimity, without any attachment or abhorrence!

Beyond the state of sthitpragya lies the direct Knowledge of the Self, through which the Self is directly experienced. This is called parmarth samkit (permanent conviction of the right belief that ‘I am pure Soul’). Through which, one can truly see, recognize, and experience the entire world and all the fundamental elements of existence! When Self-realization happens, the power of pragnya begins to manifest. Mainly, when the pratiti (conviction) of the real Self becomes firmly established, pragnya awakens, and then by rule liberation becomes inevitable. When true Knowledge of the Self is attained, pragnya becomes fully active.