2-53

श्रुतिविप्रतिपन्ना ते यदा स्थास्यति निश्चला ।
समाधौ अचला बुद्धिः तदा योगमवाप्स्यसि ॥ ५३ ॥

zrutivipratipannA te yadA sthAsyati nizcalA |
samAdhau acalA buddhiH tadA yogamavApsyasi || 53 ||

श्रुति [zruti] Having listened to what I said, विप्रतिपन्ना [vipratipannA] you have obtained special knowledge. यदा [yadA] When ते बुद्धिः [te buddhiH] your intellect निश्च्ला स्थास्यति [nizclA sthAsyati] stands firm समधौ [samadhau] in your controlled mind, तदा [tadA] then योगम् अवाप्स्यसि [yogam avApsyasi] you shall attain yoga.

There is nothing which is similar to the Self. It is everlasting and unsurpassed. Your intellect is specially enriched by listening to what I said about the subtle Self. When the intellect is focused on the Self, it stands firm in the mind that is cleaned by performing actions without attachments. With your intellect focused in this way, you shall attain yoga- the realization of the Self.

This is explained as Karmayoga . It’s about working without attachments, a predecessor to realizing the Self. We transform by working in this way, being engaged in cultivating our knowledge. Such a state of engagement is called स्थितप्रज्ञ [sthitaprajJa] . It is a state of ‘being firm in wisdom’ or ‘free from confusion’. This state of cultivating true knowledge achieves the realization of the Self. We call it ‘ yoga ’.

After being taught in this way, Arjuna asks about the characteristic of being firm in wisdom- a state in which we are free from confusion. It comes from performing actions without attachments and leads to the realization of the Self. He also asks about the conduct of a person who is firm in wisdom.

Being ‘firm in wisdom’ is to be engaged in an inquiry into the Self, cultivating true knowledge. The term ‘firm in wisdom’ is used as the translation for स्थितप्रज्ञ [sthitaprajJa]. Other ways of translating the word स्थितप्रज्ञ [sthitaprajJa] are: ‘one whose consciousness is fully realized’, ‘one whose consciousness is steadfast’, ‘one who is free from confusion’. It’s about giving up all the ignorance surrounding the Self and being free from all confusion.