Steady wisdom signs

Verse 2.53:

श्रुतिविप्रतिपन्ना ते यदा स्थास्यति निश्चला।  
समाधावचला बुद्धिस्तदा योगमवाप्स्यसि॥ śruti-vipratipannā te yadā sthāsyati niścalā  
samādhāv acalā buddhis tadā yogam avāpsyasi|| Hearing the different practices for working on the mind mentioned in the Vedas, the mind is scattered and fragmented. In that case, when the intellect gets integrated, firm and steady, it becomes one. That on which the chitta rests is called Samadhi. Here it refers to the Self on which consciousness rests. The chitta does not move and is free of disturbing thoughts. When the intellect, which is the inner equipment, becomes steady, the mind attains yoga or integration. In other words, the individual becomes integrated.
Avatarika - Introducing the next verse: Having obtained the seed for the next question, Arjuna asks with a desire to know the definition of the one who has attained the State of Samadhi. 

Verse 2.54:

अर्जुन उवाच  
स्थितप्रज्ञस्य का भाषा समाधिस्थस्य केशव।  
स्थितधीः किं प्रभाषेत किमासीत व्रजेत किम्॥ arjuna uvāca  
sthita-prajñasya kā bhāṣā samādhi-sthasya keśava  
sthita-dhīḥ kiṁ prabhāṣeta kim āsīta vrajeta kim|| 

Arjuna asks, For the one with steady wisdom, i.e. the one who has a steady mind which is established in the Supreme Brahman, how does that person express?  What words does he use? How does he communicate with others? What is the nature of the absorbtion of the mind O Keshava? How does he talk? How does he walk? How does he sit and how does he move?
Through this question, Arjuna is actually asking about the qualities of a person of steady wisdom.
Avatarika: The one who has from the beginning, given up actions and are engaged in Karma yoga too, for those two types of people who are shown the means of practice by knowing the qualities of the man of steady wisdom, beginning from the verse, 'Prajahati,' until the end of the second chapter.

- Brahmacharini Sharanya Chaitanya.

The supreme state

Verse 2.51:

कर्मजं बुद्धियुक्ता हि फलं त्यक्त्वा मनीषिणः ।  
जन्मबन्धविनिर्मुक्ताः पदं गच्छन्त्यनामयम् ॥ karmajam buddhiyuktā hi phalaṁ tyaktvā manīṣiṇaḥ |  
janmabandhavinirmuktāḥ padaṁ gacchantyanāmayam|| Giving up the results of actions born of activities done in the past should be understood together, setting aside the term integrated with intellect. The results of action is acquiring what we like and what we don't like. With the help of an equanamous mind, when the resulting imprints of action are given up, the wise person who is endowed with a clear intellect is free from the bondage of birth. Birth itself is a bondage and hence free from birth even while living, the person attains that supreme state of the all-pervading Vishnu called liberation. That state is free of all disease and all obstacles is the meaning.
Else beginning from Buddhi Yogat Dhananjaya defined by the state of supreme realisation where just as flooded waters pervade everywhere, the intellect which has been purified by karma yoga directly sees the truth as its lot of results of good and evil actions have been destroyed. This has been described in this manner..
When does one attain that pure intellect born of continued practice of yoga? It is said:

Verse 2.52:

यदा ते मोहकलिलं बुद्धिर्व्यतितरिष्यति ।  
तदा गन्तासि निर्वेदं श्रोतव्यस्य श्रुतस्य च ॥ yadā te mohakalilaṁ buddhirvyatitariṣyati |  
tadā gantāsi nirvedaṁ śrotavyasya śrutasya ca || 

When the time comes when the impurities of the nature of delusion born without the right discrimination between the Self and the Not-Self by which the knowledge of the Self and not-Self are clearly known, the intellect does not get impure and travel through the channels of sense objects, that intellect transcendes the impure state and attains purity.
At that time, the being attains dispassion from benefits of what is to be heard from the Vedas and what was heard. The mind does not run after the objects of desires that have been described in the sacred texts too.
When does the person attain the result of Karma Yoga which is the identity with the Supreme, by the individual transcending the impurity of delusion and has got the refined discrimination of the Self ? If that is the question, listen.

- Brahmacharini Sharanya Chaitanya.

A balanced state of mind

Verse 2.49:

दूरेण ह्यवरं कर्म बुद्धियोगाद्धनञ्जय ।  
बुद्धौ शरणमन्विच्छ कृपणाः फलहेतवः॥ dūreṇa hyavaraṃ karma buddhiyogād dhanañjaya |  
buddhau śaraṇam anviccha kṛpaṇāḥ phalahetavaḥ || Very far away and extremely clearly action done with desire for its results is not great. It is low when compared to the yoga of knowledge. Buddhi Yoga is united with an equanamous mind. Actions are the cause of birth, death and the physical body O Dhananjaya!
As in this way in the intellect with its object is yoga and the intellect that has fully bloomed into the intellect of knowledge, holding on to the feet of knowledge, seeking refuge, search for and pray for the supreme knowledge and be there is the meaning of this verse.
Those who do action which are low, that have results for their goal are miserly and weak as they have the specific result for their purpose, craving for desired results they are motivated to act. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says, "The one who leaves this world without knowing that truth O Gargi are indeed misers."
Avatarika: Endowed with a balanced mind, staying in the discharge of their duties, the results that they get, Listen:-

Verse 2.50:

बुद्धियुक्तो जहातीह उभे सुकृतदुष्कृते।  
तस्माद्योगाय युज्यस्व योगः कर्मसु कौशलम् ॥ buddhiyukto jahātīha ubhe sukṛtaduṣkṛte |  
tasmād yogāya yujyasva yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam || 

The one endowed with an intellect balanced in all experiences, gives up competetly in this world, both the results of good and bad actions which are the experience of auspiciousness and misery. Their mind is pure through acquiring knowledge of the Self. Therefore through the integrity of a balanced mind, fight or engage in Action.
Yoga indeed is skill in action. In action which is one's own nature when one is engaged in action in the present moment, whether the results are successful or a failure have a balanced mind as an offering to Ishwara. That is the state of skill in action.
That is skill which even if it is of the nature of bondage, the actions with a balanced state of mind one gets freed off. Therefore be you endowed with a balanced state of mind.
Why so...? (...to be continued.)

- Brahmacharini Sharanya Chaitanya.

Balance of mind is Yoga

Verse 2.47:

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥ karmanye vadhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana |mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stv akarmaṇi || O Arjuna, your jurisdiction lies in action alone and not in meditation. Even there, while doing action you do not have jurisdiction over the results. Let it be that you do not have a desire to experience the results of action at any point of time and in any condition of life.
When you have desire for the results of actions, then the cause of experiencing the results which is Samsara will be yours so do not identify with the results of action.
When you are attached to te results and do actions, then rebirth which is caused by the results of action will be yours.
In case you are not going to strive for the results of action, then what is the point of action which gives so much sorrow? In this way do not get attached to this pattern of thinking. At the same time, do not desire to sit idle without doing any action.
If action must not be done with attachment to results, then how must action be done? It is said: 

Verse 2.48:

योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय।सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते॥ yogasthaḥ kuru karmāṇi saṅgaṁ tyaktvā dhanañjaya |  siddhy-asiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā samatvaṁ yoga ucyate|| 

Be integrated and do actions only as an offering to Ishwara. Even there, let it be with the thought that may Ishwara be pleased with me and give up attachments O Dhananjaya.
Without attachment to results, the actions done born of pure Satwa guna capable of helping the individual to attanin knowledge of the Self, when you gain success in that or contrarily you are unsuccessful in the effort, among victory and defeat too, do actions by keeping the mind equal.
What is that Yoga standing on which a you do actions, it is said is the balance of mind between success and failure is called yoga.
Again further, united with that evenness of mind, work done as an offering to Ishwara, such actions....(will be continued in the next verse.)

- Brahmacharini Sharanya Chaitanya.

Actions have limitations

Verse 2.45:

त्रैगुण्यविषया वेदा निस्त्रैगुण्यो भवार्जुन।निर्द्वन्द्वो नित्यसत्त्वस्थो निर्योगक्षेम आत्मवान् ॥ Trai-guṇya-viṣayā vedā nistrai-guṇyo bhavārjuna |Nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho niryoga-kṣema ātmavān || Vedas are about three subjects. The three qualities are of the nature of change and transformation as they illumine the three qualities in Samsara. You be beyond the three Gunas Arjuna. That is be free of desires is the implied meaning.
Free of duality means being same to what gives joy and sorrow. Therefore be free of the three gunas and free of dualities. Be ever in Satwa Guna or the seer who illumines all experiences. Always take refuge in Satwa Guna.
In the same way be free of acquiring what you do not have - yoga and maintaining what you have acquired - Kshema. For those who are focussed on acquiring and maintaining things, going on the path of the highest truth is going to be difficult. Therefore be free of acquiring and maintenance Arjuna, says Bhagavan.
Be integrated within and do not be slack in the practices to control the sense organs. This is the teaching for following your inherent duties.
Introducing the next verse Bhagavan says. in all the actions mention by the Vedas those results which are endless, if one does not hold on to them, then why do we follow the rule that actions are done and results are offered for Ishwara? It is said, hear:

Verse 2.46:

यावानर्थ उदपाने सर्वतः सम्प्लुतोदके ।तावान्सर्वेषु वेदेषु ब्राह्मणस्य विजानतः॥ Yāvān artha udapāne sarvataḥ samplutodake |Tāvān sarveṣu vedeṣu brāhmaṇasya vijānataḥ || 

Just as in the world where there is a flood the water in a well, a tank or lake which are separated by borders, to what extent they will be useful for drinking and bathing? When there is water everywhere, one does not depend on the well or the tank.
In the same way, to that extent only all the actions mentioned in the Vedas have a result of action for the Brahmana, the renunciate who has realised the truth. That truth of the Self which has been realised within the Vedas have that much need like the bodies of water are needed for quenching the thirst at the time of floods.
The Chandogya Upanishad says that when the peope do good actions everything flows into them. The one who knows this Truth, all good results of action reach them says the Shruti. It is said that all results of actions merge in knowledge of the Self.
Therefore before gaining the fitness to remain in the knowledge of the Self, the actions that were done take the place of wells and lakes. Yet action has to be done in this manner.

- Brahmacharini Sharanya Chaitanya.

Praising the Vedas

Verse 2.43:

कामात्मानः स्वर्गपरा जन्मकर्मफलप्रदाम् |क्रियाविशेषबहुलां भोगैश्वर्यगतिं प्रति ||kāmātmānaḥ svarga-parā janma-karma-phala-pradām|

  kriyā-viśeṣa-bahulāṁ bhogaiśvarya-gatiṁ prati ||

They are of the nature of desire. They are filled with desire, it means. They consider going to heaven as the greatest pursuit. This heavenly pursuit gives the result of birth and actions. Rebirth itself is the result of actions. That result is given by the Vedas. It follows that they speak words that highlight this pursuit.

They recommend multi-pronged special actions promising heaven, cows and children. The results are tuned towards pleasurable experiences and lordship. The opinion is that these people are ignorant and they will continue to circle around in transmigration.

Verse 2.44:

भोगैश्वर्यप्रसक्तानां तयापहृतचेतसाम् |
व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिः समाधौ न विधीयते ||bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānām-prasaktānāṁ tayāpahṛta-cetasām vyavāyātmikā buddhiḥ samādhau na vidhīyate || 

Those who are engaged in experiencing actions that are done and lordship and are carried away by enjoyments and seeking to control. Their words are covered by lack of discrimination of distinguishing between who I am and what is not me. Their minds will not be absorbed in the thought of either integrated Sankhya or yoga. Such an internal equipment does not know integration and absorption.
For these people who do not have the capacity to distinguish between who am I and what is not I, and who also entertain desires.

- Brahmacharini Sharanya Chaitanya.

Intellect - Steady and Unsteady

Verse 2.41:

व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिरेकेह कुरुनन्दन |  बहुशाखा ह्यनन्ताश्च बुद्धयोऽव्यवसायिनाम् ||vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana |  bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca buddhayo ’vyavasāyinām || For the intellect which has been cultivated and steady, since this buddhi is one-pointed and born out of clear perception of the truth, it destroys the other thoughts which are multi-pronged. Here it is on the path of supreme good, O delight of the Kuru dynasty.
The other thoughts with many pronged branches which are endless the world of names and forms which keep changing  which is difficult to cross. Owing to the intellect which is generated from direct perception with discrimination between who am I and what is not I. it destroys the multi-pronged thoughts too.
Of those people who have many-branched thoughts and many different  thoughts or with differences arising out of each branch endlessly, they are uncultivated unlike the intellect which distinguishes between the Self and not-self.
Avatarika: For those who do not have this cultivated intellect:

Verse 2.42:

यामिमां पुष्पितां वाचं प्रवदन्त्यविपश्चितः |  वेदवादरताः पार्थ नान्यदस्तीति वादिनः॥ yām imāṁ puṣpitāṁ vācaṁ pravadanty avipaścitaḥ |  veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ ||

The people who have studied the scriptures but have not realised the truth of the Self speak very clearly flowery words like these trees. They are not people who know with clarity, whose memory of truth is very poor and lack discrimination. They say that there is nothing else other than the practises and actions to attain heavens after death. They have the nature of speaking like this.

- Brahmacharini Sharanya Chaitanya.

A win-win situation

Verse 2.39:

एषा तेऽभिहिता साङ्ख्ये बुद्धिर्योगे त्विमां शृणु।बुद्ध्या युक्तो यया पार्थ कर्मबन्धं प्रहास्यसि॥ Eṣā te ’bhihitā sāṅkhye buddhir yoge tv imāṁ śṛṇu | Buddhyā yukto yayā pārtha karma-bandhaṁ prahāsyasi ||  The Sankhya Yoga I taught you on the intellect that can  distinguish between the Supreme Self and other things is direct knowledge. It will remove the errors that are the cause of Samsara which are grief and delusion.
Regarding the path of yoga which is the means for attaining this knowledge, without attachment, giving up the dualities of joy and sorrow, the yoga of action done as an offering to Ishwara and regarding the integration of mind in the state of Samadhi I will speak further. Listen.
To induce an interest in the mind of Arjuna, Bhagavan praises Buddhi Yoga.  O Arjuna, united with an intellect that contemplates on yoga, you will destroy the bondage of action by the grace of Ishwara's blessings. This is the opinion.
Further more, other than this...

Verse 2.40:

नेहाभिक्रमनाशोऽस्ति प्रत्यवायो न विद्यते।स्वल्पमप्यस्य धर्मस्य त्रायते महतो भयात्॥ Neha abhikrama-nāśo ’sti pratyavāyo na vidyate | Svalpam api asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt ||

In this path of Karma Yoga, effort of beginning something is never wasted like it is in agriculture. (If an agricultural work is started, it has to be pursued daily. Else the effort would be in vain.) With regards to Yoga, the effort of starting it is not without a certain result - i.e. there is certainly a result.  However there is no result of omission as in the case of taking medicine, which will not give the desired result if it is stopped midway.
However, even a little bit of this Yoga Dharma when practised, will protect the person from very great fear of transmigration and change of the nature of birth and death.

- Brahmacharini Sharanya Chaitanya.

If you do not act!

Verse 2.32:

अथ चेत्त्वमिमं धर्म्यं सङ्ग्रामं न करिष्यसि |  ततः स्वधर्मं कीर्तिं च हित्वा पापमवाप्स्यसि ||

Atha chet tvam imaṁ dharmyaṁ saṅgrāmaṁ na kariṣyasi |  Tataḥ sva-dharmaṁ kīrtiṁ cha hitvā pāpam avāpsyasi || If you do not participate in this battle which is sprung from righteousness, then by not doing that you will lose your self-righteousness, fame which has been acquired by meeting great beings such as Mahadeva himself and will incur sin only.
It is not just giving up your experience  of goodness and fame:

Verse 2.33:

अकीर्तिं चापि भूतानि कथयिष्यन्ति ते ऽव्ययाम् |  सम्भावितस्य चाकीर्तिर्मरणादतिरिच्यते॥

Akīrtiṁ chāpi bhūtāni kathayiṣyanti te ’vyayām | Sambhāvitasya chākīrtir maraṇād atirichyate|| 

People will speak ill of you without respite for a long period of time. For the one who has been elevated with words of praise such as a good person, valorous etc. to fall to ill fame is worse than death. Death is better for the one who is elevated and respected in life and then to attain to ill fame is the meaning here.
Furthermore:

Verse 2.35:
  भयाद्रणादुपरतं मंस्यन्ते त्वां महारथाः |  येषां च त्वं बहुमतो भूत्वा यास्यसि लाघवम् ||    Bhayād raṇād uparataṁ maṁsyante tvāṁ mahā-rathāḥ |Yeṣāṁ cha tvaṁ bahu-mato bhūtvā yāsyasi lāghavam || The great warriors like Karna are going to think that you ran away from the battlefield out of fear. Warriors such as Duryodhana will not think about you with pity even though they had a great opinion about you as one with great qualities and you will reach that state of ordinary lightness free of those great qualities. Verse 2.36:   अवाच्यवादांश्च बहून्वदिष्यन्ति तवाहिताः |  निन्दन्तस्तव सामर्थ्यं ततो दुःखतरं नु किम् || Avāchya-vādāṁś cha bahūn vadiṣyanti tavāhitāḥ |  Nindantas tava sāmarthyaṁ tato duḥkha-taraṁ nu kim || Those who do not wish you well will use many words to describe you that should not be spoken by all means. Your enemies will make litte of your capabilities of conquering even the powerful Nivata Kavachas. Therefore, after attaining to that sorrow of being spoken ill of, what greater sorrow can be there? It means that there is no difficult sorrow than this.
If however you fight in the war with those such as Karna: Verse 2.37:हतो वा प्राप्स्यसि स्वर्गं जित्वा वा भोक्ष्यसे महीम् |  तस्मादुत्तिष्ठ कौन्तेय युद्धाय कृतनिश्चयः||   Hato vā prāpsyasi svargaṁ jitvā vā bhokṣyase mahīm |  Tasmād uttiṣṭha kaunteya yuddhāya kṛta-niśchayaḥ ||  If you die, you will attain the heavens. If you conquer valiant warriors such as Karna you will enjoy this earth. The idea is that both ways it is beneficial to you. 
Since this is the situation, get up O son of Kunti, decide to fight,having decided to win the enemies or die. This is the meaning.
Avatarika: Here, listen to the teaching on the grounds that this battle is a righteous one: Verse 2.38:   सुखदुःखे समे कृत्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ |  *ततो युद्धाय युज्यस्व नैवं पापमवाप्स्यसि ||   Sukha-duḥkhe same kṛtvā lābhālābhau jayājayau |Tato yuddhāya yujyasva naivaṁ pāpam avāpsyasi || Having balanced joy and sorrow, that is being free of likes and dislikes, in the same way evening out your gain and loss, victory and defeat, brace yourself for the war. In this manner when you fight the war, you will not incur sin. This is the suitable teaching of mine in this context.
Avatarika: The shlokas beginning with "Considering your duty too," is said to removing sorrow and delusion from a worldly perspective and not as a matter of supreme truth.
The vision of the supreme reality which began with the chapter is being concluded here. He is now beginning to point out the different aspects of the Shastras from the verse: "Esha Te Abhihita.."
By showing the parts of the Shastras here it will be easy to grasp the teaching of the Jnana Yoga of the Sankhyas and the Karma Yoga of the Yogis - the two paths described in chapter three.Bhagavan says this becauseit also facilitates the listener to comfortably grasp the teachings of the Shastras in different chapters. 

- Brahmacharini Sharanya Chaitanya.

Don't swerve from Swadharma

Verse 2.31:

स्वधर्ममपि चावेक्ष्य न विकम्पितुमर्हसि।
धर्म्याद्धि युद्धाच्छ्रेयोऽन्यत्क्षत्रियस्य न विद्यते॥

sva-dharmam api chāvekṣya na vikampitum arhasi |
dharmyād dhi yuddhāch chhreyo ’nyat kṣatriyasya na vidyate ||

In the light of your own duty as a Kshatriya which is fighting in the battlefield, it doesn't befit you to shake or get mauled and slip out of your natural quality of action that has come with you from birth. This is the opinion.
That war by means of conquering the earth for the sake of righteousness and to protect the people is not contrary to righteousness and is the supreme goodness. Therefore, more than this righteous war, there is nothing greater that is known to happen for a kshatriya indeed on account of that.
From where does this war has to be fought? It is said:

Verse 2.32:

यदृच्छया चोपपन्नं स्वर्गद्वारमपावृतम्।सुखिनः क्षत्रियाः पार्थ लभन्ते युद्धमीदृशम्॥
yadṛchchhayā chopapannaṁ svarga-dvāram apāvṛtam|
sukhinaḥ kṣatriyāḥ pārtha labhante yuddham īdṛśam|| 

It has come without your asking for it, by itself it has come. Such a kind of war opens all the gateways to heaven for a Kshatriya. O Partha! Aren't they blissful on account of this? Even when you have the opportunity to discharge this responsibility..

- Brahmacharini Sharanya Chaitanya.