Sthitha Pragna

“Hey Thatha , we are not able to understand the title of this story. Is it the name of a character. Anyway it looks too meaningless for all of us. “, told Maithree to her Thatha.

Thatha replied, “Little darlings, please wait. That word is one of the great themes of chapter 2 of Gita. In simple terms it means,”He who has a stable mind,”

Rohan asked, “Thatha does it mean me .Because when I search for French fries, I do not like any other thing except French fries.” Thatha replied “It is not that simple Rohan Kutta What you are is “Single mindedness” but”Sthitha Pragna is something different. I shall try to explain it by a story.”

There was a sage called Kapila. People believed that he knew everything in the world. In the village he was living there were two brothers called Shyam and Ram. Both were very much different in their approach of things. They decided to learn Gita. Maithree told, “Thatha they should not have tried but come to you for learning Gita.”

Thatha smiled and continued. They tried reading it. It was really tough. So they approached Saint Kapila. And told him,” Great sage, we started learning Gita today. But we have just reached chapter 2. There is something in it called Sthitha pragna. Can you please help us to understand what it means?” Sage Kapila said to them. I would take you for a pleasure trip and at the end please say whether you have understood what Sthitha Pragna is. Then first he took them to Himalayas. Both Ram and Shyam started shivering. Sage Kapila then showed them several people living in Himalayas. Not only they were not shivering but they seemed to enjoy the cold climate. From them Kapila requested two sages Mamuni and Ananda to accompany them. Yamini who was hearing the story told, Thatha now, there are five of them.”

Thatha replied,” yes darling”, all of them from there went to Vijayavada which was a hot place. Ram and Shyam started feeling the heat and started complaining. Mamuni who came with them also started complaining. But sage Ananda was as happy as he was in Himalayas. Then Sage Kapila told Ram and Shyam. “See children. Both Mamuni and Ananda were sages like me. Both of them were happy in Himalayas. But in Vijayavada, which is a hot place Mamuni is feeling miserable. But Sage Ananda who was happy there is happy here also. Possibly Sage Ananda has a stable mind and is a Sthitha Pragna. Let us further test them. Let us all go to a Cinema. The children jumped with joy. They liked to watch Cinema. Sage Kapila took them first to a picture of Charlie Chaplin. The children rolled in fun. Mamuni also seem to enjoy a lot. But Ananda who was with them was as calm as before. Sage Kapila asked Ananda, “Sage why are you not laughing like others? Do you not like Charlie Chaplin?” Sage Ananda replied, “I like him, but I am not elated by it. Even if you take me to another picture where there is lot of sorrow, I will not cry. “ Then Kapila told Ram and Shyam, “See Ananda is a Sthitha Pragna. He is deeply within himself. He does not react to what is outside him.”

Maithree gave the moral of this story as follows, “To achieve greatness , do not get worried by anything.”