He whose insight, 'I am the supreme Brahman', is settled, firmly established, is one of settled insight (sthitaprajña). What is the speech, the way of speaking, of such a one settled in absorption, O Keśava? How is he spoken of by others, and how does one of settled insight himself speak? How does he sit, how does he move? By this verse the marks of one of settled insight are asked. Both for one who from the very outset, having renounced actions, has set out on steadfastness in the yoga of knowledge, and for one who proceeds by the yoga of action, from 'he casts off' onward to the end of the chapter the marks of one of settled insight, and the means, are taught; for everywhere in the spiritual scriptures the very marks of one who has reached the goal are taught as the means, since they can be brought about by effort.

Arjuna spoke. What is the description of the man of steady wisdom established in concentration, what word denotes him, what is the nature of his form? And what manner of speaking and the rest does the man of steady wisdom do? Since by telling of his particular conduct his nature too is told, the particular conduct is now spoken of.

He whose wisdom, whose knowledge, stands firm is one of established wisdom (sthitaprajna). In the verse the word 'bhasha' means the defining mark, that by which a thing is spoken of. Arjuna repeats the mark already stated, to make known that he will ask further once the mark is given, and he adds 'of one settled in samadhi'. Krishna is Keshava because He sets in motion ka, namely Brahma, and isha, namely Rudra. So runs the etymology made by Rudra in the Harivamsha, on the journey to Kailasa, 'Hiranyagarbha is declared to be ka, and isha is Shankara himself; since you set those two in motion by creation and the rest, you, sir, are Keshava'. The verse asks how such a one sits and how he moves. And it is not that Arjuna does not know that mark and the rest, for the text says, 'the kings of old know it, and the divine sages likewise; even so they ask about dharmas, for conversation and to win what is secret; the secrets in the Puranas are not grasped by those of little wit'.