Signs Of The Enlightened - Excerpts From Gurudev's Talks On The Bhagwad Gita

For the one who is really centered, enlightened, nothing touches him. Fear never comes near him, nor does anger.

Further, Krishna goes on to elicit the signs of Enlightenment:

duhkhesv anudvigna-manah sukhesu vigata-sprhah (2.56)

When sorrow befalls, he is not disturbed. When joy comes, he does not jump up and down in excitement.

vita-raga-bhaya-krodhah (2.56)

He just gives up desire, fear, and anger.

sthita-dhir munir ucyate (2.56)

Then, one is really centered, enlightened. Nothing touches him. Fear never comes near him, nor does anger. He may show signs of anger here and there. However, this is very different from really being angry.

yah sarvatranabhisnehas tat tat prapya subhasubham nabhinandati na dvesti tasya prajna pratisthita (2.57)

Neither does he thank anybody. “Oh, thank you so much! nor does he hate anybody. He neither thanks nor dislikes anybody. He lives in a state of equanimity.

How can this be achieved? Krishna said, “By grace!” When you are lost, your mind is lost, your intellect is lost and you have gone through the whole cycle of drama, then, what is the way?

prasade sarva-duhkhanam hanir asyopajayate prasanna-cetaso hy asu buddhih paryavatisthate (2.65)

Grace comes a little before the signs of Enlightenment appear. This is important. Grace takes you out of sorrow and misery. Then your consciousness starts flowering/ blossoming, becomes happy and pleasant. When you feel happy and pleasant, your intellect gets fresh. It gets reformed. A miserable person cannot be highly intellectual. Because of his misery, his ability to think and understand goes down. The intellect can only wake up when a certain pleasant state of mind that rises.

prasanna-cetaso hy asu (2.65)