Story 13: "Shine your Personality"

 Story 13: "Shine your Personality"

(Rahul is reading a book.)

Rahul (excitedly): Wow! This line says, "Become capable, and success will follow you automatically."
Hey! That’s exactly what Grandpa told me yesterday from the Gita—Do your work sincerely without worrying about the result.
I must tell Grandpa about this!

 (That evening, Rahul runs to his Grandpa.)

Rahul: Grandpa! Look what I found in this book — "Become capable, and success will follow automatically!" Isn’t that the same thing you taught me from the Gita?

Grandpa (smiling): Absolutely right, Rahul! The wisdom of the Gita is all around us — if we know how to see it.

Rahul (curiously): So, Grandpa, what lesson from the Gita will you teach me today?

Grandpa: First, tell me, what did you learn from the last story?

Rahul: I learned that to become special from being just normal, I must work hard, do my karma. We shouldn’t expect rewards or praise. We must continue to do our duty with sincerity.

Grandpa (proudly): Excellent! Today, Lord Krishna teaches us the secret of personality development.

Rahul (surprised): Really, Grandpa? Does the Gita teach personality development?

Grandpa (smiling): Yes, my child. The Gita teaches us how to develop a strong and balanced personality.
Lord Krishna says — a wise person stays calm in every situation...
In joy or sorrow, success or failure, gain or loss — he remains steady, never hopeless, always full of energy and satisfied within.

That kind of person is called a Stitha-Pragya — a person with steady wisdom.

Rahul: Grandpa, what does Stitha-Pragya mean exactly?

Grandpa: Stitha-Pragya means someone whose wisdom — their intelligence — is steady and Stable.
They can make the right decisions calmly. They remain peaceful and satisfied in all situations, and never become arrogant about their success.

Rahul (wondering): Grandpa, do such people really exist? Where can we find them?

Grandpa (chuckling): Arjuna asked the very same question to Lord Krishna!

Let’s recite the shloka together:

Arjuna Uvacha:
Stitha-prajnasya kaa bhaashaa samaadhisthasya keshava,
Stithadheeh kim prabhaasheta kimaaseeta vrajeta kim || 2.54 ||

Translation:
Arjuna said — O Keshava! What are the signs of a person with steady wisdom?
How does such a person speak, sit, and walk?

Rahul (in surprise): Really, Grandpa! Did Arjuna ask all that to Lord Krishna?

Grandpa: Yes, my dear. If we want to know if someone understands someone, we usually start by observing their personality, right?

Rahul (thinking): That’s true, Grandpa! Like, if we want to know whether someone is rich or not, we look at their clothes, phone, watch, or car.

Grandpa: Correct. But nowadays, almost everyone has these things. So, how do we really know if someone is from a good, cultured background?
We look at their body language — their gestures and expressions.

Rahul: Grandpa, body language means how they sit and walk? Can we really know someone by how they move?

Grandpa: Absolutely. Look, active people walk with energy and confidence. Lazy people walk slowly and slouch.

Rahul: Oh yes! I read that Mahatma Gandhi used to walk very fast!

Rahul (curiously): So, Grandpa, even our way of walking reflects our personality?

Grandpa: Not just walking, Rahul. Even the way we speak shows our personality.
If someone is educated and cultured, you can hear it in their voice — in their tone, their softness, their choice of words.

Rahul: So, if someone uses big or difficult words, that means they are well-educated?

Grandpa (laughing): No, my child! Good speech is not about difficult words. It's about speaking clearly, kindly, and in a way that everyone understands.
We should avoid anger, rushing, or being harsh while speaking.

Rahul (understanding): Oh! It means, our speech reflects our personality too?

Grandpa: Exactly. There’s a saying —
"A fool wearing nice clothes may look smart until he opens his mouth."
Once he speaks, everyone knows the truth! That’s why we must think before we speak.

Rahul: And Grandpa, you said Lord Krishna even mentioned how to sit and stand — what does that mean?

Grandpa: Very good question! It means we should sit and behave in a respectful and graceful manner.
For example, instead of dragging a chair loudly, lift it gently. And don’t jump and fall onto it!

Grandpa : When big kids do such things, people say — “Oh, such an ill-mannered child!” Isn’t that, right?
(Grandpa gives Rahul a playful look.)

Rahul (laughing): Okay Grandpa, I’ll be more careful now!

Grandpa: We should also learn to sit calmly on the floor in Sukh asana — cross-legged posture.
Sitting or standing with a bent back shows a lack of confidence. We should sit and stand tall — straight and proud.
These small habits help build a strong personality.

Rahul: So that’s how personality development happens?

Grandpa: Yes, my child. These small things — how we talk, walk, sit, behave — all shines our personality.

 You know, Rahul, the questions Arjuna asks Lord Krishna — they also have a deeper, philosophical meaning.

Rahul (eagerly): What kind of deeper meaning, Grandpa?

Grandpa: When Arjuna asks, “How does he sit?” — it also means: how does a person with steady wisdom spend their free time?
Do they use it wisely — doing something meaningful — or just waste it?

Does he meditate, read something good, learn a skill, or do something helpful?
Just like you — you come to me to listen to the Gita stories — and that’s a wise use of your time!

Rahul (with a bit of pride): So, Grandpa, if I’m using my time wisely by listening to the Gita with you...Does that mean I’ve become a man of steady wisdom?

Grandpa: (smiling) Not yet, my dear. You still have a lot to learn.
But yes, you are walking on the right path — slowly moving toward becoming one!

Rahul: And what about “How does he walk?” — what’s the deeper meaning of that?

Grandpa: Good question. That refers to how we behave in life.
How do we respond when something goes wrong? How do we react when someone is unfair or unkind?

Our personality is not just in how we look — it's reflected in our patience and wisdom.
The way we deal with problems — calmly and wisely — shows our true strength of character.

Rahul: Grandpa, if we learn to stay calm and make wise decisions, we can also become steadfast and wise, like that person?

Grandpa: Exactly, Rahul. And in the next verse, Lord Krishna describes what such a person is really like. Let me tell you in a small poem:

Even when sorrow comes his way,
His calm and peace don’t go astray.
And when great joy comes to his door,
He stays humble, asks for no more.

No anger, greed, or blind desire,
No storm can shake his inner fire.
He fears no good, nor dreads the bad —
His heart is still, his soul is glad.

Rahul (thinking deeply): Wow, Grandpa… that sounds really hard. Being like that must be very difficult.

Grandpa (smiling): Yes, my child, it’s not easy — but it’s not impossible either.
Lord Krishna says — It’s a kind of spiritual practice. With the right thinking and good actions, we move closer to it.

Rahul (with eyes full of light):
Grandpa, from now on, I’ll also be careful in how I speak, how I sit, how I walk, and how I think.
And I’ll try to act with patience, understanding, and a calm mind.
Maybe one day… I too, will become a Stitha-Pragya steady wisdom — like Lord Krishna describes.

Grandpa: Yes, Rahul. As we keep listening to and reading the Gita, our mind becomes calm, our thoughts become clear, and our heart becomes wiser.
That’s how we Shine— not just our personality, but also our inner self.

(Grandpa starts yawning)

Rahul: Grandpa… I think you're feeling sleepy now!

Grandpa: Yes, my dear. So, let’s say good night. Time to quiet the mind — and rest.

(Rahul smiles and quietly goes to his room to sleep.)