Defining Characteristic Of A God Realized Soul

In Chapter 2 of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna asks Bhagwan Shri Krishna what is the mark of a God-realised soul, who is stable of mind and established in mental tranquility? The lord replied:

परजहाति यदा कामान सर्वान पार्थ मनॊगतान
आत्मन्य एवात्मना तुष्टः सथितप्रज्ञस तदॊच्यते

prajahāti yadā kāmān sarvān pārtha manogatān
ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ sthitaprajñas tadocyate (Chap 2, Verse 55)

“Arjuna, when one thoroughly dismisses all cravings of the mind, and is satisfied in the self through (the joy of) the self, then he is called stable of mind.”

Here, Shri Krishna emphasises that God realisation only comes through the removal of all desires from the mind. Desires manifest from subtle mental likes and dislikes to full blown cravings which lead to bondage. Such desires for wealth, family, social standing and other objects of enjoyment only serve to cloud the nature of the Self. Only with the complete removal of these desires can the individual perceive the infinite consciousness within, and rest in his own nature. Thus, the Lord implies that only by the practice of contentment, we can strive toward self realisation.