“स्थितप्रज्ञः” — One who remains calm amidst chaos.
(Bhagavad Gita 2.56)
Debugging is not just about fixing bugs in code.
It’s about debugging your thoughts, your fears, and sometimes — your ego.
In today’s fast-paced developer world, the expectation is to solve quickly, deliver faster, and move on.
But what if that very urgency is making us worse at solving problems?
This is where the timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita surprisingly fits right into our modern dev workflows.
🐞 The Bug Isn’t Always in the Code
We’ve all faced it:
- Logs that seem to scream at you.
- Stack traces that go in circles.
- Pressure from your team or manager to “fix it now.”
- Your mind racing with worst-case scenarios.
In those moments, I used to get anxious, defensive, and mentally scattered.
But over time, I started seeing debugging through a different lens — thanks to a single verse from the Gita:
"One who is not disturbed by sorrow or elated by pleasure, who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady wisdom."
— Bhagavad Gita 2.56
This verse describes the स्थितप्रज्ञ (sthitaprajna) — the calm, steady-minded person who is emotionally unmoved, observant, and clear-headed even in crisis.
Sound familiar?
It’s also the ideal debugger.
🔧 Debugging Isn’t Always Technical
Many times, when we struggle with a bug, it’s not due to lack of skill.
It’s due to lack of mental clarity.
Here’s what the Gita helped me realize:
❌ What I used to do:
- React instantly to issues
- Get irritated when logs didn’t make sense
- Blame the framework, the team, or past code
- Rush to Stack Overflow before thinking
✅ What I started doing:
- Pause and breathe before diving in
- Observe the problem with neutrality
- Write out what I do know clearly
- Debug with calm curiosity, not panic
💭 The Gita’s Mindset Applied to Debugging
The Gita encourages detachment from results and complete focus on present action.
“You have the right to perform your actions, but not to the fruits of the actions.”
(Bhagavad Gita 2.47)
This applies beautifully to debugging:
- Focus on understanding the bug, not rushing to fix it.
- Let go of fear of “looking bad.”
- Don’t let ego come in when you realize it was your own mistake.
In that moment, you’re not trying to impress anyone.
You’re just trying to understand and improve — and that’s enough.
🧘♂️ Calm Mind, Better Code
Here’s a pattern I noticed over and over again:
When I debugged with frustration → I missed details.
When I debugged with calmness → I saw patterns.
The moment I let go of attachment to the outcome, I became more creative, more focused, and more patient — which are ironically the exact traits you need to solve complex problems.
🪷 Practical Takeaways for Devs
Before you debug, pause.
Don’t just dive in. Take 30 seconds to clear your head.Detach from pressure.
Whether the bug takes 5 minutes or 5 hours — your worth isn’t tied to that.Be curious, not reactive.
Ask: “Why is this happening?” instead of “What’s wrong with this stupid thing?”Don’t take bugs personally.
They aren’t a reflection of your intelligence. They’re part of the process.Read the Gita like a developer.
You’ll start seeing lines of mental code being refactored within yourself.
🧠 Final Thought
“No bug is permanent. No log is louder than a quiet mind.”
The next time your app crashes, the build fails, or a teammate asks,
"Why is this happening again?" — take a breath.
Channel your inner स्थितप्रज्ञ.
And debug not just the code, but the chaos within.
🕉️💻 If this resonated with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Have you ever found mental clarity influencing your technical clarity?
Let’s connect — on code, clarity, and consciousness.
