Tam uvaca hrishikeshah prahasann iva bharata senayoh ubhayor madhye vishidantam idam vacah
Sanjaya tells how Krishna, smiling as if in amusement, spoke these words to the grieving Arjuna between the two armies. Krishna's gentle smile reflects His divine equanimity and compassionate awareness that Arjuna's grief, though sincere, arises from ignorance. His response will be the great scripture.
- •The divine teacher responds to suffering with compassionate wisdom
- •Equanimity in the face of others' grief is a mark of the enlightened
- •The Gita's teaching begins with divine compassion
Matra-sparshas tu kaunteya shitoshna-sukha-duhkha-dah, agamapayino 'nityas tams titikshasva bharata
O son of Kunti, the contact between the senses and sense objects gives rise to fleeting perceptions of happiness and distress. These are impermanent, and come and go like the winter and summer seasons. O descendant of Bharata, one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.
- •Sensory experiences are temporary
- •Develop tolerance for discomfort
- •Don't be swayed by passing phenomena
Yam hi na vyathayanty ete purusham purusharshabha, sama-duhkha-sukham dhiram so 'mritatvaya kalpate
O best among men, the person who is not disturbed by happiness and distress and is steady in both is certainly eligible for liberation.
- •Equanimity is the path to immortality
- •Balance in pleasure and pain
- •Mental steadiness leads to liberation
Atha chainam nitya-jatam nityam va manyase mritam tathapi tvam maha-baho nainam shocitum arhasi
Even if you believe the soul is constantly being born and constantly dying, O mighty-armed, you should still not grieve. Even from the conventional standpoint of those who do not accept the Vedic view of the soul's immortality, grief is still irrational. Death is inevitable and beyond our control.
- •Even without belief in the soul's immortality, grief is irrational
- •Death is a universal and unavoidable reality
- •Acceptance of impermanence leads to equanimity
Jatasya hi dhruvo mrityur dhruvam janma mritasya ca tasmad apariharye 'rthe na tvam shocitum arhasi
For the one who is born, death is certain; and for the one who has died, birth is certain. Therefore, for this unavoidable reality, you should not grieve. The cycle of birth and death is inevitable and universal. Grief over what cannot be avoided is a waste of energy and wisdom.
- •Birth and death are inevitable for all embodied beings
- •Mourning the unavoidable is futile and unwise
- •Acceptance of life's cycles is the path to equanimity
Sukha-duhkhe same kritva labhalabhau jayajayau, tato yuddhaya yujyasva naivam papam avapsyasi
Fight for the sake of duty, treating alike happiness and distress, loss and gain, victory and defeat. Fulfilling your responsibility in this way, you will never incur sin.
- •Treat opposites with equanimity
- •Duty transcends personal preference
- •Balanced action prevents karma
Traigunya-vishaya veda nistrai-gunyo bhavarjuna nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho niryoga-kshema atmavan
The Vedas mainly deal with the subject of the three modes of material nature. Rise above these three modes, O Arjuna. Be transcendental to them. Be free from all dualities, and from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the self. The call is to transcend the gunas (modes of nature) and rest in pure awareness beyond all relative distinctions.
- •True spiritual practice transcends all modes of material nature
- •Freedom from duality and anxiety marks the established sage
- •The self-abiding state is beyond all worldly gains and fears
Yoga-sthah kuru karmani sangam tyaktva dhananjaya, siddhy-asiddhyoh samo bhutva samatvam yoga ucyate
Perform your duty equipoised, O Arjuna, abandoning all attachment to success or failure. Such equanimity is called yoga.
- •Equanimity in success and failure
- •Balance is the essence of yoga
- •Detachment brings peace
Shruti-vipratipanna te yada sthasyati nishchala samadhav acala buddhis tada yogam avapsyasi
When your mind is no longer disturbed by the flowery language of the Vedas, and when it remains fixed in the trance of self-realization, then you will have attained the divine consciousness. True yoga is attained when the intellect becomes unwavering and fixed in samadhi, undistracted by scriptural promises or worldly allurements.
- •Samadhi is the state of unmoved, self-established intelligence
- •Yoga is fully attained when the mind rests unshakably in the self
- •Scriptural knowledge must give way to direct self-realization
Arjuna uvaca: sthita-prajnasya ka bhasha samadhi-sthasya keshava sthita-dhih kim prabhasheta kim asita vrajeta kim
Arjuna asks: What are the signs of one whose wisdom is steady? How does a person of steady consciousness speak, sit, and walk? This question opens the famous Sthitaprajna section of the Gita, where Krishna describes in detail the qualities of the fully enlightened and liberated being.
- •Genuine spiritual inquiry distinguishes the sincere seeker
- •The signs of wisdom are observable in thought, speech, and action
- •Understanding the marks of the liberated person guides the aspirant
Sri bhagavan uvaca: prajahati yada kaman sarvan partha mano-gatan atmany evatmana tushtah sthita-prajnas tadocyate
Krishna replies: One is said to be one of steady wisdom when he gives up all desires of the mind, finding contentment in the pure self alone. The sthitaprajna is one who has completely abandoned all desires born of the mind and finds perfect contentment within the self. This inner self-sufficiency is the mark of the enlightened.
- •Steady wisdom comes from abandoning all desires of the mind
- •The liberated person is content in the self alone
- •Self-sufficiency without external dependence is the sign of the wise
Duhkhesv anudvigna-manah sukhesu vigata-sprhah, vita-raga-bhaya-krodhah sthita-dhir munir ucyate
One who is not disturbed in spite of miseries, who doesn't crave happiness, and who is free from attachment, fear, and anger, is called a sage of steady mind.
- •Equanimity in pleasure and pain
- •Freedom from reactive emotions
- •Mental stability through detachment
Yah sarvatranabhisnehas tat tat prapya shubhashubham nabhinandati na dveshti tasya prajna pratishthita
One who is not disturbed in mind even amidst the threefold miseries or elated when there is happiness, and who is free from attachment, fear, and anger, is called a sage of steady mind. The truly wise person maintains perfect equanimity in all conditions — neither clinging to the pleasant nor recoiling from the unpleasant.
- •Equanimity in pleasure and pain marks steady wisdom
- •Freedom from attachment to the pleasant and aversion to the unpleasant is liberation
- •The wise maintain inner stability regardless of external circumstances
Raga-dvesha-vimuktais tu vishayan indriyaish caran atma-vashyair vidheyatma prasadam adhigacchati
But a person free from all attachment and aversion, able to control the senses through regulative principles of freedom, can obtain the full mercy of the Lord. One who engages with sense objects with controlled senses, free from attraction and repulsion, attains prasada — divine grace and serenity of mind.
- •Freedom from attachment and aversion purifies the interaction with the world
- •Regulated engagement with the senses leads to inner serenity
- •Divine grace follows from disciplined, equanimous living
Prasade sarva-duhkhanam hanir asyopajayate prasanna-cetaso hy ashu buddhih paryavatishthate
For one thus satisfied in divine grace, the threefold miseries of material existence exist no longer; and in such pleasant consciousness, one's intelligence is soon well established. The serene mind rapidly establishes itself in wisdom. Inner peace (prasada) is not merely pleasant — it is the very ground from which steady wisdom grows.
- •Inner serenity destroys all forms of suffering
- •Peace of mind rapidly develops into steady wisdom
- •The path to liberation runs through inner tranquility
Yadriccha-labha-santushtho dvandvatito vimatsarah, samah siddhav asiddhau ca kritvapi na nibadhyate
Content with whatever comes of its own accord, free from duality, without envy, equal in success and failure — even while acting, such a person is not bound.
- •Equanimity toward all outcomes is the hallmark of the liberated
- •Contentment with what arrives naturally is the highest abundance
- •Freedom from the pairs of opposites dissolves karmic bondage
Jneyah sa nitya-sannyasi yo na dveshti na kankshaති, nirdvandvo hi maha-baho sukham bandhat pramucyate
That person is a true renunciant who neither hates nor desires. Free from all dualities, such a person is easily liberated from bondage.
- •True renunciation is mental, not physical
- •Freedom from attraction and aversion
- •Liberation through equanimity
Ihaiva tair jitah sargo yesham samye sthitam manah, nirdosham hi samam brahma tasmad brahmani te sthitah
Even here in this world, those whose minds rest in equanimity have conquered birth; since Brahman is flawless and equal, they are established in Brahman. Equanimity of mind is not merely a virtue — it is the direct perception of Brahman's nature.
- •Equanimity is the hallmark of Brahman-realization
- •The liberated person conquers the cycle of birth even while living
- •Brahman is flawless and equal — seeing this is liberation
Na prahrisyet priyam prapya nodvijet prapya capriyam, sthira-buddhir asammudho brahma-vid brahmani sthitah
One who is not elated upon receiving the pleasant and not disturbed upon receiving the unpleasant, with steady intellect and undeluded — such a knower of Brahman is established in Brahman. Emotional equanimity in both pleasure and pain is the sign of the Brahman-knower.
- •The Brahman-knower is not swayed by pleasant or unpleasant events
- •Steady intellect and freedom from delusion mark the realized person
- •Establishment in Brahman transcends all emotional fluctuation
Jitatmanah prasantasya paramatma samahitah, shitoshna-sukha-duhkheshu tatha manapamanayoh
One who has conquered the mind has already reached the Supreme Self, for they have attained tranquility. To such a person, happiness and distress, heat and cold, honor and dishonor are all the same.
- •Mental conquest leads to supreme peace
- •Equanimity in all conditions
- •Transcending dualities
Jnana-vijnana-tripta-atma kutastho vijitendriyah, yukta ity ucyate yogi sama-loshta-ashma-kancanah
The yogi who is satisfied with knowledge and realization, who is steady and has conquered the senses, and who regards a clod of earth, a stone, and gold as equal — such a person is said to be in yoga. True contentment comes from Self-knowledge, making external objects utterly equal in worth.
- •Satisfaction from knowledge and direct realization is the highest contentment
- •The realized yogi sees equal value in mud, stone, and gold
- •Sense mastery and inner steadiness define the accomplished yogi
Ahimsa samata tushtis tapo danam yasho 'yashaha, bhavanti bhava bhutanam matta eva prithag-vidhah
Non-violence, equanimity, contentment, austerity, charity, fame, and infamy — all the various states of beings arise from Me alone. The catalogue of divine vibhutis continues, encompassing both celebrated and inglorious conditions, all arising from the one infinite source.
- •Non-violence and equanimity are divine qualities to be cultivated
- •Even fame and infamy are expressions of the Supreme's all-encompassing energy
- •Contentment and austerity are manifestations of divine grace in life
Adveshta sarva-bhutanam maitrah karuna eva cha, nirmamo nirahankarah sama-duhkha-sukhah kshami
One who is not envious but a kind friend to all living entities, free from proprietorship and false ego, equal in happiness and distress, forgiving.
- •Cultivate universal friendliness
- •Let go of ego and possessiveness
- •Maintain equanimity in all situations
Yasmān nodvijate loko lokān nodvijate cha yaḥ, harṣhāmarṣha-bhayodvegair mukto yaḥ sa cha me priyaḥ
One by whom the world is not disturbed, and who is not disturbed by the world, who is free from joy, envy, fear, and anxiety — such a one is dear to Me.
- •The devotee does not agitate others
- •Equanimity in all emotional states is a mark of the dear devotee
- •Freedom from agitation inward and outward pleases God
Samaḥ śhatrou cha mitre cha tathā mānāpamānayoḥ, śhītoṣhṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣhu samaḥ saṅga-vivarjitaḥ
One who is equal toward friend and foe, the same in honor and dishonor, cold and heat, pleasure and pain, free from attachment—
- •Treating friends and enemies equally is divine
- •Equanimity in all physical and social conditions
- •Freedom from attachment enables true evenness
Asaktir anabhishvangah putra-dara-grihadishu, nityam cha sama-cittatvam ishta-anishta-upapatishu
Non-attachment, freedom from over-identification with children, wife, home, and the rest; constant equanimity in both pleasant and unpleasant events — these are qualities of one abiding in knowledge. Detachment is not indifference but a liberated engagement with life.
- •True knowledge produces detachment from outcomes
- •Equanimity in all circumstances is a mark of wisdom
- •Over-identification with relationships causes suffering
Shri bhagavan uvaca: Prakasham cha pravrittim cha moham eva cha pandava, na dveshti sampravrittani na nivrittani kankhati
The Supreme Lord says: O Arjuna, one who does not hate illumination, attachment, and delusion when present, nor longs for them when absent — such a person has transcended the gunas. The transcended soul is neither attracted nor repelled by the manifestations of any guna.
- •Transcendence means equanimity toward all guna manifestations
- •Neither craving sattva nor hating tamas characterizes the liberated
- •Freedom from attraction and aversion to all gunas is the mark
Sama-duhkha-sukhah sva-sthah sama-lostashma-kanchanah, tulya-priyapriyo dhiras tulya-nindatma-samstutih
One who is equal in happiness and distress, who is steady, to whom a clod of dirt, a stone, and gold are equal, to whom the pleasant and unpleasant are the same, who is steady, who regards both blame and praise equally — such a person has transcended the gunas.
- •Equanimity in pleasure and pain marks transcendence
- •Equal regard for gold and dirt indicates freedom from rajas
- •Equal response to praise and blame shows freedom from ego
Manapamanayos tulyas tulyo mitrari-pakshayoh, sarvarambha-parityagi gunatatita uchyate
One who treats honor and dishonor equally, who is equal toward friend and enemy, and who has renounced all material activities — such a person is said to have transcended the three gunas. Complete equanimity across all social and material distinctions defines the guna-transcendent state.
- •Equal treatment of honor and dishonor marks transcendence
- •Seeing friend and enemy alike is a sign of liberation
- •Renunciation of all material undertakings completes the picture
na dvesty akusalam karma kusale nanusajjate tyagi sattva-samavisto medhavi chinna-samsayah
The sattvic renunciant, filled with goodness and free from doubt, neither hates disagreeable action nor clings to agreeable action. Such a wise person has cut through all doubts and acts with equanimity in all situations.
- •True tyaga brings equanimity — neither aversion nor attachment to any action
- •The wise renunciant is free from doubt and not swayed by likes or dislikes
- •Sattva-filled intelligence enables unbiased, undisturbed engagement with duty
mukta-sango 'naham-vadi dhrityutsaha-samanvitah siddhy-asiddhyor nirvikarah karta sattvika ucyate
The doer who is free from attachment, free from the language of ego, filled with steadiness and enthusiasm, and unaffected by success or failure is called a sattvic doer. This is the portrait of the ideal karma yogi.
- •The sattvic doer is free from personal attachment and ego-speech
- •Steadiness combined with enthusiasm is the hallmark of sattvic engagement
- •Equanimity in success and failure characterizes the sattvic agent