Bhagavad Gita 12.18समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयोः।शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु समः सङ्गविवर्जितः ॥
samaḥ śhatrau cha mitre cha tathā mānāpamānayoḥ
śhītoṣhṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣhu samaḥ saṅga-vivarjitaḥ
Sanskrit recitation
The devotee’s everyday virtues · 12.13–12.20 · Teaching
Translation
He who is the same to foe and friend, and also in honor and dishonor, who is the same in cold and heat, in pleasure and pain, and who is free from attachment.
Hindi translation
जो शत्रु और मित्रमें तथा मान-अपमानमें सम है और शीत-उष्ण (अनुकूलता-प्रतिकूलता) तथा सुख-दुःखमें सम है एवं आसक्तिसे रहित है, और जो निन्दास्तुतिको समान समझनेवाला, मननशील, जिस-किसी प्रकारसे भी (शरीरका निर्वाह होनेमें) संतुष्ट, रहनेके स्थान तथा शरीरमें ममता-आसक्तिसे रहित और स्थिर बुद्धिवाला है, वह भक्तिमान् मनुष्य मुझे प्रिय है।
Meaning
The ordinary man of the world is ruled by the pairs of opposites, honour and dishonour, cold and heat and pleasure and pain but a Yogi or a sage or a devotee (Bhagavata) has a balanced mind. He has poise or equanimity. He is not at all swayed by the blind forces of attraction and repulsion.He who does wrong to others is a foe. He who does good to others is a friend.The devotee or the sage has no attachment for objects of any kind.
Traditional commentary
The devotee’s everyday virtues· 12.13–12.20→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 12.13He who hates no creature, is friendly and compassionate to all, is free from attachment…
- 12.14Ever content, steady in meditation, self-controlled, possessing firm conviction, with the…
- 12.15He whom the world does not agitate, and who cannot be agitated by the world, and who is…
- 12.16He who is free from wants, pure, expert, unconcerned, and free from pain, renouncing all…
- 12.17He who neither rejoices nor hates, nor grieves nor desires, renouncing both good and evil,…
12.18He who is the same to foe and friend, and also in honor and dishonor, who is the same in…
- 12.19He to whom censure and praise are equal, who is silent, content with anything, homeless,…
- 12.20They who follow this immortal Dharma, endowed with faith and regarding Me as their supreme…
Word-by-word→
- cha
- and
- mitre
- to a friend
- samaḥ
- equipoised
- śhatrau
- to a foe
- cha tathā
- as well as
- śhīta-uṣhṇa
- in cold and heat
- māna-apamānayoḥ
- in honor and dishonor
- sukha-duḥkheṣhu
- in joy and sorrow
- saṅga-vivarjitaḥ
- free from all unfavorable association
Related verses
- 10.5Non-injury, equanimity, contentment, austerity, beneficence, fame, and ill-fame—these…
- 6.33Arjuna said, "O Krishna, I do not see how this Yoga of equanimity, which you have taught…
- 14.2Those who, having taken refuge in this knowledge, have attained unity with Me, are neither…
- 12.4Having restrained all the senses, being even-minded everywhere, and intent on the welfare…