Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 14, Verse 24-25

समदुःखसुखः स्वस्थः समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः।तुल्यप्रियाप्रियो धीरस्तुल्यनिन्दात्मसंस्तुतिः।।14.24।। मानापमानयोस्तुल्यस्तुल्यो मित्रारिपक्षयोः।सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी गुणातीतः स उच्यते।।14.25।।

sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ sva-sthaḥ sama-loṣhṭāśhma-kāñchanaḥ tulya-priyāpriyo dhīras tulya-nindātma-sanstutiḥ mānāpamānayos tulyas tulyo mitrāri-pakṣhayoḥ sarvārambha-parityāgī guṇātītaḥ sa uchyate

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Word Meanings

sama—alike
duḥkha—distress
sukhaḥ—happiness
sva-sthaḥ—established in the self
sama—equally
loṣhṭa—a clod
aśhma—stone
kāñchanaḥ—gold
tulya—of equal value
priya—pleasant
apriyaḥ—unpleasant
dhīraḥ—steady
tulya—the same
nindā—blame
ātma-sanstutiḥ—praise
māna—honor
apamānayoḥ—dishonor
tulyaḥ—equal
tulyaḥ—equal
mitra—friend
ari—foe
pakṣhayoḥ—to the parties
sarva—all
ārambha—enterprises
parityāgī—renouncer
guṇa-atītaḥ—risen above the three modes of material nature
saḥ—they
uchyate—are said to have
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Translation

Who is the same in pleasure and pain, who dwells in the Self, to whom a clod of earth, a stone, and gold are all alike, who is the same to the dear and the unfriendly, who is firm, and to whom censure and praise are one and the same. Who is the same in honor and dishonor, the same to friend and foe, abandoning all undertakings, he is said to have transcended the dualities.

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Commentary

14.24 समदुःखसुखः alike in pleasure and pain? स्वस्थः standing in his own Self? समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः regarding a clod of earth? a stone and gold alike? तुल्यप्रियाप्रियः the same to the dear and the undear? धीरः firm? तुल्यनिन्दात्मसंस्तुतिः the same in censure and praise. Commentary Night and day have no meaning to a post fixed in the ground. Even so pleasure and pain have no meaning to a sage who dwells

in his own Self. He is above the pairs of opposites. In his eyes cowdung or gold? a jewel or a stone? are of eal value. He is free from the idea of,giving and taking. His mind is not perturbed by anything pleasant or unpleasant. He is the same towards agreeable and disagreeable things. Praise and censure cannot affect him. He stands adamant. He abides in his own essential state as ExistenceKnowledgeBliss

Absolute. He is ever calm and serene. (Cf.V.18) 14.25 मानापमानयोः in honour and dishonour? तुल्यः the same? तुल्यः the same? मित्रारिपक्षयोः to friend and foe? सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी abandoning all undertakings? गुणातीतः crossed the Gunas? सः he? उच्यते is said.Commentary He keeps a balanced mind in honour and dishonour. He is the same to friend and foe. He is not affected by the dual throng. He has

risen above the Gunas. He rests in his own essential nature as ExistenceKnowledgeBliss Absolute. He abids in his own Self. He is a Gunatita (one who has transcended the alities of Nature) who is not affected by the play of the alities. He keeps an even outlook amidst changes. He maintains a clam eilibrium.He abandons all actions that can bring visible or invisible fruits or results but he does actions

that are necessary for the bare maintenance of his body. The alities described in verses 23? 24 and 25? such as indifference? etc.? are the means for attaining liberation. They represent the ideal that you should have before you. The aspirant should cultivate them. But one attains knowledge of the Self when he abides in his own true nature. These attributes form part and parcel of his nature and serve

as marks to indicate that he has crossed beyond the three alities.The Lord gives in the following verse the answer to the third estion of Arjuna How does one go beyond the three alities

24-25 of 27 verses