Bhagavad Gita

Gita Verses on Equanimity (Balance in Success and Failure)

समभाव — सुख-दुःख में समता

Samatvam — equanimity — is the Gita's definition of yoga itself. Remaining equal in pleasure and pain, success and failure, is the mark of a truly wise person.

  1. योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय ।

    yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi saṅgaṁ tyaktvā dhanañjaya siddhy-asiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā samatvaṁ yoga ucyate

    Perform your duty established in yoga, O Dhananjaya, abandoning attachment and remaining even-minded in success and failure. Such equanimity of mind is called yoga.

    हे धनंजय! आसक्ति त्यागकर तथा सफलता और असफलता में समान रहकर योग में स्थित होकर कर्म कर। यह समत्व ही योग कहलाता है।

  2. दुःखेष्वनुद्विग्नमनाः सुखेषु विगतस्पृहः।

    duḥkheṣhv-anudvigna-manāḥ sukheṣhu vigata-spṛihaḥ vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhaḥ sthita-dhīr munir uchyate

    He whose mind is not shaken by adversity, who does not long for pleasures, and is free from attachment, fear, and anger, is called a sage of steady wisdom.

    दुःखोंकी प्राप्ति होनेपर जिसके मनमें उद्वेग नहीं होता और सुखोंकी प्राप्ति होनेपर जिसके मनमें स्पृहा नहीं होती तथा जो राग, भय और क्रोधसे सर्वथा रहित हो गया है, वह मननशील मनुष्य स्थिरबुद्धि कहा जाता है।

  3. न प्रहृष्येत्प्रियं प्राप्य नोद्विजेत्प्राप्य चाप्रियम्।

    na prahṛiṣhyet priyaṁ prāpya nodvijet prāpya chāpriyam sthira-buddhir asammūḍho brahma-vid brahmaṇi sthitaḥ

    Resting in Brahman, with a steady intellect and undeluded, the knower of Brahman neither rejoices upon obtaining what is pleasant nor grieves upon obtaining what is unpleasant.

    जो प्रियको प्राप्त होकर हर्षित न हो और अप्रियको प्राप्त होकर उद्विग्न न हो, वह स्थिर बुद्धिवाला, मूढ़तारहित तथा ब्रह्मको जाननेवाला मनुष्य ब्रह्ममें स्थित है।

  4. समदुःखसुखः स्वस्थः समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः।तुल्यप्रियाप्रियो धीरस्तुल्यनिन्दात्मसंस्तुतिः॥

    sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ sva-sthaḥ sama-loṣhṭāśhma-kāñchanaḥ tulya-priyāpriyo dhīras tulya-nindātma-sanstutiḥ

    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.

    जो धीर मनुष्य सुख-दुःखमें सम तथा अपने स्वरूपमें स्थित रहता है; जो मिट्टीके ढेले, पत्थर और सोनेमें सम रहता है जो प्रिय-अप्रियमें तथा अपनी निन्दा-स्तुतिमें सम रहता है; जो मान-अपमानमें तथा मित्र-शत्रुके पक्षमें सम रहता है जो सम्पूर्ण कर्मोंके आरम्भका त्यागी है, वह मनुष्य गुणातीत कहा जाता है।

✦ Frequently Asked Questions ✦

What does the Bhagavad Gita say about equanimity (balance in success and failure)?

Samatvam — equanimity — is the Gita's definition of yoga itself. Remaining equal in pleasure and pain, success and failure, is the mark of a truly wise person. Key shlokas: 2.48, 2.56, 5.20, 14.24.

Which Bhagavad Gita verses are about equanimity (balance in success and failure)?

The Bhagavad Gita addresses equanimity (balance in success and failure) in shlokas 2.48, 2.56, 5.20, 14.24. Read each with Sanskrit, transliteration, word-by-word meaning and English & Hindi translation on AskGita.