Chapter 12, Verse 18 (Bhagavad Gita 12.18)
Chapter 12: Bhakti Yog – The Yoga of Devotion
Sanskrit Shloka
समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयोः।शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु समः सङ्गविवर्जितः
Transliteration
samaḥ śhatrau cha mitre cha tathā mānāpamānayoḥ śhītoṣhṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣhu samaḥ saṅga-vivarjitaḥ
Word Meanings
samaḥ—alike; śhatrau—to a foe; cha—and; mitre—to a friend; cha tathā—as well as; māna-apamānayoḥ—in honor and dishonor; śhīta-uṣhṇa—in cold and heat; sukha-duḥkheṣhu—in joy and sorrow; samaḥ—equipoised; saṅga-vivarjitaḥ—free from all unfavorable association;
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.
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound verse, Bhagwan Shri Krishna delineates the marks of a devotee who has reached the pinnacle of spiritual equanimity. By transcending the dualities of worldly existence, the soul becomes anchored in the eternal consciousness of Lord Krishna, no longer swayed by the fluctuating winds of fortune. This state of inner stability is the natural outcome of absolute surrender, where one perceives the Supreme Lord’s presence in all beings. Such a seeker remains untainted by material contact, liberated from the bonds of ego and desire. Ultimately, Shri Krishna invites humanity to rise above the relative reality of opposites to dwell in the bliss of His eternal presence.