Chapter 2, Verse 15 (Bhagavad Gita 2.15)
Chapter 2: Sānkhya Yog – Transcendental Knowledge
Sanskrit Shloka
यं हि न व्यथयन्त्येते पुरुषं पुरुषर्षभ। समदुःखसुखं धीरं सोऽमृतत्वाय कल्पते
Transliteration
yaṁ hi na vyathayantyete puruṣhaṁ puruṣharṣhabha sama-duḥkha-sukhaṁ dhīraṁ so ’mṛitatvāya kalpate
Word Meanings
yam—whom; hi—verily; na—not; vyathayanti—distressed; ete—these; puruṣham—person; puruṣha-ṛiṣhabha—the noblest amongst men, Arjun; sama—equipoised; duḥkha—distress; sukham—happiness; dhīram—steady; saḥ—that person; amṛitatvāya—for liberation; kalpate—becomes eligible
Translation
O noble among men, that steadfast person whom these sense-objects do not agitate, who remains unchanged in pleasure and pain, is alone eligible for immortality.
Meaning & Commentary
This verse shifts the definition of human strength from external conquest to internal equanimity. It teaches that the path to liberation begins when we stop reacting impulsively to the fleeting waves of dualities like joy and sorrow. By practicing detachment, one ceases to be a victim of circumstances, anchoring the consciousness in the eternal Self rather than the flickering ego. Such a transformation allows the soul to transcend the cycle of birth and death, realizing the immortal nature that underlies all fleeting experiences. True immortality is found not in avoiding life’s challenges, but in maintaining a state of unshakable peace amidst them.