Chapter 4, Verse 22 (Bhagavad Gita 4.22)
Chapter 4: Jñāna Karm Sanyās Yog – Path of Knowledge and the Disciplines of Action
Sanskrit Shloka
यदृच्छालाभसन्तुष्टो द्वन्द्वातीतो विमत्सरः। समः सिद्धावसिद्धौ च कृत्वापि न निबध्यते
Transliteration
yadṛichchhā-lābha-santuṣhṭo dvandvātīto vimatsaraḥ samaḥ siddhāvasiddhau cha kṛitvāpi na nibadhyate
Word Meanings
yadṛichchhā—which comes of its own accord; lābha—gain; santuṣhṭaḥ—contented; dvandva—duality; atītaḥ—surpassed; vimatsaraḥ—free from envy; samaḥ—equipoised; siddhau—in success; asiddhau—failure; cha—and; kṛitvā—performing; api—even; na—never; nibadhyate—is bound
Translation
Content with whatever comes of its own accord, free from duality and envy, steady in both success and failure, such a person acts yet remains unbound by their actions.
Meaning & Commentary
This verse reveals the secret of 'Nishkama Karma,' or action without attachment to results. It teaches that true spiritual freedom is not found by retreating from the world, but by changing one's internal posture toward it. When we relinquish the frantic need to control outcomes and transcend the ego’s tendency to compare ourselves with others, we stop creating karmic debt. By embracing the flow of life with equanimity, we become like a lotus leaf in water—physically present in the realm of action, yet untouched by its stains. Ultimately, it invites us to anchor our identity in the soul rather than in the ephemeral successes or failures of the ego.