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Chapter 12 · Verse 18 · Bhakti Yoga

Bhagavad Gita 12.18

serene Bhakti & Devotion Attachment & Letting Go Mind & Meditation

Sanskrit

समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयोः।शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु समः सङ्गविवर्जितः।।12.18।।

Transliteration

samaḥ śhatrau cha mitre cha tathā mānāpamānayoḥ śhītoṣhṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣhu samaḥ saṅga-vivarjitaḥ

Word by Word

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
Simplified Perspective

Krishna reveals the ultimate mark of the beloved devotee: a heart that remains unmoved by the world's endless pairs of opposites. When you stop clinging to friends or fleeing from enemies, when honor and shame wash over you like wind across water, you touch the ground of your own unchanging Self.

This equanimity is not coldness—it is love so complete that it cannot be shaken by circumstance. In your daily life, practice noticing where you cling to comfort or push away difficulty, and gently return to the witness within that remains whole regardless.

Listen

Bhagavad Gita 12.18 — BG 12.18

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Sanskrit text from the Bhagavad Gita (public domain). Commentary © Mahakatha.

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