Chapter 12 · Verse 18 · Bhakti Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 12.18
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
In plain words
You are exhausted from the effort of holding on to what you love and pushing away what hurts—and both are breaking you. Krishna says: the peace you're looking for isn't in winning your battle or keeping your person or escaping your pain. It lives in the part of you that can remain whole no matter what comes, and that wholeness is already there, waiting beneath all your fear.
Word by Word
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
Your Mantra Prescription
This mantra is prescribed for clarity and purpose. Is that what you're going through?
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