Chapter 14 · Verse 24

Yoga through Understanding the Three Modes of Material Nature

समदुःखसुखः स्वस्थः समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः।तुल्यप्रियाप्रियो धीरस्तुल्यनिन्दात्मसंस्तुतिः

sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ sva-sthaḥ sama-loṣhṭāśhma-kāñchanaḥ tulya-priyāpriyo dhīras tulya-nindātma-sanstutiḥ

Word Meanings

sama — alike; duḥkha — distress; sukhaḥ — happiness; sva-sthaḥ — established in the self; sama — equally; loṣhṭa — a clod; aśhma — stone; kāñchanaḥ — gold; tulya — of equal value; priya — pleasant; apriyaḥ — unpleasant; dhīraḥ — steady; tulya — the same; nindā — blame; ātma-sanstutiḥ — praise

Language:

Translation

One who is alike in happiness and sorrow, who is established in the Self, who regards a clod of earth, a stone, and gold as equal, who is the same toward the pleasant and the unpleasant, who is steady, and to whom blame and praise are one and the same—

Commentary

समदुःखसुखः alike in pleasure and pain? स्वस्थः standing in his own Self? समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः regarding a clod of earth? a stone and gold alike? तुल्यप्रियाप्रियः the same to the dear and the undear? धीरः firm? तुल्यनिन्दात्मसंस्तुतिः the same in censure and praise. Commentary Night and day have no meaning to a post fixed in the ground. Even so pleasure and pain have no meaning to a sage who dwells in his own Self. He is above the pairs of opposites. In his eyes cowdung or gold? a jewel or a stone? are of eal value. He is free from the idea of,giving and taking. His mind is not perturbed by anything pleasant or unpleasant. He is the same towards agreeable and disagreeable things. Praise and censure cannot affect him. He stands adamant. He abides in his own essential state as ExistenceKnowledgeBliss Absolute. He is ever calm and serene. (Cf.V.18)