Bhagavad Gita Teaches Samata

Equanimity in the Bhagavad Gita

Satinder Dhiman, Ed. D. 5/30/2011 12:33 AM Page 1

Bhagavad Gita teaches Samatva, the path of Equanimity

The key message of all the Yogas (Bhakti, Karma, Dhayaan, and Gyaan) taught in the BG is to

be established in samata, i.e., equanimity. The greatest hint about this master key is provided in

¼ of a shaloka: Vasudevah sarvam iti (BG 7.19)—Vasudeva is all there is!

This samata can only be attained by self-purification—anntahakarana shuddhi—the purification

of mann, buddhi, chit, and ahankaara. The best means to attain this is to realize that all

happenings occur due to various permutations and combinations of the three modes, i.e.,

gunas—satt, raajas, and taamas. These gunas are born of Prakriti (Nature) which operates

under the direction of Purusha (Paramatama) because Vasudevah sarvam iti. This enables us to

carry out our prarabdha-vash actions in a detached manner without the tag of doership.

Arjuna is therefore advised to go beyond these three modes of Nature:

trai-gunya-vishayä vedä nistrai-guëyo bhavärjuna

nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho niryoga-kshema ätmavän (BG. 2.45)

(The Vedas (karam-kaanda portions) deal with the triad of gunas. Be, O Arjuna, free from the

triad of the gunas, free from the pairs of duality, free from acquisition and preservation, ever

remaining established in the quality of sattva, and centered in the Self.)

The best guidance for this stance is provided in the BG verses 3.27, 3.28, 5.8-9, 5.1, 7.14, 13.21,

13.29, 15.19, 18.49, 18.50. Imbibing the true essence of these verses enables us to carry out our

actions without any attachment or aversion—raag-dvesh—to the actions themselves, to their

actor, and to their results.

This is the first step towards samata.

To be established in this samata is called real yoga: Samatvam yogah ucyate. The complete verse

is as follows:

yoga-sthaù kuru karmäni sangaà tyaktvä dhananjaya

siddhy-asiddhyoh samo bhütvä samatvam yoga ucyate (BG 2.48)

[By being steadfast in Yoga, O Dhananjya (Arjuna), perform all your actions, casting off

attachment, remaining equanimous in success and failure. Equanimity is called Yoga].

Sri Shankracharya‟s comment on this verse: „What is that yoga established in which one should

perform actions? This only: remaining equanimous in success and failure. This (evenness of

mind) is what is called yoga.‟

Then finally the most important verse in the entire Gita (2.16) tells us this: na ‘stoh vidhatey

bhavo, na ‘bhavo vidhatey sattah: The unreal never is and the Real never ceases to be. Combine



this verse with Vasudevah sarvam iti, and you will have the greatest recipe for samata. When

this occurs one sees oneness everywhere, in everyone, and in everything—Vasudevah sarvam iti.

The opening verse of Isa Upanishad also says the same thing: ‘Isa vasyam idam sarvam…tena

tyaktena bhunjjhitha—All that there is, is pervaded by the Lord…Renouncing (the false sense of

ownership/doership) thus, verily rejoice.‟ This is the greatest blessing, the end of all sorrows.

After all, „To him who sees unity, what delusion is there, what grief?‟ (Isa Upanisad, 7): tatra ko

mohah kah shokah ekatvam anupashatah. If one‟s mano vritti—deep understanding— is that

Vasudevah is all there is and that the Real never ceases to be, what is there then to worry about.

This is the final step towards samata.

This can only happen when, with God‟s grace, one gets established in Parabrahmm

Paramatama—Vasudevah sarvam—since Brahman alone is the ever-Immutable, ever-

homogenous, and ever-Equanimous basis (sarva-adhishthaan) of all (BG 5. 19).

The culminating verse on equanimity in the entire BG is perhaps this one:

na prahåñyet priyaà präpya nodvijet präpya cäpriyam

sthira-buddhir asammüdho brahma-vid brahmani sthita. (BG 5.20)

[Resting in Brahman, with mind steady and without delusion, the knower of Brahman neither

rejoices in receiving what is pleasant nor grieves on receiving what is unpleasant.]

This is the real meaning of the verse „yogah karmasu kaushlam’ (BG 2.50). The common

translation of this important verse is: “Yoga is skillfulness in action.” If we take this to be the

true import of this verse, we then run into a great difficulty in explaining such instances: The

actions of a thief who is skillful in the art of theft or a sniper who is skillful in the art of killing,

will their actions qualify to be called yoga? Obviously, the Radiant One meant something more

profound. Swami Ramsukh Das says that this verse—yogah karmasu kaushalam—does not

present the definition of yoga; instead, it denotes the importance of yoga. He adds that we

should rather translate this verse as follows: Equinimity (Samata) in actions is verily the

skillfulness (yoga) in actions. This interpretation is in keeping with the context where this verse

occurs in the BG, i.e., in that section of chapter 2 (verses 38-53). Also, this fully reconciles with

Sri Sankara‟s commentary on this verse. Says Sankara: “Skillfulness means the wisdom of

equanimity with regards to one‟s success and failure while engaged in actions—called one‟s own

duties (sva-dharma)—with the mind dedicated to God.” (Gambhirananda,1984, p. 96). And this

is exactly how Sri Sankara has interpreted verse 2.48 that defines yoga in terms of samatav.

In sum, the skillfulness in actions lies in the wisdom of equanimity, dedicating them all to

Vasudevah, which is all there is. The whole art and science of Karma Yoga lies in just this

understanding. And this samatav-sthitti is also the sahaj avasthaa of all saints and sages, the

epitome of all spiritual realization. Sarva Mangal Managalam!



Bibliography Gambhirananda, S. (1984). Bhagavad Gita with the Commentary of Sankaracharya. Calcutta: Advaita

Ashrama.

Gambhirananda, S. (2001). Eight Upanisads with the Commentary of Sankaracarya Vol.1 & 2. Kolkata:

Advaita Ashrama.

Ramsukhdas, S. (2007). Srimad Bhagavad Gita: Sadhak Sanjivini. Gorakhpur, India: Gita Press.

Sastry, A. (1995/1897). The Bhagavad Gita with the commentary of Sri Shankaracharya. Madras, India:

Samta Books.

Swarupananda, S. (1996). Srimad Bhagavad Gita. Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama.

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Bhagavad Gita Teaches Samata