Gita 12.18 & 19
सम: शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयो: |
शीतोष्णसुखदु:खेषु सम: सङ्गविवर्जित: || 18||
तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येन केनचित् |
अनिकेत: स्थिरमतिर्भक्तिमान्मे प्रियो नर: || 19||
samaḥ śhatrau cha mitre cha tathā mānāpamānayoḥ
śhītoṣhṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣhu samaḥ saṅga-vivarjitaḥ
tulya-nindā-stutir maunī santuṣhṭo yena kenachit
aniketaḥ sthira-matir bhaktimān me priyo naraḥ
1. Alike to Friend and Foe
True devotees remain impartial and unaffected by relationships of friendship or enmity.
Example:
Prahlad, the great devotee, was asked to judge a dispute between his son Virochan and Sudhanva, the son of his Guru. Even when the stakes were life and death, Prahlad upheld dharma by declaring Sudhanva superior, despite the consequences for his own son. This demonstrated his complete detachment and even-mindedness toward friend and foe alike. His commitment to justice and devotion to God made him rise above personal attachments.
2. Equipoised in Honor and Dishonour
Devotees are not swayed by others' praise or criticism. Their hearts are absorbed in divine love, which overshadows worldly concerns about reputation.
Illustration:
Just as a person engrossed in a deep relationship may stop caring about societal views, devotees lose interest in honour or dishonour because their connection with God is so deep that worldly opinions become meaningless.
Just as a person engrossed in a deep relationship may stop caring about societal views, devotees lose interest in honour or dishonour because their connection with God is so deep that worldly opinions become meaningless.
3. Alike in Cold and Heat, Joy and Sorrow
Devotees remain balanced in all conditions—pleasure or pain, success or failure, comfort or discomfort—recognizing these as fleeting.
Example:
Ramakrishna Paramahansa, despite suffering from throat cancer, refused to pray for healing. His love for Mother Kali was so deep that even his physical suffering didn’t distract him from divine contemplation. He accepted his condition as God's will.
Ramakrishna Paramahansa, despite suffering from throat cancer, refused to pray for healing. His love for Mother Kali was so deep that even his physical suffering didn’t distract him from divine contemplation. He accepted his condition as God's will.
4. Free from Unfavourable Association (Kusaṅg)
Devotees avoid people or influences that pull the mind toward materialism.
Explanation:
Association is of two types:
Association is of two types:
- Kusaṅg – company that attaches the mind to the world.
- Satsaṅg – company that detaches the mind from the world and attaches it to God.
Devotees naturally prefer satsaṅg and avoid kusaṅg, as their minds find no joy in worldly distractions.
5. Take Praise and Reproach Alike
Devotees are internally motivated and governed by their values, not by the opinions of others.
They remain steady and unmoved whether others admire or criticize them, because their focus is on pleasing God, not people.
They remain steady and unmoved whether others admire or criticize them, because their focus is on pleasing God, not people.
6. Given to Silent Contemplation
Devotees do not enjoy idle worldly talk. Instead, they silently reflect on divine matters such as God’s names, forms, and pastimes.
Analogy:
Like swans that seek serene lakes instead of garbage piles that attract crows, saintly minds gravitate toward spiritual conversations, finding worldly topics unappealing.
7. Content with Whatever Comes Their Way
Devotees have minimal desires and are satisfied with basic necessities.
Example:
Saint Kabir's couplet beautifully expresses this detachment:
mālik itanā dījiye, jāme kuṭumba samāya
maiṅ bhī bhūkhā na rahūñ, sādhu na bhūkhā jāya
“O Lord, give me just enough for the bare maintenance of my family’s bodily needs, and for giving alms to the sadhu who comes to my door.”
Devotees do not seek excess, but only what is needed to live and serve.
8. Without Attachment to the Place of Residence
Devotees recognize that no place in this world is permanent.
Quotes for Reflection:
Akbar’s inscription:
“The world is a bridge; cross over it but build no house on it.”
Kripaluji Maharaj:
jaga meñ raho aise govinda radhey, dharmaśhālā meñ yātrī raheñ jyoñ batā de
(Rādhā Govind Geet)
“Live in this world as a traveller lives in a wayside inn (aware that it is to be vacated the next morning).” Realizing the truth of this statement, devotees look at their home as only a temporary dwelling place.
9. Intellect Firmly Fixed in God
Devotees have unshakable faith in God’s supreme role in creation and in their own eternal relationship with Him.
They do not chase worldly attractions or change paths. Their minds are steadfast in devotion, trusting fully in divine grace for ultimate realization.
They do not chase worldly attractions or change paths. Their minds are steadfast in devotion, trusting fully in divine grace for ultimate realization.
10. Very Dear to God
Shree Krishna concludes that such steadfast, devoted souls—who possess these divine qualities—are especially dear to Him. Their unwavering love, detachment from the world, and a resolute focus on God earn them this supreme honour.
Summary: JKYog India Online Class- Bhagavad Gita [English]- 28.06.2025
