Bhagavad Gita — Bhakti Yoga, Shloka 18
Bhakti Yoga
समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयोः । शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु समः सङ्गविवर्जितः ॥ १२.१८ ॥
samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca tathā mānāpamānayoḥ | śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu samaḥ saṅga-vivarjitaḥ || 12.18 ||
He who is even-minded toward foe and friend alike, and likewise in honor and dishonor; who is the same in cold and heat, in pleasure and pain; and who is free from attachment—
Equal toward adversary and friend, and also in honor and dishonor; equal in cold and heat, pleasure and pain; free from attachment.
Equal toward enemy and friend, likewise in respect and disrespect; equal amid cold and heat, pleasure and pain; devoid of attachment.
‘Śatru’ (enemy) can be read historically as social/political opposition, and philosophically as any antagonistic relation; many modern readings treat it as a metaphor for interpersonal conflict and inner aversion. The core point is non-partisanship of the mind amid dualities.
FAQs
It describes resilience: maintaining stable self-regulation despite social evaluation (respect/disrespect) and bodily discomfort (heat/cold).
Equanimity is tied to a view of the self as not essentially altered by external relations or sensory conditions.
As part of the bhakta’s characteristics, it extends equanimity to social relationships and physical experience.
Practice non-reactive responses to criticism and praise; train tolerance for minor discomforts to reduce dependency on ideal conditions.