Bhagavad Gita — Karma Sannyasa Yoga, Shloka 20
Karma Sannyasa Yoga
न प्रहृष्येत्प्रियं प्राप्य नोद्विजेत्प्राप्य चाप्रियम् । स्थिरबुद्धिरसंमूढो ब्रह्मविद्ब्रह्मणि स्थितः ॥
na prahṛṣyet priyaṃ prāpya nodvijet prāpya cāpriyam | sthirabuddhir asaṃmūḍho brahmavid brahmaṇi sthitaḥ ||
Ia tidak bersukacita ketika memperoleh yang menyenangkan, dan tidak gelisah ketika memperoleh yang tidak menyenangkan; yang buddhi-nya teguh, tidak tersesat, sang brahmavid berdiam dalam Brahman.
प्रिय वस्तु को प्राप्त करके हर्षित न हो और अप्रिय को प्राप्त करके उद्विग्न न हो; जिसकी बुद्धि स्थिर है, जो मोहित नहीं है, वह ब्रह्म को जानने वाला ब्रह्म में स्थित रहता है।
Having obtained what is pleasant, one should not exult; having obtained what is unpleasant, one should not be agitated. With steady understanding, unbewildered, the knower of brahman remains established in brahman.
Most recensions agree closely on wording. Interpretive differences typically concern (a) whether “brahman” is read theistically (as the supreme Lord) or non-dualistically (as impersonal absolute reality), and (b) whether the verse prescribes emotional suppression or cultivated equanimity grounded in discernment (sthira-buddhi).
FAQs
The verse describes emotional regulation through cultivated steadiness: pleasant events need not produce elation, and unpleasant events need not produce agitation. It frames well-being as resilience grounded in clarity (not confusion), rather than dependence on external outcomes.
“Brahmavid brahmaṇi sthitaḥ” presents a metaphysical ideal: one who knows brahman remains established in brahman. In non-dual readings, this indicates abiding in the recognition of ultimate reality beyond changing experiences; in theistic Vedānta readings, it can mean stable absorption in the Supreme as the ground of experience.
Chapter 5 discusses renunciation and disciplined action. This verse supports the chapter’s argument that inner renunciation is compatible with life in action: the key marker is equanimity toward opposites, indicating freedom from reactive attachment and aversion.
Applied today, it can be read as guidance for balanced responses to praise/blame, gain/loss, or success/setback—encouraging reflective pause, stable judgment, and values-based action rather than mood swings driven by external events.