Shloka 20
अक्षरब्रह्मयोग (Akṣara-Brahma-Yoga) — Knowledge of the Imperishable, Prakṛti, and Devotion
१९ ।। न प्रह्ृष्येत् प्रियं प्राप्प नोद्धिजेत् प्राप्प चाप्रियम् । स्थिरबुद्धिरसम्मूढो ब्रह्म॒विद् ब्रह्म॒णि स्थित:,जो पुरुष प्रियको प्राप्त होकर हर्षित नहीं हो और अप्रियको प्राप्त होकर उद्विग्न न हो, वह स्थिरबुद्धि संशयरहित ब्रह्मवेत्ता पुरुष सच्चिदानन्द्धन परब्रह्म परमात्मामें एकीभावसे नित्य स्थित है
na prahṛṣyet priyaṁ prāpya nodvijet prāpya cāpriyam | sthirabuddhir asammūḍho brahmavid brahmaṇi sthitaḥ ||
One who does not exult on gaining what is pleasing, nor become agitated on encountering what is displeasing—who is steady in understanding and free from delusion—such a knower of Brahman remains firmly established in Brahman. In the ethical frame of the battlefield teaching, this describes inner poise that is not swayed by success or setback, praise or pain, and thus supports right action without attachment.
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches equanimity: a disciplined person does not become euphoric when pleasant outcomes arise nor distressed when unpleasant ones occur. Such steadiness indicates clarity (absence of delusion) and is a mark of one established in Brahman—acting rightly without being driven by emotional swings.
In the Bhīṣma Parva’s battlefield instruction setting, Arjuna is engaged in a dialogue about right conduct and inner stability amid war. This verse articulates the ideal mental state needed to uphold dharma in crisis: remaining composed regardless of favorable or unfavorable experiences.