Shloka 9
अक्षरब्रह्मयोगः | Akṣara-Brahma-Yoga
The Yoga of the Imperishable Brahman
सुहन्मित्रार्युदासीनमध्यस्थद्वेष्यबन्धुषु । साधुष्वपि च पापेषु समबुद्धिर्विशिष्यते,सुहृद, मित्र, वैरी, उदासीन, मध्यस्थ, द्वेष्य/४ और बन्धुगणोंमें, धर्मात्माओंमें और पापियोंमें भी समानभाव रखनेवाला” अत्यन्त श्रेष्ठ है
suhṛn-mitrārya-udāsīna-madhyastha-dveṣya-bandhuṣu | sādhuṣv api ca pāpeṣu sama-buddhir viśiṣyate ||
One is considered especially excellent who maintains an even-minded attitude toward well-wishers and friends, toward the noble and the indifferent, toward neutrals, the hostile, and even one’s own relatives; and who remains the same in regard to the virtuous as well as the sinful. In the ethical frame of the Gītā’s teaching, this steadiness of judgment is praised as a mark of inner discipline amid conflict.
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse praises sama-buddhi—equal-mindedness—as a superior quality: the ability to keep one’s judgment steady and impartial toward friends, enemies, neutrals, relatives, and toward the virtuous and the sinful, without being driven by attachment or aversion.
In the Bhīṣma Parva’s Gītā context, Arjuna is engaged in a dialogue about right conduct and inner discipline on the battlefield; this verse highlights the ethical ideal of impartiality and mental steadiness amid the tensions of war and personal relationships.