Shloka 26

भीमसेननादः तथा प्रथमसंमर्दः

Bhīmasena’s Roar and the First Clash

Devanagari script

जो मान और अपमानमें सम है

Transliteration

yo māna-apamānayoḥ samaḥ mitra-ari-pakṣayoḥ api samaḥ; evaṁ sarveṣu ārambheṣu kartṛtva-abhimāna-rahitaḥ sa puruṣaḥ guṇātītaḥ kathyate. sambandhaḥ— itthaṁ arjunasya dvau praśnau uttaritvā idānīṁ guṇātīta-bhavanopāya-viṣayakaṁ tṛtīyaṁ praśnam ucyate. yadyapi asya adhyāyasya ekonaviṁśatitame śloke bhagavatā guṇātīta-bhavanopāyaḥ ‘ātmānam akartāraṁ matvā nirguṇa-nirākāra-saccidānanda-ghana-brahmaṇi nitya-nirantaraṁ sthātavyam’ iti darśitaḥ; tathā upariṣṭāt caturṣu ślokeṣu varṇitāni guṇātītasya lakṣaṇāni ācaraṇāni ca ādarśīkṛtya dhāraṇābhyāsaḥ api upāyaḥ manyate; kintu arjunaḥ etebhyaḥ bhinnaṁ kiñcit sulabham upāyam jñātum icchan praśnaṁ kṛtavān; ataḥ praśnānurūpaṁ bhagavān anyaṁ sulabham upāyam āha— māṁ ca yo ’vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate sa guṇān samatītya etān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate.

Translation

若人在荣辱之间平等，在友与敌之间平等，并于一切作为之始皆无“我为作者”的我慢，此人便称为超越三德者。 背景：在回答了阿周那的两个问题之后，教诲转向第三个问题——如何成为guṇātīta。尽管主先前已指出：以知己为无作者而恒住于无相、无德的梵（Brahman）为其方法；且修习上述诸相亦为一途，阿周那仍求更简易之道。故主宣说一条易行之路：以不退转的奉爱（bhakti-yoga）恒常事奉主者，能超越三德，并具足梵之证悟的资格。

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: yad
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• mānam: honor
• mānam: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: māna
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• apamānam: dishonor
• apamānam: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: apamāna
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca

• tulyaḥ: equal (same-minded)
• tulyaḥ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tulya
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• mitra: in (the case of) a friend
• mitra: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: mitra
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• ari: in (the case of) an enemy
• ari: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ari
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca

• tulyaḥ: equal
• tulyaḥ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tulya
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• māna: in honor
• māna: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: māna
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• apamānayoḥ: of (the two) dishonor(s)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apamāna
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Dual

• tulyaḥ: equal
• tulyaḥ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tulya
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• tulyanindāstutiḥ: to whom blame and praise are equal
• tulyanindāstutiḥ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tulya-nindā-stuti
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• maunī: silent (self-restrained)
• maunī: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: maunin
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• santuṣṭaḥ: content
• santuṣṭaḥ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: santuṣṭa
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• yena: by whatever (means/thing)
• yena: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: yad
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• kena: by anything whatsoever
• kena: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: kim
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• cit: even; at all (emphatic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cit

• anīketaḥ: without a fixed abode
• anīketaḥ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anīketa
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• sthira: steady
• sthira: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthira
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• matiḥ: in mind; understanding
• matiḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: mati
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• bhaktimān: devoted
• bhaktimān: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhaktimat
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• me: of me; my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: asmad
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• priyaḥ: dear
• priyaḥ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: priya
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Bhagavān (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
• Brahman

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Transcending the guṇas is marked by steady equanimity (toward honor/dishonor and friend/foe) and freedom from the ego of doership; a direct and accessible means is unwavering devotion to the Lord, by which one crosses beyond the guṇas and becomes fit for Brahman-realization.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Arjuna asks how to recognize and attain the state beyond the guṇas, the discourse first outlines the traits of a guṇātīta person and then, responding to Arjuna’s desire for a simpler method, presents steadfast bhakti as an effective path to transcend the guṇas and reach Brahman.