Equanimity is the fragrance of transcendence.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
समदुःखसुखः स्वस्थः समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः |तुल्यप्रियाप्रियो धीरस्तुल्यनिन्दात्मसंस्तुतिः ||१४-२४||
samaduḥkhasukhaḥ svasthaḥ samaloṣṭāśmakāñcanaḥ . tulyapriyāpriyo dhīrastulyanindātmasaṃstutiḥ ||14-24||
Use this verse when praise or criticism shakes you.
Meaning
One who is equal in sorrow and joy, self-abiding, equal toward clay, stone, and gold, steady, equal toward pleasant and unpleasant, and equal in blame and praise.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
The gunatita is steady in pleasure, pain, value, preference, blame, and praise.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna describes the deep equanimity of one beyond the gunas. This person is not controlled by social opinion, material value, comfort, discomfort, liking, or dislike.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna continues the portrait with the practical equanimities of the guṇātīta. He is samaduḥkhasukha — even in pain and pleasure — and sva-stha, literally 'established in himself,' resting in his own true nature rather than in circumstances. To him a lump of clay, a stone, and a bar of gold hold equal value, for his worth does not depend on possessions.
The pleasant and the unpleasant meet the same steady gaze, and praise and blame fall on him alike.
The key word is svastha — 'self-abiding,' the root of our word for health and wholeness. Because the sage's centre is within, the outer pairs of opposites lose their power to lift him up or cast him down. Most of us are pushed and pulled by gain and loss, flattery and criticism; the liberated soul has withdrawn the source of his stability from these outer things into the unshakeable Self.
This is not numbness but freedom — a heart so settled in its own ground that no external tide can move it.
In daily life
Practice balance in praise, criticism, gain, and loss.
A creator can receive likes and criticism without letting either define identity.
Try this today
Choose one opposite pair and practice a balanced response.
I remain steady in praise and blame.Reflect
Which pair disturbs me most: praise-blame, gain-loss, pleasure-pain?
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Quick check
What does ‘समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on steadiness, in other chapters
- Verse 12.19Treat praise and blame alike, rest content and unattached, steady in mind and full of devotion.
- Verse 13.10Love your people and possessions with open hands, keeping an even mind through both fortune and loss.
- Verse 6.22Once you find the inner treasure, nothing seems more valuable and no sorrow, however heavy, can shake you.
- Verse 4.14It is not action that binds us but craving for its fruits; act fully while letting go of the outcome, and you stay free.
Swipe left for 14.25 · Transcendence drops ego-driven projects.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 14.24
Who says Bhagavad Gita 14.24, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 14.24, in Chapter 14, Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga (Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 14.24 mean?
One who is equal in sorrow and joy, self-abiding, equal toward clay, stone, and gold, steady, equal toward pleasant and unpleasant, and equal in blame and praise. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 14.24 for daily life?
Practice balance in praise, criticism, gain, and loss. A creator can receive likes and criticism without letting either define identity.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 14.24 mean?
समदुःखसुखः — the same in pain and pleasure; स्वस्थः — established in the Self; समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः — to whom clod, stone and gold are alike; तुल्यप्रियाप्रियः — the same toward the pleasant and unpleasant; धीरः — steadfast, firm.
Where does verse 14.24 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 24 of 27 in Chapter 14, Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga. The next verse is 14.25.