Endure the temporary without losing yourself.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः |आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत ॥१४॥
mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ | āgamāpāyino 'nityās tāṃs titikṣasva bhārata ||14||
Use this verse when discomfort feels unbearable.
Meaning
O son of Kunti, contact with sense objects gives cold and heat, pleasure and pain. They come and go; they are impermanent. Endure them.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Pleasure and pain are temporary visitors.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna teaches emotional endurance. Not every discomfort needs reaction; many experiences simply arise, stay briefly, and pass.
Read the traditional commentary
This verse is one of the Gita's most practical teachings on emotional resilience. Krishna is not telling Arjuna to become emotionless — he is teaching him the fundamental skill of tolerating discomfort without being destabilized by it.
The key word is 'titiksha' — usually translated as 'endure' or 'tolerate,' but it carries a more nuanced meaning: the capacity to bear difficult experiences without being overwhelmed, without excessive reaction, and without demanding that they immediately end. It is the quality of a seasoned practitioner who has learned that all experiences — pleasant and unpleasant — arise and pass.
For modern life, this verse is extraordinarily relevant. We live in a culture that is increasingly intolerant of discomfort. Technology has made it possible to immediately escape or suppress almost any unpleasant sensation. The result is a population with very low distress tolerance — and consequently, very low ability to pursue long-term meaningful goals that inevitably involve difficulty.
Practicing titiksha does not mean suppressing emotion or denying difficulty. It means developing the inner steadiness to allow difficult experiences to arise and pass without requiring them to immediately end. This is also the foundation of meditative practice.
In daily life
When moods shift, wait before making permanent decisions.
Do not resign from a job on one bad day; observe whether the pain is temporary or structural.
Try this today
Wait 24 hours before acting on a strong emotional impulse.
I can endure what comes and goes.Reflect
Which temporary discomfort am I treating as permanent?
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Quick check
What does ‘मात्रास्पर्शाः’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on equanimity, in other chapters
- Verse 6.22Once you find the inner treasure, nothing seems more valuable and no sorrow, however heavy, can shake you.
- Verse 14.10Your states of mind are passing weather, not permanent identity — so neither cling to the bright ones nor despair in the dark.
- Verse 5.22Pleasures from sense-contact begin and end, and their ending breeds pain — the wise don't stake their joy on what won't last.
- Verse 7.6All that is born and all that dissolves rests in the one Source — so meet creation and loss alike with steady trust.
Swipe left for 2.15 · Balance makes the soul ready for freedom.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 2.14
Who says Bhagavad Gita 2.14, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 2.14, in Chapter 2, Sankhya Yoga (Sankhya Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 2.14 mean?
O son of Kunti, contact with sense objects gives cold and heat, pleasure and pain. They come and go; they are impermanent. Endure them. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 2.14 for daily life?
When moods shift, wait before making permanent decisions. Do not resign from a job on one bad day; observe whether the pain is temporary or structural.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 2.14 mean?
मात्रास्पर्शाः — contacts of the senses; शीतोष्ण — cold and heat; सुखदुःखदाः — giving pleasure and pain; आगमापायिनः — coming and going; अनित्याः — impermanent.
Where does verse 2.14 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 14 of 72 in Chapter 2, Sankhya Yoga. The next verse is 2.15.