Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12 Verse 18 (12.18)
Reflective Prompt:
How do you respond when people praise you or criticize you?
- ▪ Option 1: I feel happy with praise and upset with criticism, which is natural.
- ▪ Option 2: I practice seeing both praise and criticism as equal, remaining silent and content with whatever comes.
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12 Verse 18 (12.18)
समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयोः । शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु समः सङ्गविवर्जितः | | १२-१८ | |
samaḥ śhatrau cha mitre cha tathā mānāpamānayoḥ śhītoṣhṇasukhaduḥkheṣhu samaḥ saṅgavivarjitaḥ
Word-by-word guide:
Line 1:
- समः
(samah)— समान(the same) - शत्रौ
(shatrau)— को एनेम्य् और फ्रिएन्द्(to enemy and friend) - च
(cha)— और(to enemy and friend) - मित्रे
(mitre)— को एनेम्य् और फ्रिएन्द्(to enemy and friend) - च
(cha)— और(to enemy and friend) - तथा
(tatha)— तथा(also) - मनः
(manah)— मन(mind) -
pajoined in mānāpamānayoḥ - मनः
(manah)— मन(mind) - यः
(yah)— जो(who) -
hjoined in mānāpamānayoḥ
Line 2:
-
sjoined in śhītoṣhṇasukhaduḥkheṣhu - इति
(iti)— इस प्रकार(thus) -
osjoined in śhītoṣhṇasukhaduḥkheṣhu - न
(na)— नहीं(not) -
sujoined in śhītoṣhṇasukhaduḥkheṣhu - कः
(kah)— कौन(who) -
duhkesujoined in śhītoṣhṇasukhaduḥkheṣhu - समः
(samah)— समान(the same) - सन्ग-विवर्जितह्
(sanga-vivarjitah)— फ्री से अत्तच्मेन्त्(free from attachment)
English: One who is the same toward friend and enemy, honor and dishonor, heat and cold, pleasure and pain, and is free from attachment is dear to Me.
Learnings from Shloka 18:
- Equal Vision:: Treat all people, whether friendly or hostile, with the same inner equanimity.
- Comfort and Discomfort:: Develop the resilience to remain balanced in both physical comfort and discomfort.
Gita/Sanskrit Language Quiz
Practice this shloka vocabularyMatch Sanskrit words from shloka 12.18 with their Hindi and English meanings.
Practice vocabulary
He who is equal to friend and foe, and also in honor and dishonor, who is the same in cold and heat, pleasure and pain, and free from attachment, is dear.