Equanimity in the Bhagavad Gita

Bhagavad Gita teaches Samatva, the path of Equanimity The key message of all the Yogas (Bhakti, Karma, Dhayaan, and Gyaan) taught in the BG is to be established in samata, i.e., equanimity. The greatest hint about this master key is provided in of a shaloka: Vasudevah sarvam iti (BG 7.19)Vasudeva is all there is! This samata can only be attained by self-purificationanntahakarana shuddhithe purification of mann, buddhi, chit, and ahankaara. The best means to attain this is to realize that all happenings occur due to various permutations and combinations of the three modes, i.e., gunassatt, raajas, and taamas. These gunas are born of Prakriti (Nature) which operates under the direction of Purusha (Paramatama) because Vasudevah sarvam iti. This enables us to carry out our prarabdha-vash actions in a detached manner without the tag of doership. Arjuna is therefore advised to go beyond these three modes of Nature: trai-gunya-vishay ved nistrai-guyo bhavrjuna nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho niryoga-kshema tmavn

(BG. 2.45)

(The Vedas (karam-kaanda portions) deal with the triad of gunas. Be, O Arjuna, free from the triad of the gunas, free from the pairs of duality, free from acquisition and preservation, ever remaining established in the quality of sattva, and centered in the Self.) The best guidance for this stance is provided in the BG verses 3.27, 3.28, 5.8-9, 5.1, 7.14, 13.21, 13.29, 15.19, 18.49, 18.50. Imbibing the true essence of these verses enables us to carry out our actions without any attachment or aversionraag-dveshto the actions themselves, to their actor, and to their results. This is the first step towards samata. To be established in this samata is called real yoga: Samatvam yogah ucyate. The complete verse is as follows: yoga-stha kuru karmni sanga tyaktv dhananjaya siddhy-asiddhyoh samo bhtv samatvam yoga ucyate (BG 2.48) [By being steadfast in Yoga, O Dhananjya (Arjuna), perform all your actions, casting off attachment, remaining equanimous in success and failure. Equanimity is called Yoga]. Sri Shankracharyas comment on this verse: What is that yoga established in which one should perform actions? This only: remaining equanimous in success and failure. This (evenness of mind) is what is called yoga. Then finally the most important verse in the entire Gita (2.16) tells us this: na stoh vidhatey bhavo, na bhavo vidhatey sattah: The unreal never is and the Real never ceases to be. Combine

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this verse with Vasudevah sarvam iti, and you will have the greatest recipe for samata. When this occurs one sees oneness everywhere, in everyone, and in everythingVasudevah sarvam iti. The opening verse of Isa Upanishad also says the same thing: Isa vasyam idam sarvamtena tyaktena bhunjjhithaAll that there is, is pervaded by the LordRenouncing (the false sense of ownership/doership) thus, verily rejoice. This is the greatest blessing, the end of all sorrows. After all, To him who sees unity, what delusion is there, what grief? (Isa Upanisad, 7): tatra ko mohah kah shokah ekatvam anupashatah. If ones mano vrittideep understanding is that Vasudevah is all there is and that the Real never ceases to be, what is there then to worry about. This is the final step towards samata. This can only happen when, with Gods grace, one gets established in Parabrahmm ParamatamaVasudevah sarvamsince Brahman alone is the ever-Immutable, everhomogenous, and ever-Equanimous basis (sarva-adhishthaan) of all (BG 5. 19). The culminating verse on equanimity in the entire BG is perhaps this one: na prahyet priya prpya nodvijet prpya cpriyam sthira-buddhir asammdho brahma-vid brahmani sthita. (BG 5.20) [Resting in Brahman, with mind steady and without delusion, the knower of Brahman neither rejoices in receiving what is pleasant nor grieves on receiving what is unpleasant.] This is the real meaning of the verse yogah karmasu kaushlam (BG 2.50). The common translation of this important verse is: Yoga is skillfulness in action. If we take this to be the true import of this verse, we then run into a great difficulty in explaining such instances: The actions of a thief who is skillful in the art of theft or a sniper who is skillful in the art of killing, will their actions qualify to be called yoga? Obviously, the Radiant One meant something more profound. Swami Ramsukh Das says that this verseyogah karmasu kaushalamdoes not present the definition of yoga; instead, it denotes the importance of yoga. He adds that we should rather translate this verse as follows: Equinimity (Samata) in actions is verily the skillfulness (yoga) in actions. This interpretation is in keeping with the context where this verse occurs in the BG, i.e., in that section of chapter 2 (verses 38-53). Also, this fully reconciles with Sri Sankaras commentary on this verse. Says Sankara: Skillfulness means the wisdom of equanimity with regards to ones success and failure while engaged in actionscalled ones own duties (sva-dharma)with the mind dedicated to God. (Gambhirananda,1984, p. 96). And this is exactly how Sri Sankara has interpreted verse 2.48 that defines yoga in terms of samatav. In sum, the skillfulness in actions lies in the wisdom of equanimity, dedicating them all to Vasudevah, which is all there is. The whole art and science of Karma Yoga lies in just this understanding. And this samatav-sthitti is also the sahaj avasthaa of all saints and sages, the epitome of all spiritual realization. Sarva Mangal Managalam!
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Bibliography
Gambhirananda, S. (1984). Bhagavad Gita with the Commentary of Sankaracharya. Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama. Gambhirananda, S. (2001). Eight Upanisads with the Commentary of Sankaracarya Vol.1 & 2. Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama. Ramsukhdas, S. (2007). Srimad Bhagavad Gita: Sadhak Sanjivini. Gorakhpur, India: Gita Press. Sastry, A. (1995/1897). The Bhagavad Gita with the commentary of Sri Shankaracharya. Madras, India: Samta Books. Swarupananda, S. (1996). Srimad Bhagavad Gita. Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama.

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