Bhagavad Gita 2.48 · Krishna
Evenness is yoga
योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय।
सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते॥
yogasthaḥ kuru karmāṇi saṅgaṃ tyaktvā dhanañjayasiddhyasiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā samatvaṃ yoga ucyate
Steady in yoga, act, Dhananjaya, letting go of attachment. Be even in success and failure. Evenness is yoga.
Words
- yoga
What it means
Krishna gives one of the Gita's clearest definitions. Samatvam yoga uchyate. Evenness is yoga. To be steady in yoga means acting fully while letting go of attachment. Success and failure both come. The yogi meets both with the same open, settled heart.
The story
Krishna calls Arjuna Dhananjaya, winner of wealth, a name earned through victories. Now he asks Arjuna to stand steady whether this battle brings victory or not. The winner of wealth is being asked to be free of needing to win.
In your life
Picture a chef who serves a perfect dish one night and a flawed one the next, and shows up the same way both evenings. That steadiness is the real skill. Today, meet one success and one setback with the same calm.
Steady in success. Steady in failure.