Bhagavad Gita 5.20 · Krishna
Not swept up, not knocked down
न प्रहृष्येत्प्रियं प्राप्य नोद्विजेत्प्राप्य चाप्रियम्।
स्थिरबुद्धिरसम्मूढो ब्रह्मविद् ब्रह्मणि स्थितः॥
na prahṛṣyetpriyaṃ prāpya nodvijetprāpya cāpriyamsthirabuddhirasammūḍho brahmavid brahmaṇi sthitaḥ
Not elated by the pleasant, not shaken by the unpleasant, steady and clear, the knower of Brahman rests in Brahman.
Words
- Brahman
What it means
Krishna returns to the picture of the steady person. Pleasant things come, and they don't get carried away. Unpleasant things come, and they don't fall apart. Steady, clear-sighted, they know Brahman, and they rest in it. Their stability comes from inside, not from circumstances.
The story
Arjuna has swung between extremes, from eager warrior to collapsed mourner in minutes. Krishna keeps returning to this steadiness because it's the medicine Arjuna most needs.
In your life
Picture someone who gets a promotion and a hard diagnosis in the same week, and meets both with the same quiet strength. Practise it in small things. Meet today's surprises with an even breath.
Steady in sunshine and in storm.