SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 14 Text 22-25
sri-bhagavan uvaca
prakasam ca pravrttim ca
moham eva ca pandava
na dvesti sampravrttani
na nivrttani kanksati

udasina-vad asino
gunair yo na vicalyate
guna vartanta ity evam
yo 'vatisthati nengate

sama-duhkha-sukhah sva-sthah
sama-lostasma-kancanah
tulya-priyapriyo dhiras
tulya-nindatma-samstutih

manapamanayos tulyas
tulyo mitrari-paksayoh
sarvarambha-parityagi
gunatitah sa ucyate

sri-bhagavan uvaca--the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; prakasam--illumination; ca--and; pravrttim--attachment; ca--and; moham--illusion; eva ca--also; pandava--O son of Pandu; na dvesti--does not hate; sampravrttani--although developed; na nivrttani--nor stopping development; kanksati--desires; udasina-vat--as if neutral; asinah--situated; gunaih--by the qualities; yah--one who; na--never; vicalyate--is agitated; gunah--the qualities; vartante--are acting; iti evam--knowing thus; yah--one who; avatisthati--remains; na--never; ingate--flickers; sama--equal; duhkha--in distress; sukhah--and happiness; sva-sthah--being situated in himself; sama--equally; losta--a lump of earth; asma--stone; kancanah--gold; tulya--equally disposed; priya--to the dear; apriyah--and the undesirable; dhirah--steady; tulya--equal; ninda--in defamation; atma-samstutih--and praise of himself; mana--in honor; apamanayoh--and dishonor; tulyah--equal; tuiyah--equal; mitra--of friends; ari--and enemies; paksayoh--to the parties; sarva--of all; arambha--endeavors; paritya-gi--renouncer; guna-atitah--transcendental to the material modes of nature; sah--he; ucyate--is said to be.

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O son of Pandu, he who does not hate illumination, attachment and delusion when they are present or long for them when they disappear; who is unwavering and undisturbed through all these reactions of the material qualities, remaining neutral and transcendental, knowing that the modes alone are active; who is situated in the self and regards alike happiness and distress; who looks upon a lump of earth, a stone and a piece of gold with an equal eye; who is equal toward the desirable and the undesirable; who is steady, situated equally well in praise and blame, honor and dishonor; who treats alike both friend and enemy; and who has renounced all material activities--such a person is said to have transcended the modes of nature.

JOURNAL:

In yesterday's sloka, Arjuna asks three questions. Here Krishna answers the first two. In his purport, Srila Prabhupada has this to say about the first question; The qualities of the material modes in the body will act, but as spirit soul the self is aloof from such activities. How does he become aloof? He does not desire to enjoy the body, nor does he desire to get out of it. Thus transcendentally situated, the devotee becomes automatically free. He need not try to become free from the influence of the modes of material nature.

On the second question he says; The materially situated person is affected by so-called honor and dishonor offered to the body, but the transcendentally situated person is not affected by such false honor and dishonor.