Acceptance — Lesson 5

Verse

Transliteration

yaḥ sarvatrānabhisnehas tat tat prāpya śubhāśubham
nābhinandati na dveṣṭi tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā

Meaning

One who is not overly attached anywhere, and who neither rejoices excessively in good results nor hates unfavorable results, is steady in understanding.

Key Words

• anabhisneha — absence of excessive attachment
• śubha-aśubha — favorable and unfavorable
• na abhinandati — does not over-celebrate
• na dveṣṭi — does not hate or resist
• prajñā pratiṣṭhitā — steady understanding

Teaching

Krishna now refines acceptance further. The issue is not experiencing results. The issue is overreaction. When something good happens, we get overly excited. When something unfavorable happens, we resist or reject it. This constant swing disturbs the mind. A steady person experiences everything, but remains balanced.

Connection to Acceptance

Acceptance does not remove experience. It removes inner disturbance. Results come and go, but the mind remains stable. This stability is maturity.

Reflection

Do I react strongly to good and bad outcomes? What would it feel like to stay inwardly steady in both?