Clarity — Lesson 14
Freedom from likes and dislikes (Gita 2.57)
Verse
नाभिनन्दति न द्वेष्टि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ॥ २.५७ ॥
Transliteration
yaḥ sarvatrānabhisnehas tat tat prāpya śubhāśubham
nābhinandati na dveṣṭi tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā
Meaning
One who is free from attachment everywhere, who neither rejoices nor hates upon gaining good or bad, that person’s understanding is steady.
Sandhi-vigraha
न अभिनन्दति न द्वेष्टि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ।
Anvaya
न अभिनन्दति, न द्वेष्टि,
तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता।
Key Words
- anabhisnehaḥ — free from attachment
- sarvatra — everywhere
- śubha-aśubham — pleasant and unpleasant
- nābhinandati — does not get overly excited
- na dveṣṭi — does not hate
- prajñā pratiṣṭhitā — steady understanding
Teaching
Krishna now points to balance in response. Life brings both pleasant and unpleasant situations. The usual reaction is: attraction toward the pleasant, and resistance toward the unpleasant. The wise person is free from this inner pull. They do not get carried away by success, nor disturbed by difficulty. Their response is balanced.
Connection to Clarity
Clarity removes emotional dependency on outcomes. When I depend on situations, I react strongly to gain and loss. When I am inwardly stable, I can respond without being controlled by likes and dislikes. This is inner freedom in action.
Reflection
How do I react to success and failure? Do I get pulled strongly toward one and pushed away from the other?