What the scriptures say about equanimity

1. authority over action
2. giving up the fruit
3. Equanimity
4. skill in action

You should act without claiming the action or its fruits. Do not make the fruit your motive and do not cling to inaction. Act steadily in yoga after letting go of clinging, remaining the same in success and failure. Those who work for the fruit are pitiable, for yoga is skill in action.

• Krishna

  कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन । मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ॥

  karmaṇyevādhikāraste mā phaleṣu kadācana | mā karmaphalaheturbhūrmā te saṅgo’stvakarmaṇi ||

  Your right is to the work alone, never to its fruits. Do not let the fruit be your motive, and do not cling to doing nothing.

  Bhagavad Gita 2.47

• Krishna

  योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय । सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते ॥

  yogasthaḥ kuru karmāṇi saṅgaṃ tyaktvā dhanañjaya | siddhyasiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā samatvaṃ yoga ucyate ||

  Established in yoga, do your work, Dhananjaya, giving up attachment, the same in success and failure. This evenness is called yoga.

  Bhagavad Gita 2.48

• Krishna

  दूरेण ह्यवरं कर्म बुद्धियोगाद्धनञ्जय । बुद्धौ शरणमन्विच्छ कृपणाः फलहेतवः ॥

  dūreṇa hyavaraṃ karma buddhiyogāddhanañjaya | buddhau śaraṇamanviccha kṛpaṇāḥ phalahetavaḥ ||

  Action done for its rewards is far inferior to action done with a steady mind. Seek refuge in that understanding; those who work only for the fruit are to be pitied.

  Bhagavad Gita 2.49

1. self upliftment
2. self victory
3. Peace
4. Equanimity

Lift the self by the self and do not let the self sink. The self is its own friend and its own enemy. For one who has mastered the self and is at peace, heat and cold, honour and dishonour are the same.

• Krishna

  उद्धरेदात्मनाऽऽत्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् । आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः ॥

  uddharedātmanā’’tmānaṃ nātmānamavasādayet | ātmaiva hyātmano bandhurātmaiva ripurātmanaḥ ||

  Raise yourself by your own self; do not let yourself sink. For the self alone is the friend of the self, and the self alone is the enemy of the self.

  Bhagavad Gita 6.5

• Krishna

  बन्धुरात्माऽऽत्मनस्तस्य येनात्मैवात्मना जितः । अनात्मनस्तु शत्रुत्वे वर्तेतात्मैव शत्रुवत् ॥

  bandhurātmā’’tmanastasya yenātmaivātmanā jitaḥ | anātmanastu śatrutve vartetātmaiva śatruvat ||

  For one who has conquered himself, the self is the friend of the self. But for one who has not, the self acts with hostility, like an enemy.

  Bhagavad Gita 6.6

• Krishna

  जितात्मनः प्रशान्तस्य परमात्मा समाहितः । शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु तथा मानापमानयोः ॥

  jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya paramātmā samāhitaḥ | śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkheṣu tathā mānāpamānayoḥ ||

  For one who has conquered himself and is at peace, the higher self stays steady in cold and heat, pleasure and pain, honour and dishonour.

  Bhagavad Gita 6.7

1. non-possessive
2. Peace
3. Clarity
4. Equanimity
5. highest devotion

A person lets go of ego, force, arrogance, desire, anger and possessiveness, without the sense of mine and at peace, and becomes fit for Brahman. In that state one neither grieves nor craves, is the same to all beings, and gains the highest devotion.

• Krishna

  ब्रह्मभूतः प्रसन्नात्मा न शोचति न काङ्क्षति । समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु मद्भक्तिं लभते पराम् ॥

  brahmabhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati | samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu madbhaktiṃ labhate parām ||

  Become one with Brahman, serene in self, one neither grieves nor craves. The same to all beings, one gains supreme devotion to me.

  Bhagavad Gita 18.54

1. Fear
2. Self-respect
3. Steadiness
4. Discernment
5. Service
6. Forgiveness
7. Compassion
8. Equanimity
9. Surrender
10. Letting go
11. Contentment
12. Peace

• Ram

  सौरज धीरज तेहि रथ चाका। सत्य सील दृढ़ ध्वजा पताका॥ बल बिबेक दम परहित घोरे। छमा कृपा समता रजु जोरे ॥

  sauraj dhīraj tehi rath cākā| satya sīl dṛṛh dhvajā patākā|| bal bibek dam parahit ghore| chamā kṛpā samatā raju jore ||

  Valour and patience are the wheels of that chariot; truth and good conduct are its firm flag and banner. Strength, discernment, self-control and kindness to others are its horses, yoked with the reins of forgiveness, compassion and evenness of mind.

  Ramcharitmanas · Lanka Kand