A declaration · calming in mood · a little context helps
“Equal vision makes you unshaken by pleasure or pain.”
O Arjuna, the yogi who sees all beings as equal through the measure of the true self, and sees pleasure and pain alike, is considered the highest yogi.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallyby comparison with the self · everywhere · equally · sees · who · Arjuna · pleasure · or · if · or · pain · that · yogi · highest · is considered
A true meditator sees every being with equal regard and does not get thrown off by pleasure or pain.
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Dhyana Yoga" (The Yoga of Meditation).
Verse 32 sits in Chapter 6 of the Bhagavad Gita — Dhyana Yoga, "The Yoga of Meditation". The chapter has 47 verses in total.
You get praised in the morning and criticized by evening. If your whole mood rises and falls with each message, this verse asks for a steadier center.
Did you like this verse?
It shifts the mind from personal reaction to even-minded seeing.
What this verse means
A true meditator sees every being with equal regard and does not get thrown off by pleasure or pain.
Context & commentary
On Kurukshetra, Arjuna stands frozen while Krishna teaches the discipline of meditation. After showing that the divine is present in all beings, Krishna now gives the inner test: the highest yogi sees every being and every feeling with the same steady mind.
Why this verse still matters
You get praised in the morning and criticized by evening. If your whole mood rises and falls with each message, this verse asks for a steadier center.
“There is freedom in meeting life without flinching or favoring one side.”
Explore related themes: dhyana (31 verses), equanimity (23 verses), samatva (13 verses)