Bhagavad GitaBhagavad Gita 2.48
Chapter 2, verse 48: the Sanskrit, the Roman letters, the meaning and what it is used for.
योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनंजय
सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते
yogasthaḥ kuru karmāṇi saṅgaṃ tyaktvā dhanaṃjaya
siddhyasiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā samatvaṃ yoga ucyate
Meaning
Established in yoga, perform actions, O Arjuna, giving up attachment and remaining the same in success and failure. This evenness of mind is called yoga.
Explanation
The previous verse gave the instruction; this one defines the word yoga. Here yoga is not a posture; it is evenness (samatva) in the face of success and failure. A person doing a hard job well and calmly, neither elated nor crushed, is practising what this verse calls yoga.
Where it fits
This is verse 48 of 72 in chapter 2, "The wisdom of the self and of steady action" (Sankhya Yoga). previous verse (2.47) · next verse (2.49)
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Related verses
- Bhagavad Gita 2.14
- Bhagavad Gita 2.38
- Bhagavad Gita 2.47
- Bhagavad Gita 3.19
- Bhagavad Gita 3.35
- Bhagavad Gita 4.18
Questions people ask
What does Bhagavad Gita 2.48 mean?
Established in yoga, perform actions, O Arjuna, giving up attachment and remaining the same in success and failure. This evenness of mind is called yoga.
Where is this verse?
It is verse 48 of chapter 2 (The wisdom of the self and of steady action), which has 72 verses.
Meanings and explanations are our own wording, not an authorised translation. Readers of the Gita follow different traditions and teachers; please ask yours about what you read here.