Gita 02.57 – Stay unaffected by the material by being focussed on the spiritual
yaḥ sarvatrānabhisnehas
tat tat prāpya śubhāśubham
nābhinandati na dveṣṭi
tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā (Bg 2.57)
Word-for-word:
yaḥ — one who; sarvatra — everywhere; anabhisnehaḥ — without affection; tat — that; tat — that; prāpya — achieving; śubha — good; aśubham — evil; na — never; abhinandati — praises; na — never; dveṣṭi — envies; tasya — his; prajñā — perfect knowledge; pratiṣṭhitā — fixed.
Translation:
In the material world, one who is unaffected by whatever good or evil he may obtain, neither praising it nor despising it, is firmly fixed in perfect knowledge.
Explanation:
Kṛṣṇa answers Arjuna’s question by explaining how a self-realized person speaks. This is addressed in the following verse:
yaḥ sarvatrānabhisnehaḥ: He who is unattached in all situations (everywhere),
tat tat prāpya śubhāśubham: who remains unaffected by whatever comes, whether auspicious or inauspicious,
nābhinandati na dveṣṭi: neither praises nor resents,
tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā: such a person is firmly situated in knowledge.
This might seem utterly emotionless—implying that, no matter what happens, one should have no response, either verbal or emotional. What kind of life would that be?
In reality, it would be a life of deep purpose—a supremely purposeful life.
The point here is not to be emotionless but to ensure that emotions do not dominate or misdirect us. The key is to have a higher purpose in life and to subordinate emotions to that purpose. That is the essence of this verse.
Whatever happens in the material world is beyond our control. Although we may try our best to shape outcomes in a certain way, there is no guarantee of success. More often than not, things may go wrong—sometimes even seriously wrong.
The solution is to have a higher purpose and not let passing events distract us from it.
For example, when traveling to work, we may encounter a traffic jam where people cut each other off, creating chaos. This can spoil our mood and irritate us. However, if we allow that irritation to take hold, by the time we reach the office, we may be so disturbed that it interferes with our performance.
Therefore, it is important not to take small inconveniences too seriously. Naturally, when something irritating happens, a human response of annoyance may arise. But that should not be our only response—otherwise, our emotions will mislead us.
Essentially, the principle here is to subordinate emotion to purpose. For a self-realized person, the higher purpose is realizing the Absolute Truth and living in the reality that one is the ātma—living the life of the soul.
One who lives the life of the soul does not get unduly affected by bodily experiences because they understand that whatever happens at the bodily level is ultimately temporary. It will not last, and therefore, there is no need to become overly disturbed by it.
At this stage in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa has not yet introduced bhakti. In bhakti, when a devotee experiences something favorable for Kṛṣṇa, he naturally feels happy, and when something unfavorable happens, he feels unhappy.
For example, if an outreach program was successful—where a large number of books were distributed or many people attended—Śrīla Prabhupāda would certainly be pleased. Conversely, if something went wrong, such as a major setback in a project or a devotee leaving Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, he would naturally feel sad.
However, in both cases, his emotions were Kṛṣṇa-centered, and his purpose remained unwavering. He continued serving Kṛṣṇa, and within that service, he subordinated his emotions to his higher purpose.
Later, Kṛṣṇa will speak about bhakti, explaining that spiritual emotions connected to Him are desirable because they make the soul more alive. At present, the soul is dormant, experiencing only material emotions and no spiritual emotions. However, emotions in relation to Kṛṣṇa actually awaken the soul.
At our stage, it can be difficult to distinguish between material and spiritual emotions. Instead of worrying about this, the best approach is to focus on how best we can serve Kṛṣṇa. If certain emotions assist us in our service to Him, we accept them. If emotions hinder our service, we regulate them—ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlyasya varjanam (accept what is favorable, reject what is unfavorable).
In general, there are different levels of equipoise. One level is understanding that whatever happens at the material level is ultimately inconsequential. Recognizing, I am a soul, and what happens at the material level is not truly important for me—it is temporary, helps cultivate detachment.
Meditating on the temporariness and ultimate inconsequentiality of material events enables one to remain equipoised, neither praising nor resenting whatever happens.
At a higher level, one understands that regardless of what happens, I am still a servant of Kṛṣṇa, and I will continue serving Him. Some situations may make service easier, while others may make it more difficult, but what truly matters is that serving Kṛṣṇa is always possible in some way or another.
Here, the focus shifts from seeing events as inconsequential to recognizing what is truly consequential—our service to Kṛṣṇa. In this way, the goal is not merely to remain unaffected but to stay focused. The more we focus on Kṛṣṇa, the more naturally we remain undisturbed by external circumstances.
By positively meditating on serving Kṛṣṇa and remembering that this principle remains unchanging regardless of external circumstances, one finds fulfillment that is always available—whether one receives something auspicious or inauspicious.
In this way, a person can remain sthita-prajña—steady in wisdom—staying fixed and unaffected by external ups and downs.
Ātma-jñāna is one level of understanding, where one realizes that material things are inconsequential. But Bhagavad-jñāna is a higher level, where one not only sees what is inconsequential but also understands what is truly consequential—absorbing oneself in the positive, in service to Kṛṣṇa.
By remaining engaged in Kṛṣṇa’s service, one is not overly affected by external events. Such a person neither resents nor praises material circumstances but stays focused on serving Kṛṣṇa. In this way, one remains steady on the path of transcendence.
Thank you.
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