Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

Bg 12.18-19

samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca
tathā mānāpamānayoḥ
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu
samaḥ saṅga-vivarjitaḥ

tulya-nindā-stutir maunī
santuṣṭo yena kenacit
aniketaḥ sthira-matir
bhaktimān me priyo naraḥ

Synonyms: 

samaḥ — equal; śatrau — to an enemy; ca — also; mitre — to a friend; ca — also; tathā — so; māna — in honor; apamānayoḥ — and dishonor; śīta — in cold; uṣṇa — heat; sukha — happiness; duḥkheṣu — and distress; samaḥ— equipoised; saṅga–vivarjitaḥ — free from all association; tulya — equal; nindā — in defamation; stutiḥ — and repute; maunī — silent; santuṣṭaḥ — satisfied; yena kenacit — with anything; aniketaḥ — having no residence; sthira — fixed; matiḥ — determination; bhakti–mān — engaged in devotion; me — to Me; priyaḥ — dear; naraḥ— a man.

Translation: 

One who is equal to friends and enemies, who is equipoised in honor and dishonor, heat and cold, happiness and distress, fame and infamy, who is always free from contaminating association, always silent and satisfied with anything, who doesn’t care for any residence, who is fixed in knowledge and who is engaged in devotional service – such a person is very dear to Me.

 

samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca
tathā mānāpamānayoḥ

So equipoised attitude 

So here we may wonder that Krishna is talking from the point of view of neutrality not form the devotional passion or spiritual front. We are taking this off from wrong perspective because of the inadequate understanding of how a spiritual culture is timeless is to be applied practically in current times. That is the challenge and a devotee recognizing that spiritual happiness is eternal so whatever the changes happening at material level externally let them not affect my spiritual practices and advancement let me focus on the steady practice of devotion, 

So these qualities are for daily conducts 

śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu

samaḥ saṅga-vivarjitaḥ, to give up all material attachments 

santuṣṭo yena kenacit, satisfy in whatever situation because a devotee is not situated in that situation he is always connected with Krishna, supreme fulfillment 

aniketaḥ sthira-matir, a devotee’s body may not have fixed residence niketan is house aniketah means one who doesn’t have any house. E.g. a travelling preacher a devotee doesn’t have house but that time a devotee has inner house, and that inner house is aniketaḥ sthira-matir, once connection with Krishna once remembrance of Krishna.

 

bhaktimān me priyo naraḥ, such a person who has special attraction towards Me bhaktimān, me priyo naraḥ such a person among all devotees is most dear to Me.

End of transcription.