उदासीनवदासीनो गुणैर्यो न विचाल्यते ।
गुणा वर्तन्त इत्येव योऽवतिष्ठति नेङ्गते ॥
गुणा वर्तन्त इत्येव योऽवतिष्ठति नेङ्गते ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
जो उदासीनकी तरह स्थित है और जो गुणोंके द्वारा विचलित नहीं किया जा सकता तथा गुण ही गुणोंमें बरत रहे हैं इस भावसे जो अपने स्वरूपमें ही स्थित रहता है और स्वयं कोई भी चेष्टा नहीं करता ॥
English
One who remains like an indifferent witness, unmoved by the three qualities, stands firm and does not stir, knowing only that the qualities are acting among themselves.
What this verse means
A wise person stays steady, not shaken by the three qualities, and sees that they are only moving among themselves.
Context & commentary
On Kurukshetra, Arjuna asks how a person rises beyond the three qualities. Krishna answers with a mark of inner maturity: the wise one sits like an uninvolved witness, while the qualities keep shifting around them. This verse sharpens that answer.
Why this verse still matters
A harsh email lands, your chest tightens, and the old urge to react flares up. This verse teaches you to notice the surge without becoming it.
The takeaway
You can stop identifying with every passing mood and impulse. That creates a quiet kind of freedom.
Word-by-word translation
उदासीनवद् (like one indifferent) / आसीनः (seated, remaining) / गुणैः (by the qualities) / यः (who) / न (not) / विचाल्यते (is shaken) / गुणाः (the qualities) / वर्तन्ते (are acting) / इति (thus) / एव (only) / यः (who) / अवतिष्ठति (remains established) / न (not) / ईङ्गते (moves)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14: Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga — The Three Modes of Material Nature, which contains 27 verses.
Explore related themes: gunas (47 verses), equanimity (23 verses)