मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः ।
आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत ॥
आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
हे कुन्तीनन्दन इन्द्रियोंके जो विषय जड पदार्थ हैं, वो तो शीत अनुकूलता और उष्ण प्रतिकूलता के द्वारा सुख और दुःख देनेवाले हैं तथा आनेजानेवाले और अनित्य हैं । हे भरतवंशोद्भव अर्जुन उनको तुम सहन करो ॥
English
Contacts with the senses, O son of Kunti, bring heat and cold, pleasure and pain. They come and go; they are impermanent. Endure them, O Bharata.
What this verse means
Pleasure and pain from the senses are temporary. They come and go, so you should learn to bear them without being shaken.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna stands frozen while Krishna answers his collapse. After teaching that the self does not die, Krishna turns to the body’s changing experiences and says they are temporary, so Arjuna must endure them.
Why this verse still matters
You get a sharp message, feel your stomach drop, and want to react instantly. The feeling is real, but it does not deserve the steering wheel.
The takeaway
You do not have to be ruled by every sensation. Calm endurance gives you room to choose wisely.
Word-by-word translation
मात्रास्पर्शाः (sense-contacts) / तु (indeed) / कौन्तेय (O son of Kunti) / शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः (giving cold-heat, pleasure-pain) / आगमापायिनः (coming and going) / अनित्याः (impermanent) / तान् (them) / तितिक्षस्व (endure) / भारत (O Bharata)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2: Sankhya Yoga — The Yoga of Knowledge, which contains 72 verses.
Explore related themes: equanimity (23 verses)