Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6, Verse 9

Chapter 6 – Dhyana Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

सुहृन्मित्रार्युदासीनमध्यस्थद्वेष्यबन्धुषु ।
साधुष्वपि च पापेषु समबुद्धिर्विशिष्यते ॥

Transliteration

suhṛnmitrāryudāsīnamadhyasthadveṣyabandhuṣu .
sādhuṣvapi ca pāpeṣu samabuddhirviśiṣyate ॥

Meaning

He who has equal regard for well-wishers, friends, enemies, the indifferent, the neutral, the hateful and relatives, and even for the righteous and the sinful, stands out as the most excellent.

Word meanings

सुहृत् – a selfless well-wisher
मित्र – an affectionate friend
अरि – an enemy
उदासीन – one who is indifferent, taking no side
मध्यस्थ – a neutral mediator who wishes good to both sides
द्वेष्य – one who is hateful or disagreeable
बन्धुषु – among relatives
साधुषु – among the righteous
अपि – even
च – and
पापेषु – among the sinful
समबुद्धिः – one of equal vision
विशिष्यते – excels, is distinguished

Anvaya (word order)

सुहृन्मित्रार्युदासीनमध्यस्थद्वेष्यबन्धुषु साधुषु अपि च पापेषु समबुद्धिः (योगी) विशिष्यते ।

Explanation

The previous verse spoke of evenness toward objects; this one describes the harder evenness toward human beings. Objects do not look back at us with love or hatred, but people do; therefore remaining even toward them is the highest discipline.

Krishna lists nine kinds of people. The suhrit wishes us well without expecting anything in return; the mitra stands by us out of affection; the ari is an enemy; the udasina takes no side; the madhyastha is a mediator who wants the good of both parties; the dveshya is one whose conduct makes him disagreeable; the bandhu are relatives; and finally the sadhu and the papi, the saintly and the sinful. The yogi who keeps an equal mind toward all of these is distinguished above others.

Equal vision does not mean identical behaviour. Conduct will rightly differ with circumstance and dharma — respect for the saint, an opportunity for reform for the wrongdoer, caution toward the hostile. But the inner judgement stays even: no favouritism born of attachment, no bitterness born of aversion. He sees one Self in all.

Shankara notes that keeping equal regard even for the righteous and the sinful is the most difficult of all, and that is why this quality marks the highest yogi. This vision finds its fulfilment later, in 6.29–32, as seeing the Self in all beings.

Context

Verses 6.7–8 described evenness toward dualities and objects. This verse completes the portrait of the yogarudha with evenness toward people. From the next verse (6.10) Krishna begins the practical method of meditation.

Life lesson

We tend to sort people into 'ours' and 'others'. Be discerning in conduct, but do not nurture hatred for anyone. When you meet a difficult person, remember that the same consciousness that lives in you lives in him.

Key terms

Suhrit: a selfless well-wisher
Udasina: one who is indifferent and takes no side
Madhyastha: a neutral who seeks the good of both sides
Samabuddhi: equal vision free of attraction and aversion