14.25 - Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 14, Verse 25

In this verse, Sri Krishna describes the outward signs of one who has transcended the three gunas, or qualities of material nature. Such a person, having reached beyond the sway of sattva (goodness), rajas (passion), and tamas (ignorance), displays a remarkable steadiness in how they move through the world. Honor and dishonor, praise and blame, friends and enemies—all are met with an undisturbed mind. This does not mean indifference or ignorance; rather, it is a profound equanimity that comes from rootedness in something deeper than external circumstances.

One of the striking features described here is that this person gives up all sense of ownership and the need to start undertakings solely for personal gain. He is called a "sarva-arambha-parityagi," one who has renounced all selfish initiations of action. For such a person, the urge to act does not arise from a compulsion to prove anything to the world or to outshine others, but from an inner clarity and sense of purpose. This renunciation is not laziness or passivity, but a conscious stepping away from activities that bind one to material reactions or societal expectation.

Imagine someone standing in the center of a storm, untouched by its swirling winds. Whether the world offers accolades or insults, whether companions are friendly or hostile, this person remains anchored, responding with the same composure and clarity. What empowers this inner stillness is the recognition that all these external forces—praise, blame, success, failure—are fleeting, and have no effect on the true self that lies beyond the ever-changing world of forms and opinions.

It is important to clarify that this steadiness is not dullness or apathy. The realized person is fully engaged with life, participates in relationships, and fulfills their responsibilities. Yet, their inner state is not dictated by how others treat them or by the outcomes of their actions. When criticized, they do not take it as a personal wound; when praised, they do not become inflated with pride. This profound sense of balance arises from knowing oneself beyond the personality, beyond likes and dislikes, beyond the shifting tides of social validation.

Outwardly, such a person acts in the world much like anyone else, but the source of their actions is different. They are no longer motivated by a desire to be recognized or by fear of condemnation. Instead, they act with freedom, choosing paths that are aligned with a higher truth, not with society’s demands for success, conformity, or approval. Their activity becomes a form of service or expression of the true self, not an attempt to gain or preserve an identity built on external measures.

If we look closely, this verse offers a powerful mirror for our ordinary way of living. Most people, knowingly or unknowingly, define themselves by what the world thinks. We crave the applause, fear the criticism, and often measure our worth through fleeting successes or failures. The person described here breaks this pattern completely. In his presence, honor and dishonor lose their sting, friends and foes are welcomed with the same openness, and life’s ups and downs become occasions for deeper self-awareness rather than emotional turbulence.

This vision, as Sri Krishna presents it, is not a withdrawal from life but a mastery within it. The person who transcends the gunas becomes a quiet strength, a presence that uplifts but is never shaken by circumstances. He moves through the marketplace of opinions, unaffected, because his compass is set to an inner truth that does not change, regardless of what the outer world offers or withholds. The verse suggests a freedom found not in isolation, but in fearless engagement with all of life, anchored in something everlasting.