Bhagavad Gita · Bhakti YogaChapter 12, Shloka 19 (12.19)
Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्
तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येन केनचित्
अनिकेतः स्थिरमतिर्भक्तिमान् मे प्रियो नरः
॥ 12.19 ॥
tulyanindāstutirmaunī santuṣṭo yena kenacit
aniketaḥ sthiramatirbhaktimān me priyo naraḥ
Translation
"One who is the same in blame and praise, restrained in speech, content with whatever comes, free of attachment to a home, steady in mind — such a devoted person is dear to me."
Interpretation
Shankaracharya. maunī maunavān saṃyatavāk — mauna = restraint of speech; saṃtuṣṭaḥ yena kenacit śarīrasthitihetumātreṇa; a quotation from the Mahabharata: yena kenacid ācchanno yena kenacid āśitaḥ — clothed in whatever there is, fed on whatever there is; aniketaḥ niketaḥ āśrayaḥ nivāsaḥ niyataḥ na vidyate yasya — one who has no fixed dwelling (a sannyasi); and the context: 12.13–12.19 are akṣaropāsakānāṃ … saṃnyāsināṃ … dharmajātam — the dharma of the sannyasis who worship the imperishable.
Acharya Ramanuja (12.18–12.19): ātmani sthiramatitvena niketanādiṣu asakta iti aniketaḥ — because his mind is steady in the self, he is not attached to home and the like — this is aniketa.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.