Bhagavad Gita · Gunatraya Vibhaga YogaChapter 14, Shloka 25 (14.25)
Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्
मानापमानयोस्तुल्यस्तुल्यो मित्रारिपक्षयोः
सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी गुणातीतः स उच्यते
॥ 14.25 ॥
mānāpamānayostulyastulyo mitrāripakṣayoḥ
sarvārambhaparityāgī guṇātītaḥ sa ucyate
Translation
"— one who is the same in honour and dishonour, the same towards the side of friend and of foe, and who has given up all (self-seeking) undertakings — such a one is said to have gone beyond the gunas."
Interpretation
Shankaracharya. yadyapi udāsīnā bhavanti kecit svābhiprāyeṇa, tathāpi parābhiprāyeṇa mitrāripakṣayor iva bhavanti iti tulyo mitrāripakṣayoḥ ity āha — someone may be neutral in their own mind, yet others may count them as on the side of a friend or a foe; one beyond the gunas is not affected even by how others see them; sarvārambhaparityāgī, dṛṣṭādṛṣṭārthāni — one who gives up actions done from desire, for seen and unseen ends.
Acharya Ramanuja (14.24–14.25): continuing from 14.24 — tata eva — for this very reason, evenness in honour and dishonour, towards friend and foe.
Madhusudana Saraswati. A fine distinction between honour-dishonour and blame-praise: nindāstutī śabdarūpe mānāpamānau tu śabdam antareṇāpi kāyamanovyāpāraviśeṣau — blame and praise are in words, honour and dishonour can be without words too (in behaviour); and mitrapakṣasyevāripakṣasyāpi dveṣāviṣayaḥ — no aversion towards the side of the foe, just as towards the side of the friend. "Sarvarambha-tyagi" = dehayātrāmātravyatirekeṇa — apart from what is needed to sustain the body.
Shridhara Swami. mitrapakṣe 'ripakṣe ca tulyaḥ.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.