He to whom censure and praise are equal, who is silent, content with anything, homeless, of a steady mind, and full of devotion that man is dear to Me.
In simple words
Krishna continues: "For whom praise and criticism are equal, who is comfortable with silence, content with whatever comes, not tied to any place, steady-minded, and full of devotion — that person is dear to Me."
Word-by-word meanings
तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिःto whom censure and praise are ealमौनी-- silentसन्तुष्टःcontentedयेनकेनचित्with anythingअनिकेतःhomelessस्थिरमतिःsteadymindedभक्तिमान्full of devotionमेto Meप्रियःdearनरः(that) man
Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.
Swami Sivananda
12.19 तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिः to whom censure and praise are eal? मौनी -- silent? सन्तुष्टः contented? येनकेनचित् with anything? अनिकेतः homeless? स्थिरमतिः steadyminded? भक्तिमान् full of devotion? मे to Me? प्रियः dear? नरः (that) man.Commentary He is neither elated by praise nor pained by censure. He keeps a balanced state of mind. He has controlled the organ of speech and so he is silent. His mind also is serene and silent as he has controlled the thoughts also. He is ite content with the bare means of bodily sustenance. It is said in the Mahabharata (Santi Parva? Moksha Dharma) Who is dressed in anything? who eats any kind of food? who lies down anywhere? him the gods call a Brahmana or a liberated sage or Jivanmukta.He does not dwell in one place. He has no fixed abode. He is homeless. He regards the world as his dwelling place. His mind is ever fixed on Brahman. (Cf.VII.17IX.29XII.17)
Swami Chinmayananda
This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.
# BG 12.19 — Translation of Meaning
He who remains equanimous toward enemy and friend alike—for to regard another as enemy or friend is merely the mind's function or play. Though the wise harbor no enmity toward anyone, others may yet hold hostile or friendly feelings toward them. The devoted one conducts himself with equal regard toward both.
He who remains unmoved by honor and dishonor—to feel oneself honored or dishonored is the intellect's nature. The intellect establishes its own measures and continually evaluates others' conduct by them. What brings a person a sense of honor in one circumstance may appear as dishonor when his life's values transform. Only he who dwells at the level of intellect can be affected by honor and dishonor; the devotee established in the Self is not.
He who remains equanimous in cold and heat—the experience of cold and heat occurs through the body, and their effects fall upon the body alone. Merely thinking of acid, fire, or ice does not make one's feelings or thoughts hot or cold; these affect only the gross body. Thus, when this Sanskrit expression is employed in Vedanta, it encompasses all experiences obtained at the level of the gross body, for which the body alone is responsible.
In these three types of experiences, all sensations occurring at the level of body, mind, and intellect in one's life are included. In all of these, the supreme devotee remains undisturbed, for he is free from attachment. It is attachment to non-Self conditions that causes us to be greatly shaken by even the smallest events in life, whereas the unattached one remains their master.
**Equanimous toward blame and praise**—Do not understand from this that the devotee becomes insensitive to blame or praise, lacking the discernment to understand them properly. A great devotee, absorbed in the bliss of his own nature—free from all limiting conditions, full of existence, consciousness, and bliss—finds the blame and praise offered by worldly people utterly trivial and meaningless. He knows well that the person praised and honored by society today will be dishonored by that same society tomorrow, and today's blamed one may become tomorrow's celebrated leader. Blame and praise are but fleeting ripples in the minds of worldly folk.
**Silent**—The wise devotee is silent. This means he is not extreme or fanatical. True silence means contemplative reflection. Therefore, mere vocal silence cannot be called true silence. When only the tongue is silent while the mind remains talkative, the consequences can be grave. Observe silence, and you will discover how peaceful silence can be.
**Satisfied with whatever comes**—It is the principle of sincere seekers of inner development that they remain content with whatever comes to them by chance, unbidden and unexpected. To harbor numerous desires in life and labor day and night to fulfill them is an endless game, for the mind is skilled in the art of continuously generating desires at an ever-quickening pace. For all earnest practitioners, adopting the principle of contentment is the wisdom that bears fruit; otherwise, there will never be time to attain life's divine goal. The fruit of devoted and careful practice is the integration of personality and Self-realization.
**Homeless**—This word means one who is without a fixed dwelling. Ordinarily, a home is that which protects its inhabitants from the harshness of external climate. The seeker of Self-knowledge endeavors to sever identification with all limiting conditions and to free himself from the bonds of possessiveness attached to them. Merely living under one roof does not make it a home. Spending a night in a railway station or airport rest house does not make it one's house. But that dwelling place under whose roof one experiences possessiveness and pride, and from which one derives comfort and ease—that becomes one's home. The devotee's refuge and dwelling place is the all-pervading Supreme Self; therefore, he dwells in these worldly homes free from possessiveness. His mental state is aptly expressed by the simple yet most fitting word: homeless.
**Whose intellect is fixed upon My divine nature**—one who harbors no doubt—such a devoted person is dear to Me. The word "person" suggests that one who makes even the least effort to walk the path of devotion is, in the Gita Teacher's view, worthy of being called a developed human being.
These two verses together form the fifth section, wherein ten characteristics of the devotee are described. Thus, having enumerated thirty-six qualities, Lord Sri Krishna has painted a complete portrait of the wise devotee. In this portrait, we behold the devotee's conduct, his inner life, and his intellectual evaluation of creatures and events in the world.
Concluding this section, which describes the moral and virtuous qualities of the supreme devotee, the Lord speaks.