Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 2, verse 14 · Krishna
Bhagavad Gita 2.14 · Matra Sparshas Tu Kaunteya
मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः ।
आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत ॥
mātrāsparśāstu kaunteya śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkhadāḥ |
āgamāpāyino’nityāstāṃstitikṣasva bhārata ||
Translation
Contact of the senses with their objects gives rise to cold and heat, pleasure and pain. They come and go and are impermanent — endure them patiently, Arjuna.
Explanation
A foundation of equanimity: sensations and moods are temporary by nature. Learning to bear them without being swept away is the first step toward the steadiness Krishna describes later in the chapter.
Context
Spoken by Krishna in chapter 2, Sankhya Yoga — “The Yoga of Knowledge”, which has 72 verses.
Frequently asked questions
What does Bhagavad Gita 2.14 mean?
Contact of the senses with their objects gives rise to cold and heat, pleasure and pain. They come and go and are impermanent — endure them patiently, Arjuna.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 2.14?
Krishna, speaking to Arjuna, in chapter 2, Sankhya Yoga (The Yoga of Knowledge).
Sanskrit text: traditional, public domain. Translation and explanation are our own.