योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय ।सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते ॥
yogasthaḥ kuru karmāṇi saṅgaṃ tyaktvā dhanañjaya |siddhyasiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā samatvaṃ yoga ucyate ||
- योगस्थः · yogasthaḥ
- established in yoga, steady in inner union
- कुरु · kuru
- perform, do
- कर्माणि · karmāṇi
- actions, duties
- सङ्गम् · saṅgam
- attachment
- त्यक्त्वा · tyaktvā
- having abandoned, letting go of
- धनञ्जय · dhanañjaya
- O Dhananjaya (conqueror of wealth — Arjuna)
- सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः · siddhyasiddhyoḥ
- in success and failure
- समः · samaḥ
- even, the same, balanced
- भूत्वा · bhūtvā
- having become
- समत्वम् · samatvam
- evenness, equanimity
- योगः · yogaḥ
- yoga (union, the disciplined path)
- उच्यते · ucyate
- is called, is said to be
“Established in yoga, perform your actions, O Dhananjaya, abandoning attachment. Remaining even in success and failure — that evenness is called yoga.”
— Original plain-language translation
IN SHORT Stay steady through wins and losses; calm balance is real strength.
Krishna gives yoga its working definition: samatva, evenness. Not a posture or a technique, but the steadiness of mind that meets outcome — success or failure — without being thrown. Paired with 2.47, the teaching is complete in miniature: act fully, hold results lightly, and let equanimity be the measure of the yogi. Like a batsman playing the same steady shot whether the crowd cheers or boos.
— Reader's notes (original)