FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 4.22

यदृच्छालाभसंतुष्टो द्वन्द्वातीतो विमत्सरः । समः सिद्धावसिद्धौ च कृत्वापि न निबध्यते ॥ २२ ॥
yadṛcchā-lābha-santuṣṭo
[yadrichchaa-laabha-santushto]
dvandvātīto vimatsaraḥ
[dvandvaateeto vimatsarah]
samaḥ siddhāv asiddhau ca
[samah siddhaav asiddhau cha]
kṛtvāpi na nibadhyate
[kritvaapi na nibadhyate]
Word-for-word
yadṛcchā — out of its own accord lābha — with gain santuṣṭaḥ — satisfied dvandva — duality atītaḥ — surpassed vimatsaraḥ — free from envy samaḥ — steady siddhau — in success asiddhau — failure ca — also kṛtvā — doing api — although na — never nibadhyate — becomes affected .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yadṛcchā-lābha-santuṣṭo
yadṛcchā
out of its own accord
lābha
with gain
santuṣṭaḥ
satisfied
dvandvātīto vimatsaraḥ
dvandva
duality
atītaḥ
surpassed
vimatsaraḥ
free from envy
samaḥ siddhāv asiddhau ca
samaḥ
steady
siddhau
in success
asiddhau
failure
ca
also
kṛtvāpi na nibadhyate
kṛtvā
doing
api
although
na
never
nibadhyate
becomes affected .
Important Words
  • yadṛcchā — of its own accord
    Yad + ṛcch — 'what comes by its own going.' A precise Sanskrit term for unsolicited arrival. The devotee is not engineering provisions; he receives whatever shows up on its own.
  • lābha — gain
    From √labh — 'to obtain.' The thing gained, paired with yadṛcchā. The compound names a specific kind of contentment: not the rich man's surplus-satisfaction but the open-handed acceptance of whatever the day yields.
  • santuṣṭaḥ — satisfied, content
    Past passive participle of sam + √tuṣ — 'thoroughly pleased.' The sam- prefix signals completeness — not 'getting by' contentment but full satisfaction in what came.
  • dvandva — duality (of opposites)
    The pairs: hot/cold, gain/loss, honor/dishonor. From √dvi — two. The atītaḥ (transcendent) is one who has *passed beyond* the dvandvas, not one who picks the favorable pole.
  • vimatsaraḥ — without envy
    Vi + matsara — 'free from envy.' Matsara is specifically the discomfort produced by others' superior fortune. Vimatsara is the diagnostic — its presence reveals attachment to comparison; its absence reveals freedom.
  • samaḥ — equipoised
    From the same root as samatā in 2.48. The same Sanskrit term repeats across the Gītā wherever the steady soul is described. Sameness in success and failure (siddhau asiddhau) is the structural marker.
He who is satisfied with gain which comes of its own accord, who is free from duality and does not envy, who is steady in both success and failure, is never entangled, although performing actions.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Four traits of the unbound actor: contentment with chance gain, equanimity in dualities, freedom from envy, sameness in success and failure. With these in place, action no longer entangles the doer.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
यदृच्छा-लाभ (chance gain) is the classical sannyāsa ideal — no contriving, no negotiation. The pair सिद्धि / असिद्धि (success / failure) repeats BG 2.48's samatva-yoga formula. The verse rounds out the karma-yoga psychology before transitioning into the yajña-rich theology of 4.23 onward.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
यदृच्छा-लाभ-संतुष्टः, द्वन्द्व-अतीतः, विमत्सरः, सिद्धौ असिद्धौ च समः (सन्), कृत्वा अपि न निबध्यते।
yadṛcchā-lābha-saṃtuṣṭaḥ, dvandva-atītaḥ, vimatsaraḥ, siddhau asiddhau ca samaḥ (san), kṛtvā api na nibadhyate|
Content with whatever comes unbidden, beyond the dualities, free from envy, even-minded in success and failure — though he acts, he is not bound.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
यदृच्छा-लाभ-संतुष्टः द्वन्द्व-अतीतः विमत्सरः । समः सिद्धौ असिद्धौ च कृत्वा अपि न निबध्यते ॥
yadṛcchā-lābha-saṃtuṣṭaḥ dvandva-atītaḥ vimatsaraḥ | samaḥ siddhau asiddhau ca kṛtvā api na nibadhyate ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
यदृच्छा-लाभ-संतुष्टः yadṛcchā-lābha-saṃtuṣṭaḥ यदृच्छा + लाभ + संतुष्ट (p.p.p. (past passive participle)) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m., bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound) content with whatever comes by chance
द्वन्द्व-अतीतः dvandva-atītaḥ द्वन्द्व + अतीत (p.p.p. (past passive participle)) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m., tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) beyond dualities
विमत्सरः vimatsaraḥ वि-मत्सर (adj.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m., bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound) free from envy
समः samaḥ सम (adj.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. even, equal
सिद्धौ siddhau सिद्धि (f.) loc.sg. (locative singular) in success
असिद्धौ asiddhau अ-सिद्धि (f.) loc.sg. (locative singular) in failure
च ca ind. (indeclinable), conjunctive and
कृत्वा kṛtvā √कृ abs. (absolutive) having done
अपि api ind. (indeclinable), concessive even
न na ind. (indeclinable), negation not
निबध्यते nibadhyate नि+√बन्ध् pass. (passive) pres. (present) 3sg. is bound
Purport

A Kṛṣṇa conscious person does not make much endeavor even to maintain his body. He is satisfied with gains which are obtained of their own accord. He neither begs nor borrows, but he labors honestly as far as is in his power, and is satisfied with whatever is obtained by his own honest labor. He is therefore independent in his livelihood. He does not allow anyone’s service to hamper his own service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. However, for the service of the Lord he can participate in any kind of action without being disturbed by the duality of the material world. The duality of the material world is felt in terms of heat and cold, or misery and happiness. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is above duality because he does not hesitate to act in any way for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he is steady both in success and in failure. These signs are visible when one is fully in transcendental knowledge.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
22. Satisfied with what comes of its own accord, free of dualities, free of envy, calm in the face of success or failure, though engaging in work, that person is not bound.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
22. Satisfied with what comes of its own accord, tolerant of dualities, free of envy, calm in the face of success or failure, though engaging in work, that person is not bound.
Commentary

This verses shows that one should not make extra effort to attain food or clothing for ones bodily maintenance. That person is satisfied with what is attained on its own, without asking for it. He is tolerant (atītaḥ) of dualities such as heat and cold. He does not have hatred of those who attack him (vimatsaraḥ). He is equal (samaḥ), being devoid of joy at what comes of its own accord, and devoid of lamentation when nothing comes. Though doing actions to maintain his body in this way, he is not bound by the various actions. He is not contaminated because of the influence of steadiness in jñāna.

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

A devotee on this platform does not even endeavor to beg for his sustenance. He depends on

Kṛṣṇa, who looks upon such an exalted soul with great affection. Śrīpada Mādhavendra Purī is an

example of a devotee on this level. Mādhavendra Purī neither worked nor begged for his food. He

ate only when someone was prompted by Kṛṣṇa from within to offer him food.

When Mādhavendra Purī traveled in Vraja-dhāma, he refrained from begging. One day, Kṛṣṇa saw

his faith, affection, and detachment and personally brought Mādhavendra Purī milk, as the saint sat

at Govinda-kuṇḥa near Govardhana Hill. The devotional consciousness of such a materially de-

tached, spiritually attached soul is so sweet that it even attracts Kṛṣṇa.

Endowed with this consciousness, the devotee’s mind is freed from the dualities of the material

world. All day the conditioned soul sees good and bad. He yearns for pleasure and tries to avoid

distress. The devotee is above such considerations because he sees Kṛṣṇa’s hand in everything that

occurs.

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
4.22 Yadrccha-labha-santustah, remaining satisfied with what comes unasked for-yadrccha-labha means coming to possess something without having prayed for it; feeling contented with that-. Dvandva-atitah,having transcended the dualities-one is said to be beyond dualities when his mind is not distressed even when afflicted by such opposites as heat and cold, etc.-. Vimatsarah, being free from spite, from the idea of enmity; and samah, eipoised; siddhau ca asiddhau, is success and failure, with regard to things that come unasked for-. The monk who is such, who is eipoised, not delighted or sorrowful in getting or not getting food etc. for the sustenance of the body, who sees inaction etc. in action etc., who is ever poised in the realization of the Self as It is, who, with regard to the activities accomplished by the body etc. in the course of going about for alms etc. for the bare maintenance of the body, is ever clearly conscious of the fact, 'I certainly do not anything; the organs act on the objects of the organs' (see 5.8; 3.28), he, realizing the absence of agentship in the Self, certainly does not do any actions like going about for alms etc. But when, abserving similarly with common human behaviour, agentship is attributed to him by ordinary poeple, then he (apparently) becomes an agent with regard to such actions as moving about for alms etc. However, from the standpoint of his own realization which has arisen from the valid means of knowledge presented in the scriptures, he is surely not an agent. He, to whom is thus ascribed agentship by others, na nibadhyate, is not bound; api, even; krtva, by performing such actions as moving about for alms merely for the maintenance of the body, because action which is a source of bondage has been burnt away along with its cause by the fire of wisdom. Thus, this is only a restatement of what has been said earilier. When a person who has already started works becomes endowed with the realization of the identity of the Self with the actionless Brahman, then it follows that in the case of that man, who has experienced the absence of agentship, actions and purposes in the Self, actions become relinished. But if this becomes impossible for some reason and he continues to be engaged in those acitons as before, still he certainly does not do anything. This absence of action has been shown in the verse, 'Having given up attachment to the results of action৷৷.' (20). Of that very person with regard to whom has been shown the absence of aciton-
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
4.22 Content with whatever chance may bring for the maintenance of the body; 'rising above the pairs of opposites' means enduring cold, heat and such other experiences until one has completed the practice of Karma Yoga; 'free from ill-will?' i.e., free from ill-will towards others, seeing his own Karma as the cause of his adversity; 'even-minded in success and failure,' i.e., even-minded at success like victory in war, etc., and failure therein - such a person 'is not bound,' i.e., he does not fall into Samsara, though devoted to action without any exclusive practice of Jnana Yoga.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
4.22 Yadrccha-etc. He does not get bound even when he acts : Here nibadhyate 'gets bound' is a usage of transitive verb with its object functioning as the subject. [Hence] the meaning is : The Self binds Itself by undertaking the dirt of mental impressions for fruits [of action]. Otherwise [the usage would amount to attribute] freedom of actions to the insentient in binding [the Self] - a proposition which is not a very happy one.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
4.22 Content with what comes to him without effort, free from the pairs of opposites and envy, even-minded in success and failure, though acting, he is not bound.
Commentary

4.22 यदृच्छालाभसन्तुष्टः content with what comes to him without effort? द्वन्द्वातीतः free from the pairs of,opposites? विमत्सरः free from envy? समः evenminded? सिद्धौ in success? असिद्धौ in failure? च and? कृत्वा acting? अपि even? न not? निबध्यते is bound.Commentary The sage is ite satisfied with what comes to him by chance. In verses IV. 18? 19? 20? 22? 22 and 23 there is only a reiteration of the results of the knowledge of the Self which is beyond action. The sage who identifies himself with the actionless Self is not bound as action and its cause which bind one to the round of birth and death have been burnt in the fire of the knowledge of the Self or BrahmaJnana. Just as a seed burnt in the fire cannot germinate? so also the Karmas or actions burnt by the fire of knowledge of the Self cannot produce future birth.Ordinary people think that the sage is also a doer of actions? an agent? active and therefore bound? when they see him doing actions. This is a mistake. From his own point of view and? in truth? he is not an agent at all. He really does no action at all. He feels and says? I do nothing at all. Nature does or the three alities of Nature do everything.He is not affected by heat and cold? pleasure and pain? success and failure? as he always has a balanced state of mind. He is not attached even to the things which are necessary for the bare maintenance of his body. He experiences neither pleasure nor pain? whether or not he obtains food and the other things which are reired for the maintenance of his body. The reason is that he is resting in his essential nature as ExistenceKnowledgeBliss Absolute (SatchidanandaSvarupa) he is swimming in the ocean of bliss. So he does not care for his body and its needs.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
4.22 Remaining satisfied with what comes unasked for, having transcended the dualities, being free from spite, and eipoised under success and failure, he is not bound even by performing actions.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
4.22 Content with what comes to him without effort of his own, mounting above the pairs of opposites, free from envy, his mind balanced both in success and failure; though he acts, yet the consequences do not bind him.
Related values & verses
Related values
Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)
Related verses
BG 2.38 BG 6.32 BG 12.18 SB 11.19.36 SB 7.13.37 SB 1.2.19 CC Madhya 19.149 CC Madhya 22.78 CC Antya 6.313 Īśa Upaniṣad 7 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.20
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Satisfied with what comes by itself, beyond duality, without envy, equipoised in success and failure — though acting, he is not bound.
Practical Applications
  • Receive what comes without complaint; let go of what doesn't.
  • Notice envy as the diagnostic — its presence reveals attachment.
  • Treat success and failure as functionally equivalent for the soul.
Reflection Questions
  • Where is envy revealing attachment I'd rather not name?
  • What about my reaction to failure shows the soul's actual freedom or lack thereof?
Analogy

A traveler who eats whatever the road provides — sometimes a feast, sometimes a crust — without ranking the meals or envying other travelers' plates, walks free of the whole drama of provision. The same legs carry the same body; only the inner running-commentary has been removed.

Stories
Sudāmā arriving at Dvārakā

When Sudāmā walked to Dvārakā, he had no expectations. He carried a few grains of chipped rice tied in a rag — what came of its own accord from his wife's meager hospitality to a guest. He neither complained of his poverty nor envied Kṛṣṇa's opulence.

This is yadṛcchā-lābha-santuṣṭa, vimatsaraḥ — satisfied with what arrived on its own, free of envy. Bhāgavatam describes him as utterly equipoised in both his prior failure and his subsequent success when he returned home to find his hut replaced by a palace.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

← Read full Chapter 4