K. Siva Prasad

(The writer is a senior IAS officer in the Punjab Government. This column on spirituality appears every Sunday).

Gita Acharan

Samatva (equanimity) is a common thread that runs across the Gita. Lord Krishna highlights Samatva bhav, Samatva drishti and Samatva buddhi at various places. Samatva is easy to understand but difficult to internalize. The degree of Samatva in us is an indicator of our progress in the spiritual journey.

In the physical realm, most societies have accepted Samatva as equality before law for all citizens. Krishna gives many examples of Samatva when he says, the wise see as equal, the prey and the predators; pleasure and pain; profit and loss etc.

The difficulty with humans is that we tend to identify with one or more artificial divisions based on culture, religion, caste, nationality, race and many more. The ability to overcome these divisions and to treat two different people equally, is the first step towards Samatva. This is naturally much deeper than exhibited behavior.

The next level of progression in Samatva is an ability to see two people close to us with Samatva. Examples include being happy for success of our childrens’ friends especially when our own kids didn’t do well, treating mother and mother in law equally, treating daughter and daughter in law equally etc.

The highest level of Samatva is the ability to equate others to ourselves. It is the ability to maintain Samatva when others get what we believe belongs to us, like a promotion, fame, credit, property etc. This comes when we can see others’ weaknesses in us and our strengths in others.

Krishna advises us to see ourselves in others and others in us; and finally to see Krishna in everyone and everywhere. This is nothing but Advaitha, which says there are no two.

The obstacle in attaining this highest form of Samatva is our mind, which is trained to divide. Instead of allowing it to dominate, we should be able to make it subservient.

— The writer is a senior IAS officer in the Punjab Government.

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