Among the many sterling qualities of a devotee detailed by Krishna, equanimity is shown to be the key to peaceful living in this world, pointed out Sri K. Ramasubramania Sarma in a discourse. Though karma, jnana and bhakti are explained in detail to Arjuna to clear his confusion and show him the right path to be chosen at that point of time, there are many tips for the practice of yoga in everyday life as well.
Normally all beings are caught by the effects of joy, sorrow, fear or anxiety in the course of their life. It is not easy to ignore these and when one succumbs to them one’s mental peace is lost in the wilderness.
The Gita makes it clear that yoga is not only the practice of meditation of the Pranava or the form of the Lord; it is a mental state to be cultivated to tackle the problems of life. He is a greater yogi who has no hatred to any being in this world. He tries to remain a friend to all and develop a feeling of compassion towards them.
He tries to be free of ahamkara and mamakara, two strong forces within oneself that bind one to samsara. He tries to understand that joy and sorrow are passing phases in one’s life and are the effect of one’s past karma. So he tries to be patient at all times and slowly learns to maintain a mental poise and equanimity.
He gradually learns to transcend the turns of fortune in his life by practice of this mental discipline through every moment of his life.
This steadfastness is attainable to one who knows the Lord as the creator and sustainer of the entire creation and whose only aim is to always pay obeisance to that Supreme Lord.
It is also the practice of karma yoga that frees one from bondage.
