śrī-bhagavān uvāca
prakāśaḿ ca pravṛttiḿ ca
moham eva ca pāṇḍava
na dveṣṭi sampravṛttāni
na nivṛttāni kāńkṣati
udāsīna-vad āsīno
guṇair yo na vicālyate
guṇā vartanta ity evaḿ
yo 'vatiṣṭhati neńgate
sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ sva-sthaḥ
sama-loṣṭāśma-kāñcanaḥ
tulya-priyāpriyo dhīras
tulya-nindātma-saḿstutiḥ
mānāpamānayos tulyas
tulyo mitrāri-pakṣayoḥ
sarvārambha-parityāgī
guṇātītaḥ sa ucyate

śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; prakāśam — illumination; ca — and; pravṛttim — attachment; ca — and; moham — illusion; eva ca — also; pāṇḍava — O son of Pāṇḍu; na dveṣṭi — does not hate; sampravṛttāni — although developed; na nivṛttāni — nor stopping development; kāńkṣati — desires; udāsīna-vat — as if neutral; āsīnaḥ — situated; guṇaiḥ — by the qualities; yaḥ — one who; na — never; vicālyate — is agitated; guṇāḥ — the qualities; vartante — are acting; iti evam — knowing thus; yaḥ — one who; avatiṣṭhati — remains; na — never; ińgate — flickers; sama — equal; duḥkha — in distress; sukhaḥ — and happiness; sva-sthaḥ — being situated in himself; sama — equally; loṣṭa — a lump of earth; aśma — stone; kāñcanaḥ — gold; tulya — equally disposed; priya — to the dear; apriyaḥ — and the undesirable; dhīraḥ — steady; tulya — equal; nindā — in defamation; ātma-saḿstutiḥ — and praise of himself; māna — in honor; apamānayoḥ — and dishonor; tulyaḥ — equal; tulyaḥ — equal; mitra — of friends; ari — and enemies; pakṣayoḥ — to the parties; sarva — of all; ārambha — endeavors; parityāgī — renouncer; guṇa-atītaḥ — transcendental to the material modes of nature; saḥ — he; ucyate — is said to be.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O son of Pāṇḍu, he who does not hate illumination, attachment and delusion when they are present or long for them when they disappear; who is unwavering and undisturbed through all these reactions of the material qualities, remaining neutral and transcendental, knowing that the modes alone are active; who is situated in the self and regards alike happiness and distress; who looks upon a lump of earth, a stone and a piece of gold with an equal eye; who is equal toward the desirable and the undesirable; who is steady, situated equally well in praise and blame, honor and dishonor; who treats alike both friend and enemy; and who has renounced all material activities — such a person is said to have transcended the modes of nature.