The Yoga of Knowledge and Renunciation of Action

Krishna describes another quality of the wise person. 'Nirāśīḥ' (free from desires/expectations) means not craving what one doesn't have. 'Sama-buddhiḥ sarvatra' (equal-minded everywhere) means balanced intelligence in all situations—not elated by success, not dejected by failure. The phrase 'siddhiṁ siddhiṁ prāpya' (having obtained success) shows the person achieves material success naturally, but 'buddhimān' (wise) means they understand these are temporary. The result: 'māṁ prāpya siddhim avāpnoti' (attains Me, attains perfection)—they reach the ultimate goal. This verse shows that peace and material success aren't contradictory—the wise person can have both, but isn't attached to either.