12-18 to 12-19

समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मान अपमानयोः ।
शीतोष्ण सुख दुःखेषु समः सङ्ग विवर्जितः ॥ १८ ॥
तुल्य निन्दा स्तुतिः मौनी सन्तुष्टो येन केनचित् ।
अनिकेतः स्थिरमतिः भक्तिमान् मे प्रियो नरः ॥ १९ ॥

samaH zatrau ca mitre ca tathA mAna apamAnayoH |
zItoSNa sukha duHkheSu samaH saGga vivarjitaH || 18 ||
tulya nindA stutiH maunI santuSTo yena kenacit |
aniketaH sthiramatiH bhaktimAn me priyo naraH || 19 ||

समः [samaH] Being unbiased मित्रे [mitre] among friendly शत्रौ च [zatrau ca] and unfriendly people, तथा [tathA] as well as मान [mAna] in fame अपमानयोः [apamAnayoH] and disgrace; सम [sama] being consistent सुख दुःखेषु [sukha duHkheSu] in comfort and discomfort, शीतोष्ण [zItoSNa] cold and heat; सङ्ग विवर्जितः [saGga vivarjitaH] being free of attachments; तुल्य निन्दा स्तुतिः [tulya nindA stutiH] treating praise and reprimand in the same way, मौनी [maunI] being silent, येन केनचित् सन्तुष्टः [yena kenacit santuSTaH] satisfied with whatever comes his way, अनिकेतः [aniketaH] uninterested in establishing his residence and territory; स्थिरमतिः [sthiramatiH] being with conviction - भक्तिमान् नरः [bhaktimAn naraH] this devotee मे प्रियः [me priyaH] is dear to Me.

Starting with 12-13, The Lord described the virtues of leaving hatred towards enemies and attachment to friends, along with other characteristics of a devotee. Though redundant here, the Lord emphasizes the virtue of ‘being unbiased’, even when in the company of desire.

In this Shloka, the Lord states- A person who has firm conviction in the Self is not bound by needs – such as the need to ‘belong’ to a place of residence. By the same conviction, he is unbiased in situations of fame and disgrace. Such a devotee is dear to Me.

This Shloka described a person who has focus on the Self. Next, the Lord summarizes the superiority of a devotee over this person, just as He did at the beginning of this chapter.