Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa continues describing the parā-bhakta, the mature devotee who has gone through the disciplines of bhakti-yoga and has gained inner steadiness. In this verse, the central word is samaḥ — the one who remains the same.

First, the devotee is samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca — the same toward enemy and friend. This does not mean a friend and an enemy are treated identically in practical life. A friend may be welcomed; an enemy may require caution. But inwardly, the devotee is not ruled by attachment toward the friend or hatred toward the enemy. The response is governed by dharma and clarity, not by emotional partiality.

Then Bhagavān says the devotee is the same in māna and apamāna — honor and dishonor. Praise, respect, recognition, insult, neglect, and humiliation do not become the basis of the person’s self-worth. The mature devotee may receive honor without inflation and dishonor without inner collapse.

The same steadiness applies to śīta-uṣṇa and sukha-duḥkha — heat and cold, pleasure and pain. Physical and emotional experiences continue to come and go, but the devotee is not internally enslaved by them.

The verse ends with saṅga-vivarjitaḥ — free from attachment. This is the foundation of the previous qualities. Attachment creates dependence; dependence creates fear, partiality, and agitation. When attachment is loosened, the mind becomes available for sameness.