Summary:

Vivekachudamani, Verse 88: Due to prārabdha, both favourable and unfavourable conditions are unavoidable – life is inherently dvandva. The jīvanmukta remains unperturbed in both, falling back on the presence of Īśvara. This equanimity is not a sudden revolution but a gradual evolution, measured by decreasing frequency, intensity, and recovery period of mental disturbances.

Vivekachudamani – Verse 88: Even-Minded & Unperturbed

इष्ट अनिष्ट अर्थ सम्प्राप्तौ सम दर्शितया आत्मनि
उभयत्र अविकारित्वं जीवन्मुक्तस्य लक्षणम् (४३४, अल्त् ४३५)
iṣṭa aniṣṭa artha samprāptau sama darśitayā ātmani
ubhayatra avikāritvaṁ jīvanmuktasya lakṣaṇam (434, Alt 435)

The absence of elation or depression with reference to situations involving gain of desirable or undesirable objects – through a vision of equanimity – is the spontaneous expression of a jīvanmukta.

Chinmaya: Whether things are pleasing or painful – when confronted with either of these, he maintains in his mind an equal attitude to both; and remains unperturbed in both cases – This is an indication of the state of a Jivanmukta.

1) You will Experience Both Favourable and Unfavourable Conditions due to Prārabdha

The mind is a mere instrument, its job is to experience elation/depression according to situations which you can’t stop because of:

• 1. Past causes (prarabdha): This is why you see different jīvanmuktas in different life situations: some are famous, some are unknown. Or a highly qualified jnani may have no fame, while another with fewer qualifications may be well-known.
  2. Life is dvandva: Health/disease. Coming together / departing. Being honoured today / dishonoured tomorrow.

This makes the jnani accommodating towards ups and downs, rather then resisting. His fall back is presence of Ishvara in all things.

When vision stops on forms (differences, hurt, what someone said) – a vision of equanimity (sama darśitayā) is either superficial or impossible.

2) Your Transformation is a Gradual Evolution, Not a Sudden Revolution

This vision of equanimity is not a sudden, black-and-white change. It evolves. You can measure your progress by observing three factors in your mental disturbances:

• 1. FREQUENCY: The number of times your mind gets disturbed.
  2. INTENSITY: The strength of the disturbance, which you can gauge by how it expresses itself. The most intense disturbance affects you at three levels: thought, word, and bodily action. A less intense one may only affect your thoughts and words (like talking to yourself), while the least intense is confined to your thoughts alone.
  3. RECOVERY PERIOD: Duration of the disturbance. This period will become shorter and shorter.

The goal is not to achieve zero disturbance, which only happens in sleep, or videha mukti (liberation after death). Your aim is to reduce these three factors sufficiently.

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Recorded 17 Jan, 2026