Kṛṣṇa defines the qualification for liberation. He says the person who is not disturbed by the waves of happiness and distress, and who remains steady in both, is eligible for immortality. Most people are emotional puppets, elated by success and crushed by failure. However, a spiritualist understands that these dualities belong to the body and mind, not to the self. By remaining an observer of these changes without getting entangled, one develops the inner strength necessary to break the cycle of birth and death. This is the stage of a ‘dhīra’, or a sober person. Kṛṣṇa is challenging Arjuna to rise to this level. If Arjuna fights only when he feels happy and quits when he feels sad, he is a slave to his emotions. To achieve ‘amṛtatvāya’, or immortality, he must perform his duty regardless of his internal weather. Equanimity is the gateway to freedom.