Bhagavad Gita · 18.42 · Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender·42 of 78
शमो दमस्तपः शौचं क्षान्तिरार्जवमेव च।ज्ञानं विज्ञानमास्तिक्यं ब्रह्मकर्म स्वभावजम् ॥
śhamo damas tapaḥ śhauchaṁ kṣhāntir ārjavam eva cha
jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam
Sanskrit recitation
Honor your own dharma · 18.41–18.48 · Teaching
Translation
Serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forgiveness, and uprightness, as well as knowledge, realization, and belief in God, are the duties of Brahmanas, born of their own nature.
Meaning
Sama is control of the mind. Dama is control of the senses. Serenity and selfrestraint have already been explained in XVII.2. Austerity of the three kinds has also been explained in XVII.14 to 16.Astikyam Faith in the words of the Guru, in the teachings of the scriptures, in the existence of God, in the life beyond or hereafter and in ones own Self.The mind is absorbed in the Self. This gives peace. Selfrestraint is the helpmate of peace. In obeying the inunctions of the scriptures alone you will attain peace and spiritual progress. You must not argue too much. You must have reverence for and faith in the teaching.As the sandalwood tree is fragrant with its own sweet scent, as a Champaka tree is adorned by its lovely flowers, so also a Brahmana is adorned by these nine virtues which are inseparable from him.Now, O Arjuna, listen to the duties of a Kshatriya.
After Swami Sivananda
Honor your own dharma· 18.41–18.48→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 18.41Of Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, and Sudras, O Arjuna, the duties are distributed according to the qualities born of their own nature.
18.42Serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forgiveness, and uprightness, as well as knowledge, realization, and belief in God, are the duties of Brahmanas, born of their own nature.
- 18.43Prowess, splendor, firmness, dexterity, and not fleeing from battle, generosity, and lordliness are the duties of the Kshatriyas, born of their own nature.
- 18.44Agriculture, cattle-rearing, and trade are the duties of the Vaisya (merchant), born of their own nature; and service is the duty of the Sudra (servant-class), born of their own nature.
- 18.45Each person devoted to their own duty attains perfection. How they attain perfection while being engaged in their own duty, hear now.
- 18.46He from whom all the beings have evolved and by whom all this is pervaded, worshipping Him with his own duty, one attains perfection.
- 18.47Better is one's own duty, even if it is destitute of merits, than the duty of another well performed. He who does the duty ordained by his own nature incurs no sin.
- 18.48One should not, O Arjuna, abandon the duty to which one is born, though it may be faulty; for, all undertakings are enveloped by evil, just as fire is by smoke.
Word-by-word→
- śhamaḥ
- tranquility
- damaḥ
- restraint
- tapaḥ
- austerity
- śhaucham
- purity
- kṣhāntiḥ
- patience
- ārjavam
- integrity
- eva
- certainly
- cha
- and
- jñānam
- knowledge
- vijñānam
- wisdom
- āstikyam
- belief in a hereafter
- brahma
- of the priestly class
- karma
- work
- svabhāva-jam
- born of one’s intrinsic qualities
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