Bhagavad Gita BG 10.4
Chapter 10, Verse 4 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
बुद्धिर्ज्ञानमसम्मोहः क्षमा सत्यं दमः शमः । सुखं दुःखं भवोऽभावो भयं चाभयमेव च ॥
buddhir jnanam asammohah kshama satyam damah shamah sukham duhkham bhavo 'bhavo bhayam cabhayam eva ca
Meaning
Intelligence (buddhi), knowledge (jnana), non-delusion (asammoha), patience (kshama), truth (satya), self-restraint (dama), calmness (shama), pleasure (sukha), pain (duhkha), existence (bhava), non-existence (abhava), fear (bhaya), and also fearlessness (abhaya) —
Understanding
This verse begins a two-verse list (continued in v5) of bhavah (states/qualities) that arise from Krishna alone. The first list: buddhi (intelligence — the discriminating faculty), jnana (knowledge), asammoha (non-delusion, clarity), kshama (patience/forgiveness), satya (truth), dama (restraint of the senses), shama (calmness of mind), sukha (pleasure), duhkha (pain), bhava (existence), abhava (non-existence), bhaya (fear), abhaya (fearlessness). Notice that opposites are both from Krishna — sukha AND duhkha, bhava AND abhava, bhaya AND abhaya. The Divine is the source of all polarities, not only the pleasant ones.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| बुद्धिः | buddhih | intelligence, discriminating faculty, intellect |
| ज्ञानम् | jnanam | knowledge, spiritual knowing |
| असम्मोहः | asammohah | non-delusion, clarity, freedom from confusion |
| क्षमा | kshama | patience, forbearance, forgiveness |
| दमः | damah | self-restraint, control of the senses |
| शमः | shamah | calmness of mind, tranquility |
| भावः अभावः | bhavah abhavah | existence and non-existence, being and non-being |
| बुद्धिः | buddhiḥ | intelligence |
| ज्ञानम् | jñānam | knowledge |
| असम्मोहः | asammohaḥ | clarity, freedom from delusion |
| क्षमा | kṣamā | forgiveness, patience |
| सत्यम् | satyam | truthfulness |
| दमः | damaḥ | self-control |
| शमः | śamaḥ | peace of mind |
| सुखम् | sukham | happiness |
| दुःखम् | duḥkham | distress |
| भवः | bhavaḥ | birth, existence |
| अभावः | abhāvaḥ | non-existence, death |
| भयम् | bhayam | fear |
| च | ca | and |
| अभयम् | abhayam | fearlessness |
| एव | eva | indeed |
| च | ca | also |