Bhagavad Gita BG 18.42
Chapter 18, Verse 42 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
शमो दमस्तपः शौचं क्षान्तिरार्जवमेव च । ज्ञानं विज्ञानमास्तिक्यं ब्रह्मकर्म स्वभावजम् ॥
shamo damas tapah shaucam kshantir arjavam eva ca jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam
Meaning
Serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, patience, uprightness, knowledge, discernment, and faith in the Divine — these are the Brahmin's duties, born of their nature.
Understanding
The brahmin svadharma: shama (serenity of mind), dama (restraint of senses), tapas (austerity, disciplined living), shauca (purity, cleanliness inside and out), kshanti (patience, forbearance), arjava (uprightness, directness). Jnana (theoretical knowledge — knowing the scriptures and teaching), vijnana (experiential wisdom — the direct realization), astikya (faith in the Divine and the teaching — the opposite of nihilism). These nine qualities form the brahmin's natural function: the custodian and teacher of wisdom. These are strikingly similar to the daivi sampat of Ch16 — the brahmin function is the embodiment of divine qualities in service of knowledge.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| शमः | shamah | serenity of mind, mental tranquility |
| क्षान्तिः | kshantih | patience, forbearance |
| विज्ञानम् | vijnanam | discernment, experiential wisdom (distinguished from theoretical jnana) |
| आस्तिक्यम् | astikyam | faith in the Divine/reality, belief in the sacred order |
| स्वभावजम् | svabhava-jam | born of one's own nature, arising from svabhava |
| शमः | śamaḥ | peacefulness |
| दमः | damaḥ | self-control |
| तपः | tapaḥ | austerity |
| शौचम् | śaucam | purity |
| क्षान्तिः | kṣāntiḥ | patience, tolerance |
| आर्जवम् | ārjavam eva ca | and simplicity also |
| ज्ञानम् | jñānam | knowledge |
| विज्ञानम् | vijñānam | wisdom, realization |
| आस्तिक्यम् | āstikyam | religiosity, faith |
| ब्रह्म-कर्म | brahma-karma | the duty of a brahmin |
| स्वभाव-जम् | svabhāva-jam | born of one's nature |