(Image Courtesy Mahanidhiswami)
People Of Divine Nature Have Saintly Virtues
श्रीभगवानुवाच |
अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिर्ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थिति: |
दानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्यायस्तप आर्जवम् || 16.1||
अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्याग: शान्तिरपैशुनम् |
दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम् || 16.2||
तेज: क्षमा धृति: शौचमद्रोहोनातिमानिता |
भवन्ति सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातस्य भारत || 16.3||
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha
abhayaṁ sattva-sanśhuddhir jñāna-yoga-vyavasthitiḥ
dānaṁ damaśh cha yajñaśh cha svādhyāyas tapa ārjavam|| 16.1||
ahinsā satyam akrodhas tyāgaḥ śhāntir apaiśhunam
dayā bhūteṣhv aloluptvaṁ mārdavaṁ hrīr achāpalam|| 16.2||
tejaḥ kṣhamā dhṛitiḥ śhaucham adroho nāti-mānitā
bhavanti sampadaṁ daivīm abhijātasya bhārata|| 16.3||
Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 16- Ver. 1 to 3:
These are the saintly virtues of people gifted with a divine nature, O scion of Bharat, said the Supreme Divine Personality control of the senses, sacrifice, study of the sacred books, austerity, and straightforwardness; non-violence, truthfulness, absence of anger, renunciation, fearlessness, purity of mind, steadfastness in spiritual knowledge, charity, peacefulness, restraint from fault-finding, compassion toward all living beings, absence of covetousness, gentleness, modesty, and lack of fickleness; vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, cleanliness, bearing enmity toward none, and absence of vanity.
Explanation
Mindfulness This is how clean your insides are. Thoughts, sentiments, sensations, emotions, and other things are generated and stored in the mind. The mind is deemed pure when things are ethical, wholesome, positive, and elevating, and impure when they are immoral and degrading. In the modes of passion and awe, attachment to objects is a common occurrence.
Fearlessness It is the state of being unconcerned with current and future miseries. Any form of excessive attachment generates fear. Attachment to riches creates fear of poverty, attachment to social status causes fear of infamy, attachment to vice causes fear of the consequences of sin, attachment to bodily comfort causes fear of illness, and so on. All fear is banished from the heart by detachment and devotion to God.
Bearing enmity toward none Carrying grudges against others poisons our own minds, which becomes a hindrance to spiritual growth. Realizing that they are just like us and that God is present in all develops the quality of freedom from animosity toward others.
Non presence of Vanity Pride is the source of self-praise, boastfulness, ostentation, and other behaviours. Saintly people find nothing to be proud of in themselves and instead give thanks to God for the good traits they have. As a result, they avoid boasting about themselves.
Spiritual knowledge steadfastness “When human beings forget what is right and what is evil, they become like animals,” As a result, the path of virtue is constructed by being steady in spiritual principles consciousness.
Charity It refers to donating one’s belongings to a good cause or to people in need. True charity is done with a sense of gratitude to God for the opportunity to help, rather than with a sense of superiority. Material charity, which is done for the benefit of the body, aids others for a limited time. Spiritual generosity, performed on the level of the soul, aids in the removal of the source of all suffering: estrangement from God. As a result, it is regarded as superior to material charity.
Forgiveness This is the ability to accept other people’s wrongdoings without feeling compelled to retaliate. By forgiving others, one can heal emotional wounds that would otherwise fester and disrupt one’s thoughts.
Fortitude It is inner strength and determination to achieve one’s purpose, even when the mind and senses are worn out due to adversity. Most of the world’s great things have been accomplished by people who persisted in trying even when there seemed to be no hope.
Cleanliness Both internal and outward purity are referred to by this term. Virtuous people believe that keeping their surroundings clean is important because it makes them feel better.
The ability to control one’s senses The senses have a reputation for luring the mind deeper into material illusion. They entice live beings to seek instant fulfillment. Walking the path of virtue, on the other hand, necessitates sacrificing lower sensual pleasures in order to achieve a higher aim. As a result, self-control is a necessary attribute for walking the path to God.
Sacrifice It entails carrying out one’s Vedic duties and social obligations, even if they are unpleasant. When a sacrifice is made for the pleasure of God, it is deemed perfect.
The study of religious texts Feeding the intellect with uplifting information from the scriptures is a crucial part of nurturing the divine nature. When one’s intellect is enlightened by appropriate knowledge, one’s actions follow naturally.
Lack of emotional instability We may start out with excellent intentions, but if we are sidetracked by temptations and difficulties, we will not be able to complete the voyage. On the path of virtue, success is achieved through persevering in pursuing the objective despite all obstacles.
Vigor A deep inner impulse to act in accordance with one’s principles and convictions arises from mental purity. As a result, saintly individuals bring a tremendous amount of vitality and vigour to the things they undertake.
Austerity If we indulge our body-mind-senses, they become pleasure-seeking, but if we control them, they become disciplined. As a result, austerity is defined as the willing acceptance of hardships in order to purify one’s body, mind, and intellect.
Straightforwardness Simplicity in speech and behaviour clears the mind and allows good ideas to germinate.
Compassion for all living creatures Individuals who progress spiritually rise above self-centeredness and develop empathy for all living things. Compassion is a feeling of intense pity elicited by witnessing other people’s suffering.
Absence of covetousness Greed is the drive to acquire more than one genuinely requires for bodily maintenance. People who are enslaved by it amass vast sums of money and goods, despite the fact that they are aware that everything will be left behind when they die. Contentment and inner serenity result from the absence of such covetousness.
Gentleness The tendency to treat people harshly stems from a lack of empathy for their feelings. However, as one’s spiritual grandeur rises, so does one’s willingness to behave crudely. Spiritual refinement is manifested by gentleness.
Modesty “A sense of shame in undertaking things opposed to scriptures and society’s injunctions,” The saintly nature is endowed with a ruthless inner conscience that makes one feel guilty when they commit sin.
Non-violence It means not interfering with other living beings’ advancement through thought, word, or deed.
Truthfulness It entails refraining from manipulating facts in order to achieve one’s goals. Because God is the Absolute Truth, practicing truthfulness leads us closer to him; conversely, lie, while convenient, leads us away from God.
Anger is not present Anger is a manifestation of the material mind’s flaw. It occurs when the impulses for happiness are repressed and things do not turn out as planned.
Renunciation God owns all material energy, and it is intended for his enjoyment. As a result, the world’s opulence’s are meant to be used in the service of God rather than for personal delight. Renunciation is to be fixed in this knowledge.
Peacefulness Virtue cultivation necessitates mental poise. Peacefulness is the ability to maintain inner harmony in the face of adversity.
Refrain from pointing out flaws The entire universe, as well as everything inside it, is a mix of good and evil qualities. Focusing on others’ flaws pollutes our minds, whilst focusing on their merits purifies them. A holy person’s nature is to perceive his or her own flaws while seeing the virtues of others.
Verse & what we can learn
Acts in the mode of goodness are regarded favourable for advancement on the path of liberation by Vedic rites, and such activities are known as deva Prakriti, transcendental in character. Those who are rooted in transcendental nature move down the path to liberation. On the other hand, there is no hope of emancipation for individuals who act in the modes of passion and ignorance.
Either they must remain as human beings in this material realm, or they must descend among animal species or even lower living forms. The Lord discusses both the transcendental nature and its accompanying traits, as well as the demoniac nature and its attendant qualities, in this sixteenth chapter. He also discusses the benefits and drawbacks.
All these qualifications mentioned are transcendental qualities. The implication is that, despite the misery of material conditions, if these characteristics are acquired through practice by all kinds of humanity, it is possible to gradually advance to the greatest platform of transcendental realization.
To acquire knowledge and to implement that knowledge in life one needs to be mentally and physically active and healthy and for that daily meditation is a great tool.
There are various types of meditation like Buddhist meditation, heartfulness meditation, mindfulness meditation, meditation for stress, and each meditation benefits are countless. There is also numerous meditation techniques for beginners which help in practicing daily meditation so go ahead and start your journey towards a peaceful and balanced life.
In the next shloka Shri Krishna talks about qualities of those who possess a demoniac nature.
Let’s learn to live with “The Gita” via Meditation Affinity…