Verse 16.1
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
श्रीभगवानुवाच | अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिर्ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिः | दानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्यायस्तप आर्जवम् ||१||
Transliteration (IAST)
śrī bhagavān uvāca | abhayaṁ sattva-saṁśuddhir jñāna-yoga-vyavasthitiḥ | dānaṁ damaś ca yajñaś ca svādhyāyas tapa ārjavam ||1||
Word-by-Word Meanings
Translation
The Supreme Lord said: Fearlessness, purity of mind, steadfastness in the yoga of knowledge, charity, self-control, sacrifice, study of scriptures, austerity, and straightforwardness -
Commentary
Krishna begins enumerating the divine qualities (daivī sampad). Shankaracharya explains that abhaya (fearlessness) is listed first because fear arises from perceiving duality, and its absence indicates spiritual maturity. Ramanuja notes these qualities collectively describe the nature of one progressing toward liberation. The verse begins a list that continues through verse 3.