Bhagavad Gita 16.2
Spoken by Krishna ☆ Key verse · Verse 2 of 24
अहिंसा सत्यम् अक्रोधस् त्यागः शान्तिर् अपैशुनम् । दया भूतेष्व् अलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीर् अचापलम् ॥
ahiṃsā satyam akrodhas tyāgaḥ śāntir apaiśunam | dayā bhūteṣv aloluptvaṃ mārdavaṃ hrīr acāpalam ||
More daivī qualities: ahiṃsā, satya, akrodha, tyāga, śānti, apaiśuna, dayā, aloluptva, mārdava, hrī, acāpala.
Word by word (3)
- ahiṃsā satyam akrodhas tyāgaḥ śāntiḥ
- — ahiṃsā (non-injury/non-harming), satya (truth/honesty), akrodha (absence of anger), tyāga (renunciation/relinquishment), śānti (inner peace/tranquility)
- apaiśunam dayā bhūteṣu aloluptvam
- — apaiśuna (freedom from tale-telling/backbiting), dayā bhūteṣu (compassion toward all beings), aloluptva (freedom from covetousness/greed)
- mārdavaṃ hrīr acāpalam
- — mārdava (gentleness/softness), hrī (modesty/sense of shame — the internal self-regulator), acāpala (absence of restlessness/fickleness — steadiness)
Non-injury, truthfulness, freedom from anger, renunciation, tranquillity, absence of slander, compassion for all beings, freedom from greed, gentleness, modesty, steadiness of character;
A modern analogy
If the opening verse's qualities — fearlessness, purity, discipline — are the structural frame, this verse's qualities are the interior: the emotional and relational textures of a divine character. Where the first verse orients you to practice and wisdom, this one orients you to others: ahiṃsā (in action), satya (in speech), dayā (in feeling), apaiśuna (in community). The divine character is both self-disciplined AND other-directed.
Public-domain translations (4) compare all →
Harmlessness, truth, absence of anger, renunciation, tranquillity, absence of detraction, compassion to beings, non-covetousness, gentleness, modesty, non-inconstancy; [1]
Non-injury, truth, absence of anger, renunciation, tranquillity, absence of calumny, compassion to beings, uncovetousness, gentleness, modesty, absence of fickleness; [4]
Non-injury, truth, absence of anger, renunciation, tranquillity, absence of vilification, compassion towards all beings, freedom from covetousness, gentleness, modesty, absence of inconstancy; [9]
Abstention from injury, truth, freedom from anger, renunciation, tranquility, freedom from reporting other's faults, compassion for all creatures, absence of covetousness, gentleness, modesty, absence of restlessness; [13]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
Three gates to hell, destructive of the self: kāma, krodha, lobha. Therefore abandon this triad.
Duryodhana catalogues the Pandava heroes — naming his fears, one by one.
Many, freed from attachment, fear, and anger, purified by knowledge-austerity — have attained My being.
One who abandons śāstra-vidhi to act from desire's impulse attains neither siddhi, nor sukha, nor the Supreme Goal.
Speech tapas: non-disturbing, true, agreeable, beneficial words — plus daily svādhyāya (sacred study).
Yajña, dāna, and tapas must NOT be abandoned — they must be performed; they are purifiers of the wise.
Verse 2 of 24 · back to Chapter 16