In Bhagavad Gita 10.4, Krishna begins listing the qualities of beings that come from him: intellect, knowledge, clarity, patience, truth, self-control, calm, pleasure, pain, birth, death, fear and fearlessness.
Sanskrit Verse
श्रीभगवानुवाच · The Blessed Lord said
बुद्धिर्ज्ञानमसम्मोहः
क्षमा सत्यं दमः शमः
सुखं दुःखं भवोऽभावो
भयं चाभयमेव च ॥ १०-४ ॥
buddhirjñānamasammohaḥ
kṣamā satyaṃ damaḥ śamaḥ
sukhaṃ duḥkhaṃ bhavo’bhāvo
bhayaṃ cābhayameva ca
English transliteration buddhirjnaanamasammohah
kshamaa satyam damah shamah
sukham duhkham bhavo’bhaavo
bhayam chaabhayameva cha ॥ 10.4 ॥
Translation / Meaning
Intellect, knowledge, freedom from confusion, patience, truthfulness, control of the senses, calmness, pleasure, pain, birth, death, fear and also fearlessness,
Word Meanings
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| बुद्धिः buddhiḥ | intellect |
| ज्ञानम् jñānam | knowledge |
| असम्मोहः asammohaḥ | freedom from confusion |
| क्षमा kṣamā | patience, forgiveness |
| सत्यम् satyam | truthfulness |
| दमः damaḥ | control of the senses |
| शमः śamaḥ | calmness of mind |
| सुखम् sukham | pleasure |
| दुःखम् duḥkham | pain |
| भवः bhavaḥ | birth |
| अभावः abhāvaḥ | death, non-being |
| भयम् bhayam | fear |
| च ca | and |
| अभयम् abhayam | fearlessness |
| एव eva | also |
| च ca | and |
Word-wise Chanting
- bud–dhir–jñā–na–ma–sam–mo–haḥ 8 syllables bud-dhir-jnaa-na-ma-sam-mo-hah
- kṣa–mā sat–yaṃ da–maḥ śa–maḥ | 8 syllables ksha-maa sat-yam da-mah sha-mah
- su–khaṃ duḥ–khaṃ bha–vo–‘bhā–vo 8 syllables su-kham duh-kham bha-vo-‘bhaa-vo
- bha–yaṃ cā–bha–ya–me–va ca || 10-4 8 syllables bha-yam chaa-bha-ya-me-va cha
How to read this
How to chant: each line is one pāda (quarter-verse); chant it in one breath. The hyphen (-) divides the syllables, inside a word and across a sandhi join, so every pāda shows its 8 syllables (11 in triṣṭubh verses). A consonant cluster is divided after its first consonant (kar-ma, vet-ti): that syllable is held longer. Mark above a syllable: guru, long (two beats); laghu, short (one beat). | closes the half-verse, || the verse; the number is the syllable count of the pāda.
Deeper Explanation – Chapter 10 Verse 4
Context
Krishna lists the states of beings that arise from him; the sentence continues into 10.5.
Meaning
Krishna names qualities and experiences of every kind. Some are virtues: buddhi, jñāna, asammoha, kṣamā, satya, dama and śama. Others are the pairs of life experience: pleasure and pain, coming into being and ceasing, fear and fearlessness. All of them arise from the Divine.
This list helps us see that everything in our inner life, our gifts and our struggles, arises within the one reality. Nothing in us is outside the Divine.
In Practice
Notice one quality from this list in yourself today, and recognise it as a gift from the Divine.
Related Verses
Continue Your Study
This verse belongs to Chapter 10: Vibhuti Yoga (The Divine Manifestations). Read the chapter overview, browse every verse of the Gita, or return to the chapter-by-chapter guide. For a reading plan, see how to study the Bhagavad Gita and the study resources.