Bhagavad Gita

Gita Verses on Good Character and Divine Qualities

सद्गुण और दैवी संपदा

What does it mean to be a genuinely good person? In Chapter 16, Krishna lists the divine qualities (daivi sampada) — fearlessness, purity, compassion, honesty, gentleness, and more. These shlokas are a complete blueprint for building noble character.

  1. श्री भगवानुवाच

    śhrī-bhagavān uvācha abhayaṁ sattva-sanśhuddhir jñāna-yoga-vyavasthitiḥ dānaṁ damaśh cha yajñaśh cha svādhyāyas tapa ārjavam

    The Blessed Lord said: Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in knowledge and yoga, almsgiving, control of the senses, sacrifice, study of scriptures, austerity, and straightforwardness.

    श्रीभगवान् बोले -- भयका सर्वथा अभाव; अन्तःकरणकी शुद्धि; ज्ञानके लिये योगमें दृढ़ स्थिति; सात्त्विक दान; इन्द्रियोंका दमन; यज्ञ; स्वाध्याय; कर्तव्य-पालनके लिये कष्ट सहना; शरीर-मन-वाणीकी सरलता।

  2. अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्यागः शान्तिरपैशुनम्।दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम्॥

    ahinsā satyam akrodhas tyāgaḥ śhāntir apaiśhunam dayā bhūteṣhv aloluptvaṁ mārdavaṁ hrīr achāpalam

    Harmlessness, truth, absence of anger, renunciation, peacefulness, absence of crookedness, compassion for beings, non-covetousness, gentleness, modesty, and absence of fickleness.

    अहिंसा, सत्यभाषण; क्रोध न करना; संसारकी कामनाका त्याग; अन्तःकरणमें राग-द्वेषजनित हलचलका न होना; चुगली न करना; प्राणियोंपर दया करना सांसारिक विषयोंमें न ललचाना; अन्तःकरणकी कोमलता; अकर्तव्य करनेमें लज्जा; चपलताका अभाव।

  3. तेजः क्षमा धृतिः शौचमद्रोहो नातिमानिता।

    tejaḥ kṣhamā dhṛitiḥ śhaucham adroho nāti-mānitā bhavanti sampadaṁ daivīm abhijātasya bhārata

    Vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence of hatred, absence of pride—these belong to one born for a divine state, O Arjuna.

    तेज (प्रभाव), क्षमा, धैर्य, शरीरकी शुद्धि, वैरभावका न रहना और मानको न चाहना, हे भरतवंशी अर्जुन ! ये सभी दैवी सम्पदाको प्राप्त हुए मनुष्यके लक्षण हैं।

  4. अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च।निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी॥

    adveṣhṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ maitraḥ karuṇa eva cha nirmamo nirahankāraḥ sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣhamī

    He who hates no creature, is friendly and compassionate to all, is free from attachment and egoism, is balanced in pleasure and pain, and is forgiving.

    सब प्राणियोंमें द्वेषभावसे रहित, सबका मित्र (प्रेमी) और दयालु, ममतारहित, अहंकाररहित, सुखदुःखकी प्राप्तिमें सम, क्षमाशील, निरन्तर सन्तुष्ट, योगी, शरीरको वशमें किये हुए, दृढ़ निश्चयवाला? मेरेमें अर्पित मनबुद्धिवाला जो मेरा भक्त है, वह मेरेको प्रिय है।

  5. अमानित्वमदम्भित्वमहिंसा क्षान्तिरार्जवम्।आचार्योपासनं शौचं स्थैर्यमात्मविनिग्रहः॥

    amānitvam adambhitvam ahinsā kṣhāntir ārjavam āchāryopāsanaṁ śhauchaṁ sthairyam ātma-vinigrahaḥ

    Humility, unpretentiousness, non-injury, forgiveness, uprightness, service to the teacher, purity, steadfastness, and self-control.

    मानित्व-(अपनेमें श्रेष्ठताके भाव-) का न होना, दम्भित्व-(दिखावटीपन-) का न होना, अहिंसा, क्षमा, सरलता, गुरुकी सेवा, बाहर-भीतरकी शुद्धि, स्थिरता और मनका वशमें होना।

  6. इच्छा द्वेषः सुखं दुःखं सङ्घातश्चेतनाधृतिः।एतत्क्षेत्रं समासेन सविकारमुदाहृतम्॥

    ichchhā dveṣhaḥ sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ saṅghātaśh chetanā dhṛitiḥ etat kṣhetraṁ samāsena sa-vikāram udāhṛitam

    Desire, hatred, pleasure, pain, the aggregate (body), intelligence, and fortitude—the field has thus been briefly described with its modifications.

    इच्छा, द्वेष, सुख, दुःख, संघात, चेतना (प्राणशक्ति) और धृति -- इन विकारोंसहित यह क्षेत्र संक्षेपसे कहा गया है।

✦ Frequently Asked Questions ✦

What does the Bhagavad Gita say about good character and divine qualities?

What does it mean to be a genuinely good person? In Chapter 16, Krishna lists the divine qualities (daivi sampada) — fearlessness, purity, compassion, honesty, gentleness, and more. These shlokas are a complete blueprint for building noble character. Key shlokas: 16.1, 16.2, 16.3, 12.13, 13.8, 13.7.

Which Bhagavad Gita verses are about good character and divine qualities?

The Bhagavad Gita addresses good character and divine qualities in shlokas 16.1, 16.2, 16.3, 12.13, 13.8, 13.7. Read each with Sanskrit, transliteration, word-by-word meaning and English & Hindi translation on AskGita.