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GITĀ, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH, XVI 1149
तेजः क्षमा धृतिः शौचमद्रोहो नातिमानिता।
भवन्ति सम्पदं देवीमभिजातस्य भारत ॥३॥ (3) brilliance, forgiveness, steadiness, purity, non-hatred, not being over-dignified, these (qualities), O Bhāratal are acquired by persons, who are born to godlike endowments.
[These 26 qualities of godlike endowment are practically the same as the characteristics of jñāna' given in Chapter XIII (Gi. 13. 7-11); and that is why 'ajñāna' has been included in the ungodlike characteristics in the next stanza. It is not possible to define the meaning of each word in the list of these 26 qualities in such a way that it will be different from the definitions of the other words; and such was not even the intention of the Blessed Lord. For instance, Harmlessness (almsā) is divided by some persons into kūyrka' (bodily). 'vācika' (vocal), and 'mūnasika' (mental); and, they look upon angrily hurting the mind of another person as a kind of harmfulness (huisā). If one, similarly, considers the three aspects of 'purity', not being angry, not hating any one, and other qualities can be included in 'mental purity. There is a detailed description of self-restraint, austerities, veracity, and avarice in Chapters 160 to 163 of the Santiparva of the Mahābhārata. Out of these, the word ' dama' (self-restraint) has there been taken in an extensive meaning, so as to include forgiveness, steadiness, harmlessness, truth, pleading, and other several 25 or 30 qualities (Sān. 160); and in exposition of satya', (veracity), that quality is said to include by itself the following thirteen qualities, namely, truthfulness, equability, self-restraint, absence of jealousy, forgiveness, shame, patience, want of envy, sacrifice (yāya), meditation (dhyāna), 'āryatā' (desire to benefit others), endurance, and kindness; and these various words have also been defined in the same place. Grouping together many qualities in this way under one heading is a matter of learning: and if each quality is considered in this way, it will be necessary to write a treatise on every one quality. All these qualities have been enumerated in the above stanza with the sole intention that one should thereby get a complete
