Bhagavad-gītā 16.1
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
श्री भगवानुवाच अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिः ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिः। दानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्यायस्तप आर्जवम्।।16.1।।
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha abhayaṁ sattva-sanśhuddhir jñāna-yoga-vyavasthitiḥ dānaṁ damaśh cha yajñaśh cha svādhyāyas tapa ārjavam
Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in knowledge and Yoga; almsgiving, control of the senses, Yajna, reading of the Shâstras, austerity, uprightness;
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| śhrī-bhagavān uvācha | the Supreme Divine Personality said |
| abhayam | fearlessness |
| sattva-sanśhuddhiḥ | purity of mind |
| jñāna | knowledge |
| yoga | spiritual |
| vyavasthitiḥ | steadfastness |
| dānam | charity |
| damaḥ | control of the senses |
| cha | and |
| yajñaḥ | performance of sacrifice |
| cha | and |
| svādhyāyaḥ | study of sacred books |
| tapaḥ | austerity |
| ārjavam | straightforwardness |
Read the Sanskrit as a connected thought built from śhrī-bhagavān uvācha (the Supreme Divine Personality said), damaḥ (control of the senses), and ārjavam (straightforwardness). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to divine and destructive dispositions. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 16.1.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Compare divine and destructive dispositions, their actions and consequences without converting the lists into weapons for judging others.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in knowledge and Yoga
- 2
almsgiving, control of the senses, Yajna, reading of the Shâstras, austerity, uprightness
- 3
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha: the Supreme Divine Personality said
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
Picture two dispositions.
Link
Use the line starts: śhrī-bhagavān uvācha / abhayaṁ sattva-sanśhuddhir / dānaṁ damaśh.
Cover
Hide the verse and rebuild one line at a time.
Teach
Explain the flow to another person without looking.
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 16.1, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 16.1 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 16.1 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 16.1 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 16.1, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition