Qualities of character are divine expressions.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
बुद्धिर्ज्ञानमसम्मोहः क्षमा सत्यं दमः शमः |सुखं दुःखं भवोऽभावो भयं चाभयमेव च ||१०-४||
buddhirjñānamasammohaḥ kṣamā satyaṃ damaḥ śamaḥ . sukhaṃ duḥkhaṃ bhavo.abhāvo bhayaṃ cābhayameva ca ||10-4||
Use this verse for a daily virtue practice.
Meaning
Intellect, knowledge, freedom from delusion, forgiveness, truth, self-control, calmness, happiness, sorrow, existence, non-existence, fear and fearlessness arise from Me.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Many inner qualities and states have their source in Krishna.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna begins listing His manifestations not only in cosmic forms, but also in human qualities. Wisdom, forgiveness, truthfulness, calmness and even emotional states exist within His divine order.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna begins to enumerate the inner qualities of all beings — and declares (in the next verse) that they too arise from Him alone. Note how comprehensive the list is: it includes not only the noble virtues such as buddhi (discernment), jñāna (wisdom), kṣamā (forgiveness), satya (truth), and śama (mental calm), but also the dualities we usually resist — happiness and pain, existence and non-existence, fear and fearlessness.
The teaching is profound: every texture of human experience, light and shadow alike, has its ultimate origin in the Divine. Nothing in the moral and emotional landscape of life falls outside His ordering. This prepares the seeker to see all of life — its gifts and its trials — as woven from a single sacred thread.
In daily life
Cultivate inner qualities as a way of honoring Krishna.
Practicing truthfulness in business becomes spiritual when seen as Krishna’s quality.
Try this today
Choose one quality: truth, calm, forgiveness, or self-control.
I cultivate divine qualities in daily life.Reflect
Which divine quality should I cultivate today?
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Quick check
What does ‘भयं च अभयम् एव च’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on duality, in other chapters
- Verse 7.5Beyond inert matter lives a conscious power that upholds the world — recognise that living presence in yourself and in all beings.
- Verse 18.21Seeing only separateness and difference, while missing the underlying unity, is restless, passion-tinged knowledge.
- Verse 2.11True wisdom involves understanding what is actually worth grieving over — and recognizing that most of our grief is rooted in attachment to impermanence.
- Verse 3.25Work as hard as the most driven person, but let your motive be the good of all rather than personal gain.
Swipe left for 10.5 · Balance virtue with equanimity in public response.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 10.4
Who says Bhagavad Gita 10.4, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 10.4, in Chapter 10, Vibhuti Yoga (Vibhuti Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 10.4 mean?
Intellect, knowledge, freedom from delusion, forgiveness, truth, self-control, calmness, happiness, sorrow, existence, non-existence, fear and fearlessness arise from Me. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 10.4 for daily life?
Cultivate inner qualities as a way of honoring Krishna. Practicing truthfulness in business becomes spiritual when seen as Krishna’s quality.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 10.4 mean?
बुद्धिः — intellect / discernment; ज्ञानम् — wisdom; असम्मोहः — non-delusion; क्षमा — forgiveness; सत्यं — truthfulness.
Where does verse 10.4 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 4 of 42 in Chapter 10, Vibhuti Yoga. The next verse is 10.5.