Shloka 18.42
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
शमो दमस्तपः शौचं क्षान्तिरार्जवमेव च |ज्ञानं विज्ञानमास्तिक्यं ब्रह्मकर्म स्वभावजम् ||१८-४२||
śamo damastapaḥ śaucaṃ kṣāntirārjavameva ca . jñānaṃ vijñānamāstikyaṃ brahmakarma svabhāvajam ||18-42||
Meaning
Serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forgiveness, as well as uprightness, knowledge, wisdom and faith in God - these constitute the duty of a spiritual Teacher.
Translation: Shri Purohit Swami, The Geeta: The Gospel of the Lord Shri Krishna (1935). Public domain.
Word-by-word meaning
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Explanation
Krishna lists the qualities natural to the brahmana, the seeker and teacher of wisdom: serenity (shama), self-restraint (dama), austerity, purity, forgiveness, uprightness, knowledge, realization, and astikya, a deep faith in the divine.
Beyond any social label, this is a portrait of the contemplative temperament and the inner work that suits it. These are not arbitrary rules but the natural expressions of a mind oriented toward truth and self-mastery. For anyone whose calling is wisdom and spiritual life, this verse names the very virtues to cultivate — a self-disciplined, pure, and faith-filled character through which knowledge can ripen into realization.
In daily life
The life of wisdom is built on serenity, self-restraint, purity, forgiveness, and faith.
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Quick check
What does ‘दमः’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on self restraint, in other chapters
- Verse 4.27The deepest restraint is not blind suppression but discipline kindled by wisdom, stilling body and mind to reveal the Self.
- Verse 8.11The goal worth disciplining your life for is the imperishable reality that sages spend their lives seeking to enter.
- Verse 7.28Purified by right living, the heart slips free of likes and dislikes and grows capable of steady, wholehearted devotion.
- Verse 13.8Genuine wisdom shows itself as humility, harmlessness, and self-mastery, not as accumulated facts.
Swipe left for 18.43 · The life of action and leadership calls for courage, fortitude, generosity, and never fleeing rightful struggle.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 18.42
Who says Bhagavad Gita 18.42, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 18.42, in Chapter 18, Moksha Sannyas Yoga (Moksha Sannyas Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 18.42 mean?
Serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forgiveness, as well as uprightness, knowledge, wisdom and faith in God - these constitute the duty of a spiritual Teacher. (Translation: Shri Purohit Swami, The Geeta: The Gospel of the Lord Shri Krishna (1935). Public domain.)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 18.42 for daily life?
The life of wisdom is built on serenity, self-restraint, purity, forgiveness, and faith.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 18.42 mean?
शमः — serenity / control of mind; दमः — self-restraint / control of senses; तपः — austerity; शौचं — purity; क्षान्तिः — forgiveness / patience.
Where does verse 18.42 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 42 of 78 in Chapter 18, Moksha Sannyas Yoga. The next verse is 18.43.