बुद्धिर्ज्ञानमसम्मोहः क्षमा सत्यं दमः शमः | सुखं दुःखं भवोऽभावो भयं चाभयमेव च ||४||
buddhir jñānam asaṃmohaḥ kṣamā satyaṃ damaḥ śamaḥ | sukhaṃ duḥkhaṃ bhavo'bhāvo bhayaṃ cābhayam eva ca || 4 ||
Intellect, wisdom, patience, truth, calm, restraint, joy, pain, birth, death, fear, fearlessness — all arise from Me.
Word by word (3)
- buddhi jñāna asaṃmoha kṣamā satya dama śama
- — Intelligence, wisdom, non-delusion, patience/forgiveness, truth, self-restraint, calmness · buddhi = intelligence, discernment (from √budh = to be awake, to understand; buddhi = 'the faculty of discernment, the discriminating intelligence' — the faculty that distinguishes the real from the unreal; one of the higher mental faculties in Sānkhya psychology: buddhi > manas > ahaṃkāra). jñāna = wisdom, knowledge (from √jñā = to know; jñāna = 'the faculty of knowing, spiritual wisdom' — distinguished from buddhi: buddhi is the discerning faculty; jñāna is the content of the knowing). asaṃmoha = non-delusion (a = not; saṃmoha = delusion, confusion — from √muh; asaṃmoha = 'freedom from confusion/delusion' — the same as V3's asaṃmūḍha). kṣamā = patience, forgiveness (from √kṣam = to be patient, to endure; kṣamā = 'patience, forbearance, forgiveness'). satya = truth (from √sat = to be, to be real; satya = 'truth, truthfulness' — what is real, what corresponds to reality). dama = self-restraint (external, of the senses and body — from √dam = to tame, to restrain; dama = 'restraint, self-control of the outer faculties'). śama = calmness, mental quietude (inner, of the mind — from √śam = to be peaceful; śama = 'mental equanimity, quietness of mind' — the inner complement to dama's outer restraint). Note: dama (outer) + śama (inner) together = the complete self-discipline.
- sukha duḥkha bhava abhāva bhaya ca abhayam eva ca
- — Happiness and pain, birth/existence and non-existence, fear and fearlessness · sukham = happiness, pleasure (from √suc → √suk; sukha = 'ease, happiness, pleasure'). duḥkham = pain, suffering (dus + kha = 'bad axle-hole'; duḥkha = 'pain, suffering, dissatisfaction'). bhava = existence, birth, being (from √bhū = to be; bhava = 'becoming, birth, existence, arising'). abhāva = non-existence, non-being, death (a = not; bhāva = existence; abhāva = 'non-being, non-existence, absence, death/dissolution'). bhaya = fear (from √bhī = to fear; bhaya = 'fear, danger'). ca = and. abhayam = fearlessness (a = not; bhaya = fear; abhayam = 'fearlessness'). eva = indeed (emphatic). ca = and. V4's second half: sukha/duḥkha/bhava/abhāva/bhaya/abhaya — these are six of the fundamental polarities of embodied existence. The verse lists both poles of each polarity (happiness AND pain; existence AND non-existence; fear AND fearlessness). The claim that follows in V5 (matta eva — from Me alone) means that BOTH poles of each pair arise from the divine: not just the positive (happiness, existence, fearlessness) but also the negative (pain, non-existence, fear). This is Ch.10's most theologically daring claim in V4-V5: the entire experiential spectrum of embodied life — including its most painful and fearful elements — arises from the divine.
- V4's 13 conditions: the complete inner quality spectrum from virtue to experience
- — V4 lists 13 conditions of being in two groups: inner virtues (buddhi through śama) and fundamental experiential polarities (sukha through abhaya) — all to be completed in V5 with the claim 'these arise from Me alone' · V4-V5 together form one complete teaching unit listing 20 conditions of being (V4's 13 + V5's 7 more). The list has an internal structure: V4 starts with the highest faculties (buddhi = discernment; jñāna = wisdom) moves through virtuous qualities (asaṃmoha/kṣamā/satya/dama/śama) then to fundamental experiential conditions (sukha/duḥkha/bhava/abhāva/bhaya/abhaya). V5 will complete the list with non-injury/equanimity/contentment/austerity/charity/fame/infamy. The totality: from the highest spiritual faculty (buddhi) to the most mundane social condition (fame/infamy) — ALL arise from the divine. This is the Gita's most comprehensive divine-origin statement for the internal/experiential domain. Compare with V10.20-V42 which will do the same for the external/natural domain: everything from Viṣṇu to dice, from the Himalayas to wily stratagem. Together V4-V5 (internal spectrum) + V10.20-V42 (external spectrum) = Ch.10's complete vibhūti-sarvam (everything is My vibhūti).
V4 begins a two-verse list (V4-V5) of the conditions of beings — both inner virtues and fundamental experiential polarities — all declared to arise from the divine. V4's 13 conditions: from the highest faculty (buddhi = intelligence) through virtuous qualities (jñāna, asaṃmoha/non-delusion, kṣamā/patience, satya/truth, dama/outer restraint, śama/inner calm) to the fundamental polarities of embodied experience (sukha/joy, duḥkha/pain, bhava/birth-existence, abhāva/non-existence-death, bhaya/fear, abhaya/fearlessness). All arise 'from Me alone' — to be completed in V5.
A modern analogy
A musical scale includes both the consonant intervals (joy, beauty) and the dissonant ones (tension, pain). Both arise from the same underlying musical structure — one doesn't exist without the other. V4-V5 says the same about human experience: intelligence and stupidity, fearlessness and fear, fame and infamy — all are notes on the divine's experiential scale. The divine is the scale itself, not just the pleasant notes.
What it does NOT mean
V4's listing of pain (duḥkha), death (abhāva), and fear (bhaya) as arising from the divine does not mean the divine causes suffering or is responsible for evil. It means the capacity for these experiences — the structures of consciousness that make pain, death-experience, and fear possible — arise from the same ground as their opposites. The divine is the ground of ALL experience (both poles), not just the pleasant half. This is not theodicy but ontology: the divine IS the complete experiential field.
Take with you
- V4's buddhi and jñāna as divine gifts: when you experience clarity of understanding or a moment of genuine wisdom, V4's teaching is that this is a vibhūti (manifestation) of the divine in you. The intelligence you use to understand this verse IS the divine's buddhi-gift manifesting. This teaches gratitude for cognitive gifts and humility: your intelligence is not your own production — it arises from the same ground.
- V4's kṣamā (patience/forgiveness) as a divine condition: kṣamā is listed between satya (truth) and dama (self-restraint) as one of the divine's conditions of being. When you practice patience or forgiveness, V4 suggests you are expressing a quality that arises from the divine ground — you are, in that moment, manifesting a vibhūti. This reframes difficult inner work: patience is not just your effort; it is a divine quality you are channeling.
- V4's sukha-duḥkha (joy and pain) as both divine: the hardest teaching in V4 is that pain (duḥkham) and fear (bhayam) also arise from the divine. Practice: when in pain or fear, hold the recognition 'this arises from the same ground as joy and fearlessness.' Not as a way of minimizing the pain but as a way of seeing it in the full spectrum rather than as something alien or wrong.
V10.4-V10.5 together constitute Ch.10's philosophical foundation for the vibhūti doctrine: all conditions of beings — from the highest virtues to the most painful experiences — arise from the divine alone (matta eva, V5). V4's two groups: (1) Inner virtues (buddhir through śama): these are the qualities associated with spiritual development and liberation. The Gita lists them as divine vibhūtis — they arise from Krishna. This means: spiritual virtue is not human achievement alone but divine manifestation. When buddhi (clear intelligence), asaṃmoha (non-delusion), satya (truth) are present, they are the divine's own qualities appearing in the embodied being. (2) Experiential polarities (sukha through abhaya): these are the fundamental polarities of embodied existence. The divine is the source of BOTH poles in each pair — both happiness AND pain; both birth AND death; both fear AND fearlessness. This is the Gita's most theologically inclusive statement: God is not the source only of the pleasant, good, and fearless — but of the COMPLETE experiential spectrum. The Tilak commentary on V4: 'Bhaya in Sankhya philosophy may not be found in Vedanta treatises' — Tilak's note suggests that including bhaya (fear) as a divine condition was unusual in some philosophical traditions. The Gita explicitly includes it, making a theological claim that other traditions sometimes avoided: fear and its cessation both arise from the same divine ground.
Advaita lens
Shankaracharya: all 20 conditions (V4-V5) are vibhūtis of Māyā-Brahman — the divine's power of māyā produces these diverse conditions as the field within which jīvas (individual souls) operate. Buddhi and jñāna are the tools for piercing māyā; asaṃmoha (non-delusion) and satya (truth) are the qualities of the pierced mind. Sukha/duḥkha/bhaya/abhaya are māyā's conditions — both arise from Brahman. For Advaita, liberation is recognizing that ALL these conditions arise from and return to Brahman, and resting in that ground rather than being pulled between the poles.
Bhakti lens
For bhakti traditions, V4's kṣamā (forgiveness) is a divine quality expressed through the devotee. The devotee who practices forgiveness is expressing a vibhūti of the divine. This is the bhakti basis for the spiritual practice of kṣamā: you forgive not merely as a moral virtue but because forgiveness is a divine quality that you are channeling. Same with satya (truth), dama (restraint), śama (inner calm) — each is a divine vibhūti in action.
Karma-Yoga lens
V4 for karma yoga: Tilak's emphasis is on the conditions of effective action. Buddhi (clear judgment) + jñāna (practical wisdom) + asaṃmoha (non-delusion) + kṣamā (patience with results) + satya (truthfulness in action) + dama/śama (self-discipline) = the inner equipment for right action. These are not ethical ornaments but functional capacities for karma yoga. And they arise from the divine — meaning the karma yogi who cultivates them is cooperating with the divine's own capacities manifesting through them.
Modern parallels
V4's list parallels Peterson's 12 Rules for Life and Aristotle's eudaimonia virtues: buddhi (practical wisdom/phronesis), jñāna (sophia/theoretical wisdom), asaṃmoha (clear-headedness), kṣamā (magnanimity), satya (truthfulness/philia aletheia). The Gita's unique contribution: these virtues are not human achievements but divine conditions of being — they arise from a transcendent ground, not from socialization or effort alone.
Practice
V4 virtue-inventory contemplation: sit with V4's 13 conditions. Which ones are currently strong in you? Which are weak? Spend 2 minutes on the strongest one — feel it as a divine vibhūti, a quality of the divine manifesting through you. Spend 2 minutes on the weakest — invite it as a divine quality not yet fully expressed, ask what would allow more of this divine condition to manifest. End with the pair of polarities you're currently living (if in pain: hold sukha-duḥkha together; if in fear: bhaya-abhaya). 10 minutes total.
Public-domain translations (3) compare all →
[SW V4 missing from index] — Intelligence, wisdom, non-delusion, forgiveness, truth, self-restraint, calmness, happiness, pain, birth, death, fear and fearlessness also; [4]
Subtle perception, spiritual knowledge, right judgment, patience, truth, self-mastery; pleasure and pain, prosperity and adversity; birth and death, danger and security, fear and equanimity... [6]
Intellect, skill, enlightenment, endurance, self-control, / Truthfulness, equability, and grief or joy of soul, / And birth and death, and fearfulness, and fearlessness... [7]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
Non-injury, equanimity, contentment, austerity, charity, fame and infamy — these varied states arise from Me alone.
Daivī wealth begins: abhaya, sattva-śuddhi, jñāna-yoga, dāna, dama, yajña, svādhyāya, tapa, ārjava.
The person unmoved by pleasure and pain is fit for liberation — equanimity is not coldness but freedom.
Abandon all dharmas, take refuge in Me alone — I will liberate you from all sins; do not grieve.
Arjuna asks: what does the truly wise person look like? How do they speak, sit, and move?
Those who know Me as Adhibhūta, Adhidaiva, and Adhiyajña — they know Me even at death, with unified minds.