Chapter10 Shloka4,5 - Shrimad Bhagvad Gita

Shrimad Bhagvad Gita

Chapter 10 : Vibhuti yoga, The art of manifestation

Ch 10 : Sh 04-05

बुद्धिर्ज्ञानमसम्मोहः क्षमा सत्यं दमः शमः ।
सुखं दुःखं भवोऽभावो भयं चाभयमेव च ॥
अहिंसा समता तुष्टिस्तपो दानं यशोऽयशः ।
भवन्ति भावा भूतानां मत्त एव पृथग्विधाः ॥

Transliteration

buddhir-jñānam asammohaḥ kṣamā satyaṃ damaḥ śamaḥ |
sukhaṃ duḥkhaṃ bhavo’bhāvo bhayaṃ cābhyam-eva ca || 4 ||
ahiṃsā samatā tuṣṭis-tapo dānaṃ yaśo’yaśaḥ |
bhavanti bhāvā bhūtānāṃ matta eva pṛthag-vidhāḥ || 5 ||

Translation

Intellect, knowledge, absence of delusion, compassion, truth, self-restraint, tranquility, pleasure and pain, becoming and non-becoming, fear and fearlessness, non-injury(non-violence), evenness(equanimity), contentment, austerity, beneficence, success and failure – all such attitudes arise among the creatures from Me alone.

Purport

Explaining about his divine powers, Bhagvan Shri Krishna further declares in the above verses that all attributes among all living creatures are originated from Him alone. This completes the facts that everything in this universe, material, living or attributes originated from Bhagvan Shri Krishna.

Though this very statement that everything originated from Shri Krishna is self-explanatory, some people have confusion about some attributes listed, which in human terminology is considered negative like a failure, pain, fear, and non-becoming, etc. In fact, in an earlier chapter (7.4) Shri Krishna has explained that even ego is originated from him.

What happens when we as humans try to conclude anything, we consider negative or positive in reference to human life only ignoring completely the fact that this universe is not made for humans alone but for a variety of other creatures. Many attributes like ego, fear, non-becoming, etc which might be negative for humans but are the necessity for other living beings. In animal, ego gives their sense of belongings and help them exists as a living being without a developed mind. Similarly fear in animals provides them alertness to exist as among animals they feed upon each other.

The conclusion is that every attribute which either appears as good or bad is necessary for the existence of the universe.