20 noble virtues
"Om namo bhagavate vasudevayah"
As we know (and also discussed separately on this site under the subject of life and soul), all living beings acquire physical body temporarily for a certain period of time. After present life ends the living being gets another suitable body. When that ends it gets another one and so on. Due to the attachment with this physical world, the soul starts enjoying the physical world and gets caught into the cycle of birth and death(sbg 13.22). To attain the liberation from the cycle of birth and death, the human body is the best chance as soul when in the body other than the human does not have this opportunity to get liberated. Human is the highest and best physical body on earth. Lower creatures have the maximum change to ascend up to finally get the human body, but otherwise, they can't be liberated themselves from the mortal cycle of birth and death.
Almost all major scriptures of Sanatan Dharma are inclined to suggest different methods for the human to achieve liberation. But still, there is no other scripture than Shrimad Bhagvad Gita for a human to know the ultimate truth with so much clarity. And also because Shrimad Bhagvad Gita is the direct words of God. Bhagvan Shri Krishna in Shrimad Bhagvad Gita,
himself has described the path of 4 Yogas leading to liberation. Apart from paths of 4 Yogas Bhagvan Shri Krishna has described guidelines for human conducts following which any human can attain pure state leading to liberation from the cycle of birth and death. These noble virtues as 20 in numbers as described in following Shlokas
ch13:Sh (8,9,10,11,12)
amanitvam adambhitvam ahimsa ksantir arjavam
acaryopasanam shaucamsthairyam atma-vinigrahah
indriyarthesu vairagyam anahankara eva ca
janma-mrityu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarshanam
ashaktir anabhisvangah putra-dara-grhadisu
nityam ca sama-cittatvam istanistopapattisu
mayi cananya-yogena bhaktir avyabhicarini
vivikta-desa-sevitvam aratir jana-samsadi
adhyatma-jnana-nityatvam tattva-jnanartha-darshanam
etaj jnanam iti proktam ajnanam yad ato ’nyatha
"Humility; pridelessness; nonviolence; tolerance; simplicity; approaching a bona fide spiritual master; cleanliness; steadiness; self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification; absence of false ego; the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; detachment; freedom from entanglement with children, wife, home and the rest; even-mindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me; aspiring to live in a solitary place; detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization; and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth—all these I declare to be knowledge, and besides this whatever there may be is ignorance."
Let's list down each virtue for simplicity. Words used in the shloka are used with their meaning
1. amanitvam : Humility or not seeking recognition,
2. adambhitvam : To be without pride,
3. ahimsa : Not causing pain to other living beings,
4. santi : Tolerance in the face of insults,
5. arjava : Uprightness and straightforwardness,
6. acaryapasana : Unreserved and unmotivated service to the Vaisnava spiritual master,
7. sauca : means purity both internal and external.
8. sthairya :Steadfastness on the path of righteousness by one who has accepted it,
9. atma-vinigraha : Control over the body and the senses which uncontrolled hinder the realization of the Atma or immortal soul,
10. vairagya indriyartha : Renunciation of sense objects,
11. ahankarah : Relinquishing false ego and identification of the physical body as the self,
12. dukha-dosa-anudarsanam :Dispassion by pondering the misery of samsara or the perpetual cycle of birth and death in material existence,
13. asakti : Equipoise to the relations like wife, sons and other loved ones,
14. anabhisvanga : Remaining even minded to s what life gives whether evil or excellence befalls one,
15. sama-citta : means to avoid both happiness or distress by temporary external circumstances.
16. avyabhicarini bhakti : Unwavering, unalloyed loving devotion to the Supreme Lord Krishna and realizing the Atma in all living beings,
17. vivekta- desa-sevitam : Fondness for performing austerities in solitary places,
18. aratir jana-samsadt : Indifference to mundane topics and mundane association.
19. adhyatma-jnana nityatvam : Always interested in spiritual knowledge and self-realization and
20. atma-tattva : Knowledge of the immortal soul within.
Thus these 20 virtues that have been described by Lord Krishna constitute the essence of knowledge for their attributes are the means which opens the way to this highest existence. Whatever is contrary to these 20 virtues of renowned excellence should always be rejected as it is understood to be ignorance and emphatically antagonistic to the truth. This has been confirmed in by great sages and seers such as Vyasa, Vasistha and Parasara.
These noble virtues are the standard to know the nobility of human and hence society. More virtues followed make society happier and on the other hand fewer of these virtues lesser peace and happiness in society.
"Shri Hari Om Tat Sat"