Bhagavad Gita 18.42 — Shamo Damas Tapah Shaucham
श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता 18.42 — शमो दमस्तपः शौचम्
Also known as: shamo damas tapah · bhagavad gita 18.42 · gita chapter 18 verse 42 · sattvic virtues gita · brahma karma svabhava jam
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✦ Meaning
In the final chapter, Krishna describes the natural duties that arise from one's own qualities. This verse lists the qualities expressed through brahmana-natured work: serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forgiveness, uprightness, knowledge, realization and faith in God. It celebrates the inner, sattvic virtues that flow from a refined nature.
Origin & Story
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18, Verse 42 · Bhagavan Sri Krishna (as recorded by Maharishi Veda Vyasa) · Ancient (part of the Mahabharata, c. 5th–2nd century BCE in present form)
Chapter 18, the Yoga of Liberation through Renunciation, gathers and crowns the teachings of the entire Gita. Here Krishna explains how each person's duties arise from their own innate qualities (svabhava), and lists the sattvic virtues expressed through brahmana-natured work. The passage affirms that serenity, knowledge and faith are the noblest expressions of human nature.
✦ As told in scripture
Sages teach that the serene, self-controlled and faith-filled qualities of this verse mark the soul ripening toward liberation; cultivating them, they say, naturally draws the seeker to the supreme knowledge and surrender taught at the close of the Gita.
The Mantra
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शमो दमस्तपः शौचं क्षान्तिरार्जवमेव च।ज्ञानं विज्ञानमास्तिक्यं ब्रह्मकर्म स्वभावजम्॥
śhamo damas tapaḥ śhauchaṁ kṣhāntir ārjavam eva cha jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam
Meaning:Serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forgiveness, and uprightness, as well as knowledge, realization, and belief in God, are the duties of Brahmanas, born of their own nature.
Word-by-Word Meaning
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Benefits of Chanting Bhagavad Gita 18.42 — Shamo Damas Tapah Shaucham
Names the highest sattvic virtues — serenity, restraint, austerity and purity
Cultivates forgiveness, uprightness, knowledge and faith (astikya)
Describes the inner qualities of a spiritually inclined nature
Encourages tranquility of mind (shama) and sense-control (dama)
Unites moral character with knowledge and realization (jnana-vijnana)
A daily aspiration for refining one's svabhava (intrinsic nature)
How to Chant Bhagavad Gita 18.42 — Shamo Damas Tapah Shaucham
Recite the verse and reflect on each quality — calmness, self-restraint, austerity, purity, patience, integrity, knowledge, realization, faith. These flow from a refined, sattvic nature (svabhava). Resolve to nurture them in your own conduct, letting the chant orient your character toward serenity, wisdom and devotion.
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