SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 16 Text 1-3
sri-bhagavan uvaca
abhayam sattva-samsuddhir
jnana-yoga-vyavasthitih
danam damas ca yajnas ca
svadhyayas tapa arjavam

ahimsa satyam akrodhas
tyagah santir apaisunam
daya bhutesv aloluptvam
mardavam hrir acapalam

tejah ksama dhrtih saucam
adroho nati-manita
bhavanti sampadam daivim
abhijatasya bharata

sri-bhagavan uvaca--the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; abhayam--fearlessness; sattva-samsuddhih--purification of one's existence; jnana--in knowledge; yoga--of linking up; vyavasthitih--the situation; danam--charity; damah--controlling the mind; ca--and; yajnah--performance of sacrifice; ca--and; svadhyayah--study of Vedic literature; tapah--austerity; ariavam--simplicity; ahimsa--nonviolence; satyam--truthfulness; akrodhah--freedom from anger; tyagah--renunciation; santih--tranquillity; apaisunam--aversion to fault-finding; daya--mercy; bhutes. u--towards all living entities; aloluptvam--freedom from greed; mardavam--gentleness; hrih--modesty; acapalam--determination; teiah--vigor; ksama--forgiveness; dhrtih--fortitude; saucam--cleanliness; adrohah--freedom from envy; na--not; ati manita--expectation of honor; bhavanti--are; sampadam--the qualities; daivim--the transcendental nature; abhijatasya--of one who is born of; bharata--O son of Bharata.

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Fearlessness; purification of one's existence; cultivation of spiritual knowledge; charity; self-control; performance of sacrifice; study of the Vedas; austerity; simplicity; nonviolence; truthfulness; freedom from anger; renunciation; tranquillity; aversion to faultfinding; compassion for all living entities; freedom from covetousness; gentleness; modesty; steady determination; vigor; forgiveness; fortitude; cleanliness; and freedom from envy and from the passion for honor--these transcendental qualities, O son of Bharata, belong to godly men endowed with divine nature.

JOURNAL:

Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport; The qualities mentioned herein are explained as transcendental qualities meant for making a person progress in spiritual understanding so that he can get liberated from the material world.

This then is a list of the qualities I need to be developing in myself so that I can move from the mode of goodness to the transcendental platform.

Srila Prabhupada ends his purport thus; All these twenty-six qualifications mentioned are transcendental qualities. They should be cultivated according to the different statuses of social and occupational order. The purport is that even though material conditions are miserable, if these qualities are developed by practice, by all classes of men, then gradually it is possible to rise to the highest platform of transcendental realization.