Virtues
Bhagavad Gita's Twenty-Six Divine Qualities
Twenty-six qualities named in Bhagavad Gita 16:1–3 as marks of a divine and liberating disposition.
- Tradition or school
- Hinduism
- Framework type
- Virtues
- Authority classification
- Scriptural
- Observance
- Mixed requirements
- Research status
- Identified for research
- Origin period
- Bhagavad Gita, commonly dated within the late first millennium BCE or early first millennium CE
- Origin region
- South Asia
- Attributed origin
- Krishna's teaching to Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita chapter 16
- Intended audience
- Readers and practitioners cultivating disciplined and liberating character
- Published constituent items
- 26
- Last reviewed
- 28 June 2027
Primary texts and authority
Twenty-six qualities named in Bhagavad Gita 16:1–3 as marks of a divine and liberating disposition.
Rules, principles or steps
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Fearlessness
Develop courage grounded in moral clarity rather than paralysis by fear.
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Purity of mind
Cultivate clarity, integrity and freedom from manipulative intent.
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Steadfastness in knowledge and discipline
Remain committed to knowledge and disciplined practice while open to correction.
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Charity
Share resources responsibly for the benefit of others.
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Self-control
Regulate impulses rather than being ruled by them.
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Sacrifice
Undertake sacred offering and service beyond private gratification.
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Study of sacred teaching
Study and reflect on sacred teaching rather than relying on unexamined custom.
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Austerity
Practise disciplined simplicity and endurance without self-destructive excess.
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Straightforwardness
Be sincere, direct and free from deceitful crookedness.
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Nonviolence
Avoid injury and needless harm to living beings.
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Truthfulness
Speak and act truthfully while considering safety and confidentiality.
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Absence of anger
Do not allow anger to dominate judgement or action.
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Renunciation
Release possessiveness and attachment to selfish reward.
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Peacefulness
Cultivate calm, reconciliation and resistance to unnecessary conflict.
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Restraint from fault-finding
Avoid malicious fault-finding, slander and delight in exposure.
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Compassion for living beings
Respond compassionately to suffering among living beings.
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Absence of covetousness
Do not be consumed by craving for possessions or pleasures.
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Gentleness
Act with gentleness while remaining capable of necessary firmness.
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Modesty
Maintain moral modesty without turning it into imposed shame.
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Steadiness
Avoid restless fickleness and remain steady in worthy action.
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Vigour
Bring energy, courage and moral force to worthy action.
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Forgiveness
Release vindictive resentment without erasing accountability.
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Fortitude
Persist through difficulty without abandoning sound judgement.
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Cleanliness
Maintain bodily, environmental and moral cleanliness without stigma.
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Absence of malice
Oppose harm without cultivating hatred or a will to injure.
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Absence of excessive pride
Reject inflated status and superiority while preserving dignity.
Historical development
The list contrasts divine and destructive dispositions. Hindu schools interpret it within different theological and philosophical systems.
Variations
Translations divide and render several Sanskrit terms differently; this catalogue follows the standard twenty-six-term enumeration.
Traditional interpretation
Twenty-six qualities named in Bhagavad Gita 16:1–3 as marks of a divine and liberating disposition.
Controversies and disputes
Translation and application vary; each quality should be applied with evidence, proportionality and attention to competing duties.
Truth By Reason analysis
Nonviolence, truthfulness, compassion, generosity, restraint and absence of malice have broad ethical value. Religious duties such as sacrifice and sacred study require context, while courage and renunciation must not become recklessness or neglect.
Ethical themes
Sources
- Bhagavad Gita 16:1–3 — Divine Qualities Primary source