Item 16 in Bhagavad Gita's Twenty-Six Divine Qualities
Compassion for living beings
Respond compassionately to suffering among living beings.
- Position
- 16
- Form
- Mixed formulation
- Obligation
- Context-dependent
- Wording status
- Translation
- Intended audience
- Readers and practitioners cultivating disciplined and liberating character
- Last reviewed
- 28 June 2027
Names and terminology
Canonical name: Dayā bhūteṣu
Original term: Dayā bhūteṣu
Transliteration: Dayā bhūteṣu
Source wording
<p>Respond compassionately to suffering among living beings.</p><p><em>Editorial paraphrase; consult the linked source for full wording and context.</em></p>
Literal meaning
Respond compassionately to suffering among living beings.
Broader interpretation
Respond compassionately to suffering among living beings.
Historical context
This principle belongs to Bhagavad Gita's Twenty-Six Divine Qualities and must be read within that framework's setting.
Practical meaning
Respond compassionately to suffering among living beings.
Ethical purpose
Respond compassionately to suffering among living beings.
Exceptions and disputes
Translation and application vary; each quality should be applied with evidence, proportionality and attention to competing duties.
Variations across schools or traditions
Translations divide and render several Sanskrit terms differently; this catalogue follows the standard twenty-six-term enumeration.
Modern application
Respond compassionately to suffering among living beings. Modern application should consider consent, evidence, proportionality, power and consequences.
Criticism and difficult cases
Translation and application vary; each quality should be applied with evidence, proportionality and attention to competing duties.
Truth By Reason analysis
Respond compassionately to suffering among living beings. Application should preserve the ethical purpose while avoiding coercion, discrimination and preventable harm.
Ethical themes
Sources
- Bhagavad Gita 16:1–3 — Divine Qualities Primary source