BhG 18.42

syntax

śamaḥ (tranquility) damaḥ (sense-control) tapaḥ (austerity) śaucam (purity) kṣāntiḥ (forbearance) ārjavam (simplicity) jñānam (knowledge) vijñānam (wisdom) āstikyam eva (and indeed piety) sva-bhāva-jam (born from one’s own nature) brahma-karma (activity of a brahmin) [asti] (it is).

grammar

śamaḥ	–	śama 1n.1 m. – tranquility, calmness (from: √śam – to calm, to put to an end, to destroy);
damaḥ	–	dama 1n.1 m. – taming, sense-control (from: √dam – to tame, to control, to subdue);
tapaḥ	–	tapas 1n.1 n. – heat, austerity (from: √tap – to scorch);
śaucam	–	śauca 1n.1 n. – purity (from: √śuc – to shine, to be wet, śuci – pure);
kṣāntiḥ	–	kṣānti 1n.1 f. – tolerance, forbearance, endurance (from: √kṣam – to forgive, to tolerate);
ārjavam	–	ārjava 1n.1 n. – simplicity, honesty, sincerity (from: √arj – to obtain; ṛju – upright, honest, sincere);
eva	–	av. – certainly, just, merely;
ca	–	av. – and;
jñānam	–	jñāna 1n.1 n. – knowledge, wisdom, intelligence (from: √jñā – to know, to understand);
vijñānam	–	vijñāna 2n.1 n. – comprehension, understanding, wisdom (from: √jñā – to know, to understand, jñāna – knowledge, wisdom, intelligence);
āstikyam	–	āstikya 1n.1 n. – belief in God, piety (from: √as – to be, āstika – who believes in God, pious);
brahma-karma	–	brahma-karma 1n.1 n.; TP: brahmaṇaḥ karmeti – activity of a brahmin (from: √bṛh – to increase, brahman – spirit, the Vedas; √kṛ – to do, karman – activity and its result);
sva-bhāva-jam	–	sva-bhāva-ja 1n.1 n. – born from one’s own nature (from: sva – own; bhāva – being, state, nature, sva-bhāva – own nature, natural state; √jan – to be born, ja – suffix: born);

textual variants

tapaḥ śaucaṁ → yathā śaucaṁ (as purity);
brahma-karma → brāhmaṁ karma (brahmin activity);
sva-bhāva-jam → prabhāva-jam (born from the source);

Śāṃkara

kāni punas tāni karmāṇīti, ucyate—
śamo damaś ca yathā-vyākhyātārthau | tapo yathoktaṃ śārīrādi | śaucaṃ vyākhyātam | kṣāntiḥ kṣamā | ārjavam ṛjutaiva ca | jñānaṃ vijñānam | āstikyam āstika-bhāvaḥ śraddadhānatā āgamārtheṣu | brahma-karma brāhmaṇa-jāteḥ karma svabhāva-jam | yad uktaṃ svabhāva-prabhavair guṇaiḥ pravibhaktānī iti tad evoktaṃ svabhāva-jam iti

Rāmānuja

śamaḥ bāhyendriyaniyamanam; damaḥ antaḥkaraṇaniyamanam; tapaḥ bhoganiyamanarūpaḥ śāstrasiddhaḥ kāyakleśaḥ; śaucaṃ śāstrīyakarmayogyatā; kṣāntiḥ paraiḥ pīḍyamānasyāpy avikṛtacittatā; ārjavaṃ pareṣu mano’nurūpaṃ bāhyaceṣṭāprakāśanam; jñānaṃ parāvaratattvayāthātmyajñānam; vijñānaṃ paratattvagatāsādhāraṇaviśeṣaviṣayaṃ jñānam; āstikyaṃ vaidikasya kṛtsnasya satyatāniścayaḥ prakṛṣṭaḥ; kenāpi hetunā cālayitum aśakya ityarthaḥ / bhagavān puruṣottamo vāsudevaḥ parabrahmaśabdābhideyo nirastanikhiladoṣagandhaḥ svābhāvikānavadhikātiśayajñānaśaktyādyasaṅkhyeyakalyāṇaguṇagaṇo nikhilavedavedāntavedyaḥ; sa eva nikhilajagadekakāraṇaṃ nikhilajagadādhārabhūtaḥ; nikhilasya sa eva pravartayitā; tadārādhanabhūtaṃ ca vaidikaṃ kṛtsnaṃ karma; tais tair ārādhito dharmārthakāmamokṣākhyaṃ phalaṃ prayacchatīty asyārthasya satyatāniścaya āstikyam; „vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ”, „ahaṃ sarvasya prabhavo mattas sarvaṃ pravartate „, „mayi sarvam idaṃ protam”, „bhoktāraṃ yajñatapasāṃ ….. jñātvā māṃ śāntim ṛcchati”, „mattaḥ parataraṃ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya”, „yataḥ pravṛttir bhūtānāṃ yena sarvam idaṃ tatam / svakarmaṇā tam abhyarcya siddhiṃ vindati mānavaḥ”, „yo mām ajam anādiṃ ca vetti lokamaheśvaram” iti hy ucyate / tad etad brāhmaṇasya svabhāvajaṃ karma

Śrīdhara

tatra brāhmaṇasya svābhāvikāni karmāṇy āha śama iti | śamaś cittoparamaḥ | damo bāhyendriyoparamaḥ | tapaḥ pūrvoktaṃ śārītādi | śaucaṃ bāhyābhyantaram | kṣāntiḥ kṣamā | ārjavam ṛjutaiva ca | jñānaṃ vijñānaṃ | āstikyam āstika-bhāvaḥ śraddadhāntāgamārtheṣu | brāhmyaṃ karma brāhmaṇa-jāte karma svabhāvajam | yad uktaṃ svabhāva-prabhavair guṇaiḥ pravibhaktānīti tad evoktaṃ svabhāvajam iti

Viśvanātha

tatra sattva-pradhānānāṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ svabhāvikāni karmāṇy āha śama iti | śamo ‚ntarindirya-nigrahaḥ | damo bāhyendriya-nigrahas tapaḥ śarīrādi jñāna-vijñāne śāstrānubhavotthe āstikyaṃ śāstrārthe dṛḍha-viśvāsa evam ādi brahma-karma brāhmaṇasya karma svabhāvajaṃ svābhāvikam

Baladeva

brāhmaṇasya svābhāvikaṃ karmāha śama iti | śamo ‚ntaḥ-karaṇasya saṃyamaḥ | damo bahiḥ-karaṇasya tapaḥ śāstrīya-kāya-kleśaḥ | śaucaṃ dvividham uktam | kṣāntiḥ sahiṣṇutā ārjavam avakratvam | jñānaṃ śāstrāt parāvara-tattvāvagamaḥ | vijñānaṃ tasmād eva tad-ekānta-dharmādhigamaḥ | āstikyaṃ sarvaveda-vedyo harir nikhilaika-karaṇaṃ sva-vvihitaiḥ karmabhir ārādhitaḥ kevalayā bhaktyā ca santoṣitaḥ sva-paryantaṃ sarvam arpayatīti śāstrādhigate ‚rthe satyatva-viniścayaḥ | etat svābhāvikaṃ brahma-karma | tathāpi sattva-prādhānyād brāhmaṇasyeti bhaṇitiḥ | evam uktaṃ viṣṇunā –
kṣamā satyaṃ damaḥ śaucaṃ
dānam indriya-saṃyamaḥ |
ahiṃsā guru-śuśrūṣā
tīrthānusaraṇaṃ dayā ||
ārjavaṃ lobha-śūnyatvaṃ
deva-brāhmaṇa-pūjanam |
anabhyasūyā ca tathā
dharma-sāmānya ucyate || iti |