Verse 18.42

शमो दमस्तपः शौचं क्षान्तिरार्जवमेव च।ज्ञानं विज्ञानमास्तिक्यं ब्रह्मकर्म स्वभावजम्।।18.42।।

śhamo damas tapaḥ śhauchaṁ kṣhāntir ārjavam eva cha jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam

Meaning

Peace of mind, self-control, intense discipline, purity, forgiveness, righteousness, knowledge, enlightenment, and faith in God – that's the Brahmana life, straight up. It's in their DNA.

Commentary

Yo, chill vibes, self-control, intense discipline, being all pure and stuff, forgiving people, and being totally righteous, along with knowledge, enlightenment, and believing in the divine – that's the Brahmana life, straight up. It's like, their natural swag. Sama is all about controlling your mind, and Dama is about controlling your senses. We already talked about chill vibes and self-control back in chapter 17, verse 2. And the three types of intense discipline? Yeah, we covered that in 17.14-16. Astikyam? That's faith – in your guru, the scriptures, God, the afterlife, and yourself. When your mind is all about the Self, you're straight-up peaceful. Self-control is key to that peace. Follow the scriptures, and you'll achieve peace and spiritual growth. Don't be a drama queen, show some respect and faith in the teachings. It's like, a sandalwood tree is naturally fragrant, and a Champaka tree is naturally gorgeous with flowers. Brahmanas are naturally adorned with these nine virtues. Now, Arjuna, let's hear about the Kshatriya duties.