BG Chap 16 - Qualities belonging to one with divine nature (daivi-sampat)

Lord Kṛṣṇa successively describes the qualities of the four āśramas and varṇas. (i) The sannyāsī is fearless (abhayaṁ), free from the fear how he would survive alone without any work and without wife and children. (ii) He has purity of mind (sattva-saṁśuddhi) by performance of duties of his āśrama and varṇa. (iii) He is fully knowledgeable (jñāna-yoga-vyavasthitiḥ) of the methods of attaining jñāna, such as lack of pride and other items mentioned in chapter 13.

(iv) The householder offers in charity (dānam) food and other items he had earned by proper methods to qualified persons. (v) He controls the external senses (dama). (vi) He engages in worshipping the Lord thru performance of sacrifices (yajña).

(vii) The brahmacārī is engaged in study of the Vedas (svādhyāyaḥ), a group of sounds not created by men, and which bring about realization of the Lord endowed with energies.

(viii) The vānaprastha is engaged in austerity (tapas).

(ix) The brāhmaṇa is honest (ārjava) and simple, and does not conceal from faithful listeners the meaning of important topics as he has understood them. (x) He is non violent (ahiṁsā), not curtailing the life span of other living beings. (xi) He is truthful (satya), making accurate statements concerning things he has seen, which would not lead to the wrong understanding. (xii) He is free from anger (akrodha), which arises when an evil person criticizes him. (xiii) He is renounced (tyāga), not saying bad words when others insult. (xiv) He has full control of the mind (śānti). (xv) He is averse to faultfinding (apaiśuna), and does not use bad words against another person in his absence. (xvi) He is compassionate (dayā) that he does not tolerate the suffering of other living entities. (xvii) He is free from greed (aloluptva). (xviii) He is gentle (mārdava) that he is unable to tolerate the passing away of worthy persons. (xix) He is humble (hrī) and feels ashamed to do illegal acts. (xx) He has steady determination (acāpala) and does not engage in useless actions.

(xxi) The kṣatriya has vigor (teja) that he is not conquered by inferior persons. (xxii) He is forgiving (kṣamā)and does not show anger to lesser persons who treat him with contempt. (xxiii) He has fortitude (dhṛti) and makes an effort to support the fatigued senses and body so that they remain energetic.

(xxiv) The vaiśya is clean (śauca), free from untruthfulness, deceit and other bad qualities in going about his mercantile affairs. (xxv) He is free from malice (adroha) and does not take up weapons to do violence to others.

(xxvi) The śūdra is free of pride (na atimānitā), and being humble he considers the three higher castes worthy of his worship.

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.