Verse 3
Vigor, forgiveness,
fortitude, purity, absence of hatred, absence of pride — these belong to one
born in a divine state, O Arjuna!
Tejaḥ is vigor, energy, strength,
and not a drooping spirit. This is the quality of tejas, or
energy, vigor, capacity to work.
An indefatigable frame of the body
and mind will automatically come to us as a consequence of following the other
qualities mentioned earlier.
Kṣama is
fortitude. We do not try to wreak vengeance on someone who has committed some mistake,
and do not go on thinking of one mistake that a person has committed even
though that person may have hundreds of good qualities.
Generally, the evil that men do,
lives after them; the good is often buried with their bones. This is not to be
our attitude.
A hundred sacrifices a person has
made, and for twenty years that person has served us, but one day he does
something which is very displeasing and we remember only that, and not the
twenty years of service.
We must have a forgiving attitude,
because who has absolutely no fault? “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive
those that trespass against us” is a very touching line in the Lord’s
Prayer.
Dhṛtiḥ is
determination to achieve our goal, and never slacken our effort, and be decided
in our mind that, “Perhaps this is the last birth of mine. Why should it not be
the last birth, when I have put forth all my energy and I honestly strive for
the attainment of God Almighty?
I have no defect in my mind. I
have no greed. I don’t harm anybody. To my mind, there is nothing wrong.
Therefore, God should be kind to me. I shall realize God in this birth.”
If this kind of determination is
there, something really worthwhile may take place one day, perhaps in this life
itself.
Śaucam is purity. We know much about
it—external purity and internal purity. I need not go on harping on this
subject.
It refers to both internal and
external purity. Virtuous people believe in maintaining external cleanliness
because it is conducive to internal purity.
Or can we say that their internal
purity gets manifested in external purity sustained by them in the environment
they are in??
Adrohaḥ is never committing blunders
in respect of ourselves or of others. This blundering and floundering habit is
due to the preponderance of rajoguna, which keeps us restless
always and never allows us to concentrate on anything.
Nātimānitā is never expecting too much
regard and respect from people.
It is said that Sri Rama respected
other people first; and if other people did not speak, he would speak first. He
would not have the attitude: “Why should I speak first? Let the other person
speak first.” Rama would speak first.
Swami Krishnananda ji recalls that
his master Swami
Sivanandaji Maharaj was like that. If a person did not touch
his feet, he would touch that man’s feet. People would be horrified. “Maharaj!
You are touching the feet of that person?”
He would speak first. “How are
you? Acche hain maharaj? Theek hai?” (Sivanandaji used to address
all beings as Maharaj or such names with reverence).
Even if that person did not speak
a word, he would
immediately start a conversation: “How are you?” That man
would be very highly pleased, and start speaking to him. So do not ask for
respect. Give respect to others.
We are fit to take the name of God
only if we give respect to everybody and do not expect any respect for our own
self.
“These are the great qualities, O
Arjuna, that may be called divine, gracious, noble, superb.”
Love.
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