श्रीभगवान्
In plain words
The Blessed Lord said: Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in jñāna and yoga, generosity, control of the outer senses, yajña, study of scripture, tapas, and straightforwardness,
Word for word
Fearlessness, purity of mind, steadfastness in jñāna and yoga, giving, and restraint of the senses, and yajña, study of the Veda, tapas, straightforwardness,
अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिर्ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिःदानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्यायस्तप आर्जवम्
Other commentaries
The commentators
▸Bhagavadgītābhāṣyam
दैवी आसुरी राक्षसी इति प्राणिनां प्रकृतयः नवमे अध्याये सूचिताः । तासां विस्तरेण प्रदर्शनाय ‘अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिः’ इत्यादिः अध्यायः आरभ्यते । तत्र संसारमोक्षाय दैवी प्रकृतिः, निबन्धाय आसुरी राक्षसी च इति दैव्याः आदानाय प्रदर्शनं क्रियते, इतरयोः परिवर्जनाय च ॥
अभयम् अभीरुता । सत्त्वसंशुद्धिः सत्त्वस्य अन्तःकरणस्य संशुद्धिः संव्यवहारेषु परवञ्चनामायानृतादिपरिवर्जनं शुद्धसत्त्वभावेन व्यवहारः इत्यर्थः । ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिः ज्ञानं शास्त्रतः आचार्यतश्च आत्मादिपदार्थानाम् अवगमः, अवगतानाम् इन्द्रियाद्युपसंहारेण एकाग्रतया स्वात्मसंवेद्यतापादनं योगः, तयोः ज्ञानयोगयोः व्यवस्थितिः व्यवस्थानं तन्निष्ठता । एषा प्रधाना दैवी सात्त्विकी सम्पत् । यत्र येषाम् अधिकृतानां या प्रकृतिः सम्भवति, सात्त्विकी सा उच्यते । दानं यथाशक्ति संविभागः अन्नादीनाम् । दमश्च बाह्यकरणानाम् उपशमः ; अन्तःकरणस्य उपशमं शान्तिं वक्ष्यति । यज्ञश्च श्रौतः अग्निहोत्रादिः । स्मार्तश्च देवयज्ञादिः, स्वाध्यायः ऋग्वेदाद्यध्ययनम् अदृष्टार्थम् । तपः वक्ष्यमाणं शारीरादि । आर्जवम् ऋजुत्वं सर्वदा ॥ १ ॥
In plain words
'Divine, demonic, and fiendish' — these are the natures of living beings, already pointed to back in the ninth chapter. Now, to spell them out in full, this chapter begins, opening with the words 'fearlessness, purity of being.' Here is the shape of it: the divine nature leads to freedom from saṃsāra, while the demonic and fiendish natures lead to bondage. So this exposition is given for one purpose above all: so that you may take up the divine, and let go of the other two.
'Fearlessness' simply means not being afraid. 'Purity of being' means the purification of one's inner nature, one's inmost faculty: in all dealings with others, giving up deceit, cunning, and falsehood, and instead acting from a purified heart, that is what it means. 'Steadfastness in knowledge and yoga': knowledge is understanding the Self and the other true categories, learned from scripture and from a teacher; yoga is turning that understanding, through withdrawing the senses and gathering the mind to one point, into something directly felt within oneself; and steadfastness is simply staying settled, rooted, in both of these together. This group of qualities is the foremost part of the divine wealth belonging to sattva. And in general, whatever nature belongs to those entitled to a given practice is called that practice's 'sattvic' form. 'Giving' means sharing what you can, food and the like, according to your means. 'Restraint' means holding the outer senses in check, while the restraint of the mind itself he will later call 'peace.' 'Sacrifice' means the Vedic rites, like the daily fire-offering, and also the traditional ones, like worship of the gods. 'Self-study' means reciting and studying the Veda, for a purpose not immediately visible. 'Austerity' is what will be described later, bodily discipline and more. And 'straightforwardness' simply means being upright, always.
Close to the Sanskrit
'Divine, demonic, fiendish' — thus are the natures of living beings, indicated in the ninth chapter. For their detailed exposition, the chapter beginning with 'fearlessness, purity of being' etc. begins. There, for liberation from saṃsāra, the divine nature; for bondage, the demonic and fiendish — thus, the exposition is made for the adoption of the divine, and for the avoidance of the other two.
'Abhaya' means fearlessness. 'Sattvasaṃśuddhi' means the purification of sattva, of the inner organ: in mutual dealings, the avoidance of deceiving others, of deceit, of falsehood, etc., conduct by means of a pure state of being — that is the meaning. 'Jñānayogavyavasthiti': jñāna is the comprehension of the categories beginning with the Self, from scripture and from a teacher; for those comprehended, by the withdrawal of the senses etc., by one-pointedness, the bringing about of their being experienced within one's own self is yoga; of those two, knowledge and yoga, the fixity, the settled state, steadfastness therein. This group is the principal divine, sattvic wealth. Wherever, of those entitled, whatever nature occurs, that is called 'sāttvikī.' 'Dāna' is sharing, according to one's ability, of food etc. And 'dama' is the restraint of the outer organs; the restraint of the inner organ he will call 'śānti.' And 'yajña' is the Vedic sacrifice, the agnihotra etc.; and the Smārta sacrifice, the worship of gods etc.; 'svādhyāya' is the study of the Ṛgveda etc., whose purpose is unseen. 'Tapas' is that which will be described, bodily etc. 'Ārjava' is uprightness, always. || 1 ||