Chapter 10: Divine Manifestations · Verse 5

अहिंसा समता तुष्टिस्तपो दानं यशोऽयशः |

भवन्ति भावा भूतानां मत्त एव पृथग्विधाः ॥५॥

ahiṃsā samatā tuṣṭistapo dānaṃ yaśo'yaśaḥ |

bhavanti bhāvā bhūtānāṃ matta eva pṛthagvidhāḥ ||5||

Non-violence, equanimity, contentment, austerity, charity, fame and infamy — all these diverse states of beings arise from Me alone.

non-violence equanimity divine origin contentment diversity of qualities

Synthesis

Non-violence, equanimity, contentment, austerity, charity, fame and infamy — all arise from the one divine source. Shankaracharya sees this as establishing God's causation of the entire spectrum of experience. Ramanujacharya emphasizes that even seemingly negative states serve the Lord's purposes. Madhva extends the sovereignty theme: moral qualities are divine endowments, fostering gratitude rather than pride. Abhinavagupta sees the diversity of states as the infinite play of Shakti — nothing stands outside the divine creative expression. Vallabha reads 'from Me alone' as the central declaration of śuddha-advaita — there is no secondary source of reality. Tilak draws attention to the social virtues as expressions of divine will working through human agency. Vivekananda demolishes any boundary between sacred and secular: if all states arise from the divine, every corner of human experience is potentially sacred. The Bhakti tradition finds comfort in knowing that God is present even in life's difficult aspects. Together, these traditions reveal a comprehensive vision: the divine is not found only in pleasant experiences but pervades the entire range of human existence, making all of life a field for spiritual recognition.

Commentaries 8 traditions

Advaita Vedanta/Adi Shankaracharya

Shankara notes that all these varied states are modifications of prakriti (nature) but ultimately rest in Brahman as their substratum. Recognizing this non-dual source behind the diversity of experience is the essence of liberation.

Apply This Verse

Personal Growth

Your capacity for non-violence, contentment, and generosity are not self-made achievements but gifts to be cultivated with gratitude. Even your flaws have a source and can be transformed.

Questions this verse answers

  • ?"How do I cultivate non-violence in thought, not just action?"
  • ?"What does true contentment feel like versus complacency?"
  • ?"How do I handle both fame and obscurity with grace?"
  • ?"Where does my capacity for generosity come from?"