श्री भगवानुवाच | अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिर्ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिः | दानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्यायस्तप आर्जवम् || १ ||
śrī-bhagavān uvāca abhayaṁ sattva-saṁśuddhir jñāna-yoga-vyavasthitiḥ dānaṁ damaś ca yajñaś ca svādhyāyas tapa ārjavam
śrī-bhagavān uvāca—the Supreme Lord said; abhayam—fearlessness; sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ—purification of being; jñāna-yoga-vyavasthitiḥ—steadfastness in the yoga of knowledge; dānam—charity; damaḥ—control of senses; ca—and; yajñaḥ—sacrifice; ca—and; svādhyāyaḥ—study of scriptures; tapaḥ—austerity; ārjavam—simplicity.
“The Supreme Lord said: Fearlessness, purity of being, steadfastness in the yoga of knowledge, charity, control of the senses, sacrifice, study of scripture, austerity, and uprightness—”
Chapter 16 opens with an enumeration of the divine qualities (daivi sampat) that constitute the ideal human character. Fearlessness (abhaya) heads the list because all virtues require courage to practice. Sattva-samshuddhi—purity of being—means that one's motivations are transparent and uncontaminated by selfish desire. These three verses together constitute a complete portrait of the spiritually evolved human being.
Use this list as a genuine self-examination tool rather than an idealized standard to feel bad about. Pick one quality—perhaps fearlessness or simplicity—and work with it consciously for a week. Notice where it shows up naturally and where it is absent. Small, honest improvements in these qualities produce measurable changes in the quality of your daily life.