Bhagavad Gita 18.42
शमो दमस्तपः शौचं क्षान्तिरार्जवमेव च । ज्ञानं विज्ञानमास्तिक्यं ब्रह्मकर्म स्वभावजम् ॥
śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṃ kṣāntir ārjavam eva ca / jñānaṃ vijñānam āstikyaṃ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam
Translation
Calm, restraint, austerity, purity, patience, uprightness, knowledge, discernment, and faith in what is, is the work of the brahmana, born of his nature.
Reflection
Which of the nine brahmana qualities are you actively cultivating, and which have stalled?
Read this verse in its chapter: Chapter Eighteen
Brahmana karma. Nine qualities. Shama, inner quiet. Dama, sense-restraint. Tapas, sustained austerity. Shaucha, cleanliness inward and outward. Kshanti, patience under provocation. Arjavam, straightness of dealing. Jnana, learning of scripture. Vijnana, discriminating realization that runs deeper than book knowledge. Astikya, faith that the unseen order is real. The brahmana role in the Gita's frame is the holder of these qualities for the community. Whoever in any community lives out this cluster is functionally a brahmana, regardless of label. The list is also a checklist for any seeker who wishes to develop the contemplative dimension of life, regardless of station.