If all qualities come from Krishna, why call some virtuous?
--
The following is an excerpt from a samvaad (dialogue) session with Acharya Prashant.
बुद्धिर्ज्ञानमसम्मोह: क्षमा सत्यं दम: शम: ।
सुखं दु:खं भवोऽभावो भयं चाभयमेव च ।। 10.4 ।।
अहिंसा समता तुष्टिस्तपो दानं यशोऽयश: ।
भवन्ति भावा भूतानां मत्त एव पृथग्विधा: ।। 10.5 ।।
buddhir jñānam asammohaḥ kṣhamā satyaṁ damaḥ śhamaḥ
sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ bhavo ’bhāvo bhayaṁ chābhayameva cha
ahinsā samatā tuṣhṭis tapo dānaṁ yaśho ’yaśhaḥ
bhavanti bhāvā bhūtānāṁ matta eva pṛithag-vidhāḥ
Intellect, knowledge, non-delusion, forbearance, truth, restraint of the external senses, the calmness of heart, happiness, misery, birth, death, fear, as well as fearlessness, non-injury, evenness, contentment, austerity, benevolence, good name, as well as ill-fame — (these) different kinds of qualities of beings arise from Me alone.
~ Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 10, Verses 4–5
✥ ✥ ✥
Questioner (Q): It’s said here that all attributes, like misery, happiness, good name, and even ill-fame, arise from the Lord. What then is the role of free will for a human being when everything is arising from the Lord himself?
Also, why are certain qualities stated to be virtuous or vicious?
Acharya Prashant (AP): All these things that are said here are not with respect to the Lord, sir. They are with respect to you.
Intellect — does the Lord carry intellect? The Lord is absolute Brahma. The Lord is the Truth itself. Does the Truth carry intellect, operate via intellect? No. Intellect is yours.