SRIMAD BHAGAWAD GITA CHAPTER 16 (Gita.16)
SRIMAD BHAGAWAD GITA CHAPTER 16
अथ षोडशोஉध्यायः ।
श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिर्ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिः ।
दानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्यायस्तप आर्जवम् ॥ 1 ॥
अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिर्ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिः ।
दानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्यायस्तप आर्जवम् ॥ 1 ॥
अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्यागः शान्तिरपैशुनम् ।
दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम् ॥ 2 ॥
दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम् ॥ 2 ॥
तेजः क्षमा धृतिः शौचमद्रोहो नातिमानिता ।
भवन्ति सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातस्य भारत ॥ 3 ॥
भवन्ति सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातस्य भारत ॥ 3 ॥
दम्भो दर्पोஉभिमानश्च क्रोधः पारुष्यमेव च ।
अज्ञानं चाभिजातस्य पार्थ सम्पदमासुरीम् ॥ 4 ॥
अज्ञानं चाभिजातस्य पार्थ सम्पदमासुरीम् ॥ 4 ॥
दैवी सम्पद्विमोक्षाय निबन्धायासुरी मता ।
मा शुचः सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातोஉसि पाण्डव ॥ 5 ॥
मा शुचः सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातोஉसि पाण्डव ॥ 5 ॥
द्वौ भूतसर्गौ लोकेஉस्मिन्दैव आसुर एव च ।
दैवो विस्तरशः प्रोक्त आसुरं पार्थ मे शृणु ॥ 6 ॥
दैवो विस्तरशः प्रोक्त आसुरं पार्थ मे शृणु ॥ 6 ॥
प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च जना न विदुरासुराः ।
न शौचं नापि चाचारो न सत्यं तेषु विद्यते ॥ 7 ॥
न शौचं नापि चाचारो न सत्यं तेषु विद्यते ॥ 7 ॥
असत्यमप्रतिष्ठं ते जगदाहुरनीश्वरम् ।
अपरस्परसम्भूतं किमन्यत्कामहैतुकम् ॥ 8 ॥
अपरस्परसम्भूतं किमन्यत्कामहैतुकम् ॥ 8 ॥
एतां दृष्टिमवष्टभ्य नष्टात्मानोஉल्पबुद्धयः ।
प्रभवन्त्युग्रकर्माणः क्षयाय जगतोஉहिताः ॥ 9 ॥
प्रभवन्त्युग्रकर्माणः क्षयाय जगतोஉहिताः ॥ 9 ॥
काममाश्रित्य दुष्पूरं दम्भमानमदान्विताः ।
मोहाद्गृहीत्वासद्ग्राहान्प्रवर्तन्तेஉशुचिव्रताः ॥ 10 ॥
मोहाद्गृहीत्वासद्ग्राहान्प्रवर्तन्तेஉशुचिव्रताः ॥ 10 ॥
चिन्तामपरिमेयां च प्रलयान्तामुपाश्रिताः ।
कामोपभोगपरमा एतावदिति निश्चिताः ॥ 11 ॥
कामोपभोगपरमा एतावदिति निश्चिताः ॥ 11 ॥
आशापाशशतैर्बद्धाः कामक्रोधपरायणाः ।
ईहन्ते कामभोगार्थमन्यायेनार्थसञ्चयान् ॥ 12 ॥
ईहन्ते कामभोगार्थमन्यायेनार्थसञ्चयान् ॥ 12 ॥
इदमद्य मया लब्धमिमं प्राप्स्ये मनोरथम् ।
इदमस्तीदमपि मे भविष्यति पुनर्धनम् ॥ 13 ॥
इदमस्तीदमपि मे भविष्यति पुनर्धनम् ॥ 13 ॥
असौ मया हतः शत्रुर्हनिष्ये चापरानपि ।
ईश्वरोஉहमहं भोगी सिद्धोஉहं बलवान्सुखी ॥ 14 ॥
ईश्वरोஉहमहं भोगी सिद्धोஉहं बलवान्सुखी ॥ 14 ॥
आढ्योஉभिजनवानस्मि कोஉन्योस्ति सदृशो मया ।
यक्ष्ये दास्यामि मोदिष्य इत्यज्ञानविमोहिताः ॥ 15 ॥
यक्ष्ये दास्यामि मोदिष्य इत्यज्ञानविमोहिताः ॥ 15 ॥
अनेकचित्तविभ्रान्ता मोहजालसमावृताः ।
प्रसक्ताः कामभोगेषु पतन्ति नरकेஉशुचौ ॥ 16 ॥
प्रसक्ताः कामभोगेषु पतन्ति नरकेஉशुचौ ॥ 16 ॥
आत्मसम्भाविताः स्तब्धा धनमानमदान्विताः ।
यजन्ते नामयज्ञैस्ते दम्भेनाविधिपूर्वकम् ॥ 17 ॥
यजन्ते नामयज्ञैस्ते दम्भेनाविधिपूर्वकम् ॥ 17 ॥
अहङ्कारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं च संश्रिताः ।
मामात्मपरदेहेषु प्रद्विषन्तोஉभ्यसूयकाः ॥ 18 ॥
मामात्मपरदेहेषु प्रद्विषन्तोஉभ्यसूयकाः ॥ 18 ॥
तानहं द्विषतः क्रूरान्संसारेषु नराधमान् ।
क्षिपाम्यजस्रमशुभानासुरीष्वेव योनिषु ॥ 19 ॥
क्षिपाम्यजस्रमशुभानासुरीष्वेव योनिषु ॥ 19 ॥
आसुरीं योनिमापन्ना मूढा जन्मनि जन्मनि ।
मामप्राप्यैव कौन्तेय ततो यान्त्यधमां गतिम् ॥ 20 ॥
मामप्राप्यैव कौन्तेय ततो यान्त्यधमां गतिम् ॥ 20 ॥
त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः ।
कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत् ॥ 21 ॥
कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत् ॥ 21 ॥
एतैर्विमुक्तः कौन्तेय तमोद्वारैस्त्रिभिर्नरः ।
आचरत्यात्मनः श्रेयस्ततो याति परां गतिम् ॥ 22 ॥
आचरत्यात्मनः श्रेयस्ततो याति परां गतिम् ॥ 22 ॥
यः शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारतः ।
न स सिद्धिमवाप्नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम् ॥ 23 ॥
न स सिद्धिमवाप्नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम् ॥ 23 ॥
तस्माच्छास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ ।
ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रविधानोक्तं कर्म कर्तुमिहार्हसि ॥ 24 ॥
ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रविधानोक्तं कर्म कर्तुमिहार्हसि ॥ 24 ॥
ॐ तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादे
दैवासुरसम्पद्विभागयोगो नाम षोडशोஉध्यायः ॥16 ॥
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https://youtu.be/H-6YHrh5E4c
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XVI
The Yoga of the Division Between the Divine and the Demoniacal
Summary of Sixteenth Discourse
This discourse is important and very instructive to all persons who wish to attain happiness, prosperity and blessedness, and to seekers in particular, who wish to attain success in their spiritual life. Lord Krishna brings out quite clearly and unmistakably here the intimate connection between ethics and spirituality, between a life of virtue and God-realisation and liberation. Listing two sets of qualities of opposite kinds, the Lord classifies them as divine and demoniacal (undivine), and urges us to eradicate the latter and cultivate the divine qualities.
What kind of nature should one develop? What conduct must one follow? What way should one live and act if one must attain God and obtain divine bliss? These questions are answered with perfect clarity and very definitely. The pure divine qualities are conducive to peace and liberation and the undivine qualities lead to bondage. Purity, good conduct and truth are indispensable to spiritual progress and even to an honourable life here.
Devoid of purity, good conduct and truth, and having no faith in God or a higher Reality beyond this visible world, man degenerates into a two-legged beast of ugly character and cruel actions, and sinks into darkness. Such a person becomes his own enemy and the destroyer of the happiness of others as well as his own. Caught in countless desires and cravings, a slave of sensual enjoyments and beset by a thousand cares, his life ultimately ends in misery and degradation. Haughtiness, arrogance and egoism lead to this dire fate. Therefore, a wise person, desiring success, must eradicate vice and cultivate virtue.
In this world three gates lead to hell—the gates of passion, anger and greed. Released from these three qualities one can succeed in attaining salvation and reaching the highest goal, namely God. Thus the sacred scriptures teach wisely the right path of pure, virtuous living. One should therefore follow the injunctions of the sacred scriptures that wish his welfare and be guided in his actions by their noble teachings.
Sri Bhagavaan Uvaacha:
Abhayam sattwasamshuddhih jnaanayogavyavasthitih;
Daanam damashcha yajnashcha swaadhyaayastapa aarjavam.
Daanam damashcha yajnashcha swaadhyaayastapa aarjavam.
The Blessed Lord said:
1. Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in Yoga and knowledge, alms-giving, control of the senses, sacrifice, study of scriptures, austerity and straightforwardness,
Ahimsaa satyamakrodhas tyaagah shaantirapaishunam;
Dayaa bhooteshvaloluptwam maardavam hreerachaapalam.
Dayaa bhooteshvaloluptwam maardavam hreerachaapalam.
2. Harmlessness, truth, absence of anger, renunciation, peacefulness, absence of crookedness, compassion towards beings, uncovetousness, gentleness, modesty, absence of fickleness,
Tejah kshamaa dhritih shauchamadroho naatimaanitaa;
Bhavanti sampadam daiveem abhijaatasya bhaarata.
Bhavanti sampadam daiveem abhijaatasya bhaarata.
3. Vigour, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence of hatred, absence of pride—these belong to one born in a divine state, O Arjuna!
Dambho darpo’bhimaanashcha krodhah paarushyameva cha;
Ajnaanam chaabhijaatasya paartha sampadamaasureem.
Ajnaanam chaabhijaatasya paartha sampadamaasureem.
4. Hypocrisy, arrogance, self-conceit, harshness and also anger and ignorance, belong to one who is born in a demoniacal state, O Arjuna!
Daivee sampadvimokshaaya nibandhaayaasuree mataa;
Maa shuchah sampadam daiveem abhijaato’si paandava.
Maa shuchah sampadam daiveem abhijaato’si paandava.
5. The divine nature is deemed for liberation and the demoniacal for bondage. Grieve not, O Arjuna, for thou art born with divine properties!
COMMENTARY: As Arjuna is dejected, Sri Krishna assures him not to feel alarmed at this description of the demoniacal qualities as he is born with Sattwic tendencies leading towards salvation.
Dwau bhootasargau loke’smin daiva aasura eva cha;
Daivo vistarashah proktah aasuram paartha me shrinu.
Daivo vistarashah proktah aasuram paartha me shrinu.
6. There are two types of beings in this world—the divine and the demoniacal; the divine has been described at length; hear from Me, O Arjuna, of the demoniacal!
Pravrittim cha nivrittim cha janaa na viduraasuraah;
Na shaucham naapi chaachaaro na satyam teshu vidyate.
Na shaucham naapi chaachaaro na satyam teshu vidyate.
7. The demoniacal know not what to do and what to refrain from; neither purity nor right conduct nor truth is found in them.
Asatyamapratishtham te jagadaahuraneeshwaram;
Aparasparasambhootam kimanyat kaamahaitukam.
Aparasparasambhootam kimanyat kaamahaitukam.
8. They say: “This universe is without truth, without a (moral) basis, without a God, brought about by mutual union, with lust for its cause; what else?”
Etaam drishtimavashtabhya nashtaatmaano’lpabuddhayah;
Prabhavantyugrakarmaanah kshayaaya jagato’hitaah.
Prabhavantyugrakarmaanah kshayaaya jagato’hitaah.
9. Holding this view, these ruined souls of small intellects and fierce deeds, come forth as enemies of the world for its destruction.
Kaamamaashritya dushpooram dambhamaanamadaanvitaah;
Mohaadgriheetvaasadgraahaan pravartante’shuchivrataah.
Mohaadgriheetvaasadgraahaan pravartante’shuchivrataah.
10. Filled with insatiable desires, full of hypocrisy, pride and arrogance, holding evil ideas through delusion, they work with impure resolves.
Chintaamaparimeyaam cha pralayaantaamupaashritaah;
Kaamopabhogaparamaa etaavaditi nishchitaah.
Kaamopabhogaparamaa etaavaditi nishchitaah.
11. Giving themselves over to immeasurable cares ending only with death, regarding gratification of lust as their highest aim, and feeling sure that that is all,
Aashaapaashashatairbaddhaah kaamakrodhaparaayanaah;
Eehante kaamabhogaartha manyaayenaarthasanchayaan.
Eehante kaamabhogaartha manyaayenaarthasanchayaan.
12. Bound by a hundred ties of hope, given over to lust and anger, they strive to obtain by unlawful means hoards of wealth for sensual enjoyment.
Idamadya mayaa labdham imam praapsye manoratham;
Idamasteedamapi me bhavishyati punardhanam.
Idamasteedamapi me bhavishyati punardhanam.
13. “This has been gained by me today; this desire I shall obtain; this is mine and this wealth too shall be mine in future.”
Asau mayaa hatah shatrur hanishye chaaparaanapi;
Eeshwaro’hamaham bhogee siddho’ham balavaan sukhee.
Eeshwaro’hamaham bhogee siddho’ham balavaan sukhee.
14. “That enemy has been slain by me and others also I shall slay. I am the lord; I enjoy; I am perfect, powerful and happy”.
Aadhyo’bhijanavaanasmi ko’nyosti sadrisho mayaa;
Yakshye daasyaami modishye ityajnaanavimohitaah.
Yakshye daasyaami modishye ityajnaanavimohitaah.
15. “I am rich and born in a noble family. Who else is equal to me? I will sacrifice. I will give (charity). I will rejoice,”—thus, deluded by ignorance,
Anekachittavibhraantaah mohajaalasamaavritaah;
Prasaktaah kaamabhogeshu patanti narake’shuchau.
Prasaktaah kaamabhogeshu patanti narake’shuchau.
16. Bewildered by many a fancy, entangled in the snare of delusion, addicted to the gratification of lust, they fall into a foul hell.
Aatmasambhaavitaah stabdhaa dhanamaanamadaanvitaah;
Yajante naamayajnaiste dambhenaavidhipoorvakam.
Yajante naamayajnaiste dambhenaavidhipoorvakam.
17. Self-conceited, stubborn, filled with the intoxication and pride of wealth, they perform sacrifices in name, through ostentation, contrary to scriptural ordinances.
Ahankaaram balam darpam kaamam krodham cha samshritaah;
Maamaatmaparadeheshu pradwishanto’bhyasooyakaah.
Maamaatmaparadeheshu pradwishanto’bhyasooyakaah.
18. Given over to egoism, power, haughtiness, lust and anger, these malicious people hate Me in their own bodies and those of others.
Taanaham dwishatah krooraan samsaareshu naraadhamaan;
Kshipaamyajasram ashubhaan aasureeshweva yonishu.
Kshipaamyajasram ashubhaan aasureeshweva yonishu.
19. These cruel haters, the worst among men in the world,—I hurl all these evil-doers for ever into the wombs of demons only.
Aasureem yonimaapannaa moodhaa janmani janmani;
Maamapraapyaiva kaunteya tato yaantyadhamaam gatim.
Maamapraapyaiva kaunteya tato yaantyadhamaam gatim.
20. Entering into demoniacal wombs and deluded birth after birth, not attaining Me, they thus fall, O Arjuna, into a condition still lower than that!
Trividham narakasyedam dwaaram naashanamaatmanah;
Kaamah krodhastathaa lobhas tasmaadetat trayam tyajet.
Kaamah krodhastathaa lobhas tasmaadetat trayam tyajet.
21. Triple is the gate of this hell, destructive of the self—lust, anger, and greed,—therefore, one should abandon these three.
Etairvimuktah kaunteya tamodwaaraistribhirnarah;
Aacharatyaatmanah shreyas tato yaati paraam gatim.
Aacharatyaatmanah shreyas tato yaati paraam gatim.
22. A man who is liberated from these three gates to darkness, O Arjuna, practises what is good for him and thus goes to the Supreme goal!
COMMENTARY: When these three gates to hell are abandoned, the path to salvation is cleared for the aspirant. He gets the company of sages, which leads to liberation. He receives spiritual instructions and practises them. He hears the scriptures, reflects, meditates and attains Self-realisation.
Yah shaastravidhimutsrijya vartate kaamakaaratah;
Na sa siddhimavaapnoti na sukham na paraam gatim.
Na sa siddhimavaapnoti na sukham na paraam gatim.
23. He who, casting aside the ordinances of the scriptures, acts under the impulse of desire, attains neither perfection nor happiness nor the supreme goal.
Tasmaat shaastram pramaanam te kaaryaakaaryavyavasthitau;
Jnaatwaa shaastravidhaanokta
Jnaatwaa shaastravidhaanokta
m karma kartumihaarhasi.
24. Therefore, let the scripture be the authority in determining what ought to be done and what ought not to be done. Having known what is said in the ordinance of the scriptures, thou shouldst act here in this world.
Hari Om Tat Sat
Iti Srimad Bhagavadgeetaasoopanishatsu Brahmavidyaayaam
Yogashaastre Sri Krishnaarjunasamvaade
Daivaasurasampadvibhaagayogo Naama Shodasho’dhyaayah
Iti Srimad Bhagavadgeetaasoopanishatsu Brahmavidyaayaam
Yogashaastre Sri Krishnaarjunasamvaade
Daivaasurasampadvibhaagayogo Naama Shodasho’dhyaayah
Thus in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita, the science of the Eternal, the scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the sixteenth discourse entitled:
“The Yoga of the Division Between the Divine & the Demoniacal”
Commentary on the Bhagavadgita
by Swami Krishnananda
Discourse 44: The Sixteenth Chapter Begins – Divine and Undivine Qualities
We are now in the Sixteenth Chapter, which is called the chapter that distinguishes between qualities that are divine and qualities that are not divine. The description is mostly from the point of view of an ethical distinction in order to determine what is divine and what is undivine, but it is based on the final goal of life that is described in the earlier chapters.
The goodness or the badness of a particular quality or action, the divinity or the demoniacal nature of any behaviour, cannot be asserted entirely by social standards. They become acceptable or not acceptable on account of their relevance to the ultimate goal of life. If there is total harmony and relevance with the final attainment, that attitude, that conduct, that behaviour, that thought and feeling will be considered as holy, divine, ethical and moral. But if there is behaviour which is opposed to the consciousness of the ultimate goal of life by encouraging attachment, egoism, possessiveness, cruelty and associated qualities, then it becomes unethical, immoral, bad, ugly, undivine.
Śrībhagavānuvāca. Here in these few chapters, the Lord speaks without being questioned. The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Fifteenth and Sixteenth Chapters all consist of direct speaking without any interruption or query from Arjuna.
The divine qualities are actually the qualities of what we call goodness—appreciable, noteworthy, and polished, gentlemanly qualities. They are listed here in a few verses:
abhayaṁ sattvasaṁśuddhir jñānayogavyavasthitiḥ
dānaṁ damaś ca yajñaś ca svādhyāyas tapa ārjavam (16.1)
ahiṁsā satyam akrodhas tyāgaḥ śāntir apaiśunam
dayā bhūteṣualoluptvaṁ mārdavaṁ hrīr acāpalam (16.2)
tejaḥ kṣamā dhṛtiḥ śaucam adroho nātimānitā
bhavanti saṁpadaṁ daivīm abhijātasya bhārata (16.3)
Abhayaṁ is an inward feeling of fearlessness born of inner contentment. People with wants of every kind are afraid of so many things. Fearlessness is a quality of desirelessness.
Sattvasaṁśuddhiḥ is the manifestation of the sattva guna, resulting in clarity of perception, radiance in the face, and inward satiety.
Jñānayogavyavasthitiḥ is an intense aspiration to get established in the yoga of the wisdom of God.
Dānaṁ is a charitable nature, a giving nature, large-heartedness, not a selfish nature.
Damaḥ is the restraint of the organs of knowledge as well as the organs of action.
Yajñaḥ ca is a daily consciousness of it being necessary for us to adore gods, the divinities superintending over the cosmos, by external ritualistic sacrifice as well as internal sacrifice that is described in the Fourth Chapter, to which you may revert for brushing up your memory.
Svādhyāyaḥ is daily sacred study of the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Gita or any holy scripture in order to enable lofty thoughts in the mind—without which, the mind will think of dirt and stink and very low things of the world on account of the strength of the activity of the sense organs. To prevent one’s subjection to sensory demands and the evaluation of things in terms of the sense organs, the study of sacred scriptures—which are the words of the saints, sages, prophets and incarnations—will be of great assistance.
Tapaḥ means austerity. It also means mental and sensory control—the ability not to allow the energy of the system to leak out through the apertures of the sense organs, and conservation of energy in oneself. This, essentially, is tapaḥ.
Ᾱrjavam is straightforwardness. We should not say something, do another thing, and think a third thing altogether; that is crookedness. Actually, we should speak what we think, and behave in that manner. That is what is called straightforwardness—ārjava.
Ahiṁsa is the extending of harmlessness and fearlessness to all living beings. No injury can come from us, and no living being need fear us. We are a source of fearlessness, harmlessness; this is ahiṁsa. It is also truthfulness, because untruth is resorted to only when we want to exploit people. As exploitation is not an acceptable or a good quality, it is very clear that untruth—that which is contrary to truth—is not a divine or a virtuous quality.
Akrodhaḥ is freedom from anger. We should not become enraged over small things.
Tyāgaḥ is living a simple, frugal life; as it is generally said, simple living and high thinking. That may be said to be tyāgaḥ. We do not accumulate property, treasure, wealth etc., more than what is essential for our minimal comfortable existence, and we renounce all other things.
Śāntiḥ is being always inwardly calm, composed, serene.
Apaiśunam is the absence of crookedness and cunningness in speech or expression, in respect of other people. We should be before people exactly what we are in ourselves, and we should not have three personalities—one for ourselves, one for our family members, and one for the office. Three personalities are not good. They are like three sets of accounts: one for us, one for our partner, and one for the income tax officer. One should be free from crookedness, cunningness, etc., because if we behave like that we will be treated in the same way by the world outside. What we give to others will be given back to us.
Dayā means to be compassionate. When we see suffering, we feel within ourselves “What will happen if we are in that condition?” When we identify ourselves with that miserable state in which living beings exist, we will feel a tenderness of approach and we will cast an eye of compassion, and to the extent of our capacity we will do something to redress that sorrow. Dayā bhūteṣu is mercy in respect of all living beings.
Aloluptvaṁ is absence of greed. We should never say that we want this or we want that. Whatever comes is okay. Yadṛcchālābhasaṁtuṣaḥ (4.22): Be contented, satisfied with whatever comes of its own accord or without too much of strenuous effort. If for the sake of ten percent of happiness we have to put forth ninety percent effort, then that happiness is not worth anything because the sorrow of struggle is much more than the little jot of joy that ensues.
Mārdavaṁ is softness—soft speech, soft behaviour, soft conduct, soft movements. Everything is very soft, mild and subdued, not irritable. Mṛdutvaṁ, the opposite of mārdavaṁ, is suddenly rising into action or jumping into expression of words that are not pleasing. Very soft, calm, quiet, and pleasing—that is mṛdu. Mārdavaṁ is a quality of that kind.
Hrīḥ is shame in the presence of things which are forbidden. It is an automatic repulsion from actions and even thoughts that are contrary to an elevated form of spiritual life.
Acāpalam is steadfastness, freedom from fickleness. Thinking something now, thinking another thing after some time and a third thing tomorrow, and with no concept of the final aim of life, no clarity of perception in regard to what is to be done now and what is the actual program of one’s life, having everything in chaos—that would be chapalata. The absence of it is acāpalam—steadfastness and a clear perception of the values of life, right from now till the end of our life.
Tejaḥ is vigour, energy, strength, and not a drooping spirit. This is the quality of tejas, or energy, vigour, capacity to work. An indefatigable frame of the body and mind will automatically come to us as a consequence of following the other qualities mentioned earlier.
Kṣama is fortitude. We do not try to wreak vengeance on someone who has committed some mistake, and do not go on thinking of one mistake that a person has committed even though that person may have hundreds of good qualities. Generally, the evil that men do lives after them; the good is often buried with their bones. This is not to be our attitude. A hundred sacrifices a person has made, and for twenty years that person has served us, but one day he does something which is very displeasing and we remember only that, and not the twenty years of service. We must have a forgiving attitude, because who has absolutely no fault? “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us” is a very touching line in the Lord’s Prayer. “Let me forgive everyone in the same way as I would wish to be forgiven for all my trespasses”—because every minute we commit some mistake, and if we are going to be punished for every little mistake, then we cannot exist in this world. In turn, this should be our attitude towards other people. Be kindhearted.
Dhṛtiḥ is determination to achieve our goal, and never slacken our effort, and be decided in our mind that, “Perhaps this is the last birth of mine. Why should it not be the last birth, when I have put forth all my energy and I honestly strive for the attainment of God Almighty? I have no defect in my mind. I have no greed. I don’t harm anybody. To my mind, there is nothing wrong. Therefore, God should be kind to me. I shall realise God in this birth.” If this kind of determination is there, something really worthwhile may take place one day, perhaps in this life itself.
Śaucam is purity. We know much about it—external purity and internal purity. I need not go on harping on this subject.
Adrohaḥ is never committing blunders in respect of ourselves or of others. This blundering and floundering habit is due to the preponderance of rajoguna, which keeps us restless always and never allows us to concentrate on anything. If we touch something, it falls down; if we take a cup of tea, it spills on our clothes; when we speak, we fumble; when we utter a sentence, there is no verb. These are distractions which cause a habit of blundering—adrohaḥ.
Nātimānitā is never expecting too much regard and respect from people. Do not say, “Oh! He came, but he didn’t greet me.” It is said that Rama respected other people first; and if other people did not speak, he would speak first. He would not have the attitude: “Why should I speak first? Let the other person speak first.” Rama would speak first. Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj was like that. If a person did not touch his feet, he would touch that man’s feet. People would be horrified. “Maharaj! You are touching the feet of that person?” Sahasraśīrṣā puruṣaḥ (P.S. 1). He would speak first. “How are you? Acche hain maharaj? Theek hai?” Even if that person did not speak a word, he would immediately start a conversation: “How are you?” That man would be very highly pleased, and start speaking to him. So do not ask for respect. Give respect to others. Amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā harīḥ (Siksa 3): We are fit to take the name of God only if we give respect to everybody and do not expect any respect for our own self.
“These are the great qualities, O Arjuna, that may be called divine, gracious, noble, superb.”
But what are the qualities which are not divine? They are practically the opposite of these noble characteristics that are delineated as adorning a spiritual seeker, saint and sage.
Dambhaḥ (16.4) is vaingloriously putting on a show—making a show of that which is really not there. Dambhaḥ is a show of something which is not there. Darpaḥ is pride over something which is already there. So, either way there is some show. The only difference is that in one case there is nothing and in the other case there is something, but it is a big demonstration, adumbration and vainglorious advertisement of one’s great importance. Darpaḥ is garva, pride; dambhaḥ is vainglorious behaviour—dambhaḥ darpaḥ.
Abhimāna is being intensely self-conscious, always thinking of oneself, always looking in the mirror, being fond of oneself, and imagining that all people are thinking of us only, while nobody is thinking of us. This is abhimāna, too much egoism, self-consciousness.
Krodhaḥ is anger, as I mentioned. Lord Krishna refers to it once again.
Pāruṣyam is cruelty, a cruel nature. We feel very happy at the suffering of other people. Even if we do not actually commit an act of cruelty, we would like it to be committed by somebody else. Or if we ourselves do it, it is still better. This is called a sadistic attitude. Masochism is feeling pleasure in our own suffering, and sadism is feeling pleasure by causing suffering to others. So we should be neither a sadist nor a masochist. Pāruṣyam is cruelty. Let this quality not be in us.
Ajñānaṁ means ignorance, which is the basis of all topsy-turvy perception of things and wrong evaluation of the world—a lack of spiritual knowledge.
One who is born with these qualities may be said to be characterised as having asuric qualities. These asuric qualities and demoniacal natures that are described in this chapter are not actually characterisations of demons themselves. They are characterisations of human beings who behave like demons, and have all the qualities of a rakshasa, or a pain-giver, killer, exploiter and destroyer. The good qualities and the undivine qualities are, therefore, characterisations of human beings. They apply to everybody—to me, to you, and to everyone.
Daivī saṁpad vimokṣāya (16.5): “If these divine qualities are adopted in your daily life, they will lead you to final liberation gradually, stage by stage.” Nibandhāyāsurī matā: “But if you resort to the undivine qualities, you shall be bound hand and foot more and more every day, until it will be difficult for you to extricate yourself from this bondage. Arjuna! Don’t be afraid. You are born of divine qualities.” Arjuna may have been wondering in which category he belonged. Mā śucaḥ: “Don’t be afraid. Don’t grieve.” Saṁpadaṁ daivīm abhijāto’si: “You are born with qualities that are divine. You are really good and gentlemanly in your nature. You are a divine person.”
Dvau bhūtasargau lokesmin (16.6): There are two characteristics present in this world. Living beings are classifiable into the good and the bad, the noble and the ignoble, the divine and the undivine, the saintly and the demoniacal—daiva āsura eva ca.
Daivo vistaraśaḥ prokta: “Now, I have mentioned to you something about the good qualities, saintly qualities, divine qualities, in the earlier verses.” Lord Krishna has not actually gone into detail, but yet he says, “I have gone into detail in regard to the good qualities.” But actually he goes into greater detail in the description of the demoniacal qualities. Daivo vistaraśaḥ prokta āsuraṁ pārtha me śṛṇu: “Now I shall tell you how demoniacal people behave.”
Actually, there is no need for reading about these demoniacal qualities because every day we are seeing them and reading about them in newspapers, etc. When we go to the marketplace, the bus stand, the railway station or other places, we find some qualities of this kind; we can see them. But we can read about them as anticipated thousands of years ago in the Bhagavadgita.
Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ (16.7): Neither do these people with asuric qualities know what is to be done, nor do they know what is not to be done. With their whim and fancy, with the pressure of the moment, they suddenly engage themselves in doing something, and come to grief. They do not know the pros and cons of an occupation or a project or an undertaking. Knowing not what is the method to be adopted for a successful way of living, they blunder in the choice of the means and ways of doing things in the world, and come to grief later on. Ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ: What is pravritti, what is nivritti, what is to be done and what is not to be done is not known to them.
Na śaucaṁ: Very unclean are their habits, dirty is their behaviour—inwardly as well as outwardly. We would not like to go near them due to their unclean behaviour. Na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāraḥ: They have no good conduct, no special routine of the day, and they are not aware of such a thing as tidiness, cleanliness—to be spic-and-span, as we say. All these are unknown to them. They just act according to their whim.
Na satyaṁ teṣu vidyate means no truthfulness. They say anything they like, provided they are able to get something out of it, even if it means exploiting or even destroying other people. Exploitation is psychological killing; and apart from that, they may actually deal a blow to the very existence of people due to the wrong notion that untruth and exploitation succeed in this world.
Asatyam apratiṣṭhaṁ te jagad āhur anīśvaram (16.8): They do not believe in God. The world is complete in itself. Why should there be a Creator for the world? The five elements constitute this body. God has not made this body. The body is made up of only this material stuff, and it has no transcendent support as others may say. Apratiṣṭhaṁ: It has no transcendental support, and there is no God behind it. Therefore, it is transitory in its nature. It is unreal finally and, therefore, there is no necessity to be too scrupulous in dealing with anything in this world, on account of the simple fact that there is no ruling principle in this world. There is nobody to punish us. There is no God, no ruler, no administration, and the world itself is an unreal phantom, so we do what we like.
Asatyam apratiṣṭhaṁ te jagad āhur anīśvaram, aparasparasaṁbhūtaṁ kim anyat kāmahaitukam: They think that the birth of beings—the coming into being of all existents in this world—is not due to the will of God, because God does not exist. It is only a chemical combination, the coming together of the properties, positive and negative, due to the desires and passions of people. The concourse of men and women, and qualities which are positive and negative, and such other combinations, biological as well as chemical, are the causes of the coming into being of anything in this world. There is no Supernal Creator, and there is no Transcendent Being.
Etāṁ dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya naṣṭātmāno’lpabuddhayaḥ, prabhavanty ugrakarmāṇaḥ kṣayāya jagato’hitāḥ(16.9): They become terrorists—ugrakarmāṇaḥ. They are a terror for everybody because they have a vision of life which is bent on self-satisfaction and the destruction of everybody except themselves. Naṣṭātmānaḥ: They have lost their own souls, and they cannot see that there is a soul in anybody else. Inasmuch as there is no soul—they have lost it, and they cannot visualise souls in anybody other than themselves—they see no value in human life. There is no human feeling, there is no respect for humanity, and there is no necessity to work for the welfare of other people, because the vision of other people requires the perception of humanity in them also, whereas the vision of these people who are terror incarnate is a consuming attitude and not a creative attitude; therefore, they veritably appear to be incarnations of vehement violence and destruction. Naṣṭa-ātmānaḥ alpabuddhayaḥ means one who has no brains to think. Ugrakarmāṇaḥ: They become very dangerous, and capable of violent action. They are apparently intent on the abolition of all life in this world. These are the despots and the tyrants which history has sometimes seen. They would not like anybody else to live except themselves. Jagataḥ ahitāḥ: They are the people who do great injustice to the world.
Kāmam āśritya duṣpūraṁ (16.10): Their desires are endless. Insatiable longing and passion is their quality. Dambhamānamadānvitāḥ: I have already mentioned that dambhaḥ is vanity; egoism, pretentiousness and pride are their qualities. Mohād gṛhītvāsadgrāhān: They have ideologies which are entirely materialistic, sensory, outward, and hedonistic in the worst way. Dambhamānamadānvitāḥ mohād gṛhītvāsadgrāhān: Their ideology—the philosophy of life that they entertain—is something which is pleasing to their egos and totally destructive of the higher, real values of life which are spiritually awakening, to which they are totally opposed. Mohād gṛhītvāsadgrāhān pravartante’śucivratāḥ: Their resolutions are impure. How could there be any kind of pure resolve in the minds of such people?
Cintām aparimeyāṁ ca pralayāntām upāśritāḥ (16.11): They are worried, vexed and always in a state of anxiety, which is going to pursue them even till the end of their lives. There is not even a moment of rest and peace in their minds. Kāmopabhogaparamā etāvad iti niścitāḥ: While there is life, drink ghee and purchase delicacies by borrowing money from other people—because nothing happens when the body dies. This is the Charvaka doctrine, a materialistic attitude of enjoyment. “I must enjoy all things; all the goods should belong to me, and there is no other value in this world. The joy of the senses and the satisfaction of the mind and the ego—these are the highest values of life.” And to fulfil these morbid intentions they keep themselves in a state of restlessness and agony, which will end only with their death. Kāmopabhogaparamā etāvad iti niścitāḥ: These qualities, to some extent, apply to pure hedonistic materialism and what is sometimes known as the Charvaka doctrine.
Ᾱśāpāśaśatair baddhāḥ (16.12) means full of desires. They are bound by the cord of endless longing for things which they cannot obtain even if they live for thousands of years. Kāmakrodhaparāyaṇāḥ: They are intent on anger, passion, and desire. Īhante kāmabhogārtham anyāyenārthasañcayān: For the sake of the fulfilment of their own desires and crude longings, they do not mind accumulating wealth by any means whatsoever. The end justifies the means, so they may employ any means, provided they get the treasure of wealth. Anyāyena: They try to accumulate wealth by unjust means—ārthasañcayān.
Idam adya mayā labdham (16.13): “See how rich I am. So much I have got, and I shall have more afterwards. So many millions are there, but some more millions must be added.” Idam adya mayā labdham: “I have got this now.” Imaṁ prāpsye manoratham: “I shall have more afterwards. What are the ways of getting more?” This is the business mentality. They have so much, more than what they need, but that is not enough. They want more. “I must extend my business more and more, more and more, more and more.” And he breathes his last with this desire of obtaining more and more. Idam asti: “This is mine.” Idam api me: “All this belongs to me.” Bhaviṣyati punar dhanam: “I will accumulate more wealth.”
Asau mayā hataḥ śatruḥ (16.14): “I have destroyed this enemy, and I shall destroy the other enemy also in a few days. I shall have no opponent in front of me.” Haniṣye cāparān api: “This opponent has gone to the land of eternity, and I have cut short the lives of all my opponents.” Īśvaro’aham: “I am the lord. Who can stand before me? Let them come and show their might. I shall see to them.” Ahaṁ bhogī: “I shall have all the appurtenances of a pleasurable life.” Siddhohaṁ: “All perfection I have attained.” Ravana was like that to some extent. Charvaka and Ravana both had these qualities. Ravana thought that he was the lord of the three worlds, and had all the enjoyments of the celestials. He thought he was a perfect person, that nobody could be equal to him, what to talk of being superior to him. Balavān: “Very strong am I, and I am blessed, most blessed indeed.”
Ᾱḍhyo’bhijanavān asmi (16.15): “I am born to a noble family.” All rich people seem to come from noble families. Ᾱḍhyaḥ: “I am very wealthy. There is nothing lacking in me.” Ko’nyo’sti sadṛśo mayā: “Who is equal to me in this world?” I think perhaps people like Hiranyakasipu, Ravana and others may be the ones Lord Krishna had in mind when he described qualities of this terrible nature. Yakṣye: Even demons such as Ravana, Hiranyakasipu, Bali Chakravarti and others gave charity, but it was all demoniacal charity. All these come under this category of “I shall do sacrifice. I shall give. I shall enjoy”.
Mohajālasamāvṛtāḥ (16.16): Thus, completely deluded in their minds, they get caught up in the net of the illusion of this world.
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We are now in the Sixteenth Chapter, which is called the chapter that distinguishes between qualities that are divine and qualities that are not divine. The description is mostly from the point of view of an ethical distinction in order to determine what is divine and what is undivine, but it is based on the final goal of life that is described in the earlier chapters.
The goodness or the badness of a particular quality or action, the divinity or the demoniacal nature of any behaviour, cannot be asserted entirely by social standards. They become acceptable or not acceptable on account of their relevance to the ultimate goal of life. If there is total harmony and relevance with the final attainment, that attitude, that conduct, that behaviour, that thought and feeling will be considered as holy, divine, ethical and moral. But if there is behaviour which is opposed to the consciousness of the ultimate goal of life by encouraging attachment, egoism, possessiveness, cruelty and associated qualities, then it becomes unethical, immoral, bad, ugly, undivine.
Śrībhagavānuvāca. Here in these few chapters, the Lord speaks without being questioned. The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Fifteenth and Sixteenth Chapters all consist of direct speaking without any interruption or query from Arjuna.
The divine qualities are actually the qualities of what we call goodness—appreciable, noteworthy, and polished, gentlemanly qualities. They are listed here in a few verses:
abhayaṁ sattvasaṁśuddhir jñānayogavyavasthitiḥ
dānaṁ damaś ca yajñaś ca svādhyāyas tapa ārjavam (16.1)
ahiṁsā satyam akrodhas tyāgaḥ śāntir apaiśunam
dayā bhūteṣualoluptvaṁ mārdavaṁ hrīr acāpalam (16.2)
tejaḥ kṣamā dhṛtiḥ śaucam adroho nātimānitā
bhavanti saṁpadaṁ daivīm abhijātasya bhārata (16.3)
dānaṁ damaś ca yajñaś ca svādhyāyas tapa ārjavam (16.1)
ahiṁsā satyam akrodhas tyāgaḥ śāntir apaiśunam
dayā bhūteṣualoluptvaṁ mārdavaṁ hrīr acāpalam (16.2)
tejaḥ kṣamā dhṛtiḥ śaucam adroho nātimānitā
bhavanti saṁpadaṁ daivīm abhijātasya bhārata (16.3)
Abhayaṁ is an inward feeling of fearlessness born of inner contentment. People with wants of every kind are afraid of so many things. Fearlessness is a quality of desirelessness.
Sattvasaṁśuddhiḥ is the manifestation of the sattva guna, resulting in clarity of perception, radiance in the face, and inward satiety.
Jñānayogavyavasthitiḥ is an intense aspiration to get established in the yoga of the wisdom of God.
Dānaṁ is a charitable nature, a giving nature, large-heartedness, not a selfish nature.
Damaḥ is the restraint of the organs of knowledge as well as the organs of action.
Yajñaḥ ca is a daily consciousness of it being necessary for us to adore gods, the divinities superintending over the cosmos, by external ritualistic sacrifice as well as internal sacrifice that is described in the Fourth Chapter, to which you may revert for brushing up your memory.
Svādhyāyaḥ is daily sacred study of the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Gita or any holy scripture in order to enable lofty thoughts in the mind—without which, the mind will think of dirt and stink and very low things of the world on account of the strength of the activity of the sense organs. To prevent one’s subjection to sensory demands and the evaluation of things in terms of the sense organs, the study of sacred scriptures—which are the words of the saints, sages, prophets and incarnations—will be of great assistance.
Tapaḥ means austerity. It also means mental and sensory control—the ability not to allow the energy of the system to leak out through the apertures of the sense organs, and conservation of energy in oneself. This, essentially, is tapaḥ.
Ᾱrjavam is straightforwardness. We should not say something, do another thing, and think a third thing altogether; that is crookedness. Actually, we should speak what we think, and behave in that manner. That is what is called straightforwardness—ārjava.
Ahiṁsa is the extending of harmlessness and fearlessness to all living beings. No injury can come from us, and no living being need fear us. We are a source of fearlessness, harmlessness; this is ahiṁsa. It is also truthfulness, because untruth is resorted to only when we want to exploit people. As exploitation is not an acceptable or a good quality, it is very clear that untruth—that which is contrary to truth—is not a divine or a virtuous quality.
Akrodhaḥ is freedom from anger. We should not become enraged over small things.
Tyāgaḥ is living a simple, frugal life; as it is generally said, simple living and high thinking. That may be said to be tyāgaḥ. We do not accumulate property, treasure, wealth etc., more than what is essential for our minimal comfortable existence, and we renounce all other things.
Śāntiḥ is being always inwardly calm, composed, serene.
Apaiśunam is the absence of crookedness and cunningness in speech or expression, in respect of other people. We should be before people exactly what we are in ourselves, and we should not have three personalities—one for ourselves, one for our family members, and one for the office. Three personalities are not good. They are like three sets of accounts: one for us, one for our partner, and one for the income tax officer. One should be free from crookedness, cunningness, etc., because if we behave like that we will be treated in the same way by the world outside. What we give to others will be given back to us.
Dayā means to be compassionate. When we see suffering, we feel within ourselves “What will happen if we are in that condition?” When we identify ourselves with that miserable state in which living beings exist, we will feel a tenderness of approach and we will cast an eye of compassion, and to the extent of our capacity we will do something to redress that sorrow. Dayā bhūteṣu is mercy in respect of all living beings.
Aloluptvaṁ is absence of greed. We should never say that we want this or we want that. Whatever comes is okay. Yadṛcchālābhasaṁtuṣaḥ (4.22): Be contented, satisfied with whatever comes of its own accord or without too much of strenuous effort. If for the sake of ten percent of happiness we have to put forth ninety percent effort, then that happiness is not worth anything because the sorrow of struggle is much more than the little jot of joy that ensues.
Mārdavaṁ is softness—soft speech, soft behaviour, soft conduct, soft movements. Everything is very soft, mild and subdued, not irritable. Mṛdutvaṁ, the opposite of mārdavaṁ, is suddenly rising into action or jumping into expression of words that are not pleasing. Very soft, calm, quiet, and pleasing—that is mṛdu. Mārdavaṁ is a quality of that kind.
Hrīḥ is shame in the presence of things which are forbidden. It is an automatic repulsion from actions and even thoughts that are contrary to an elevated form of spiritual life.
Acāpalam is steadfastness, freedom from fickleness. Thinking something now, thinking another thing after some time and a third thing tomorrow, and with no concept of the final aim of life, no clarity of perception in regard to what is to be done now and what is the actual program of one’s life, having everything in chaos—that would be chapalata. The absence of it is acāpalam—steadfastness and a clear perception of the values of life, right from now till the end of our life.
Tejaḥ is vigour, energy, strength, and not a drooping spirit. This is the quality of tejas, or energy, vigour, capacity to work. An indefatigable frame of the body and mind will automatically come to us as a consequence of following the other qualities mentioned earlier.
Kṣama is fortitude. We do not try to wreak vengeance on someone who has committed some mistake, and do not go on thinking of one mistake that a person has committed even though that person may have hundreds of good qualities. Generally, the evil that men do lives after them; the good is often buried with their bones. This is not to be our attitude. A hundred sacrifices a person has made, and for twenty years that person has served us, but one day he does something which is very displeasing and we remember only that, and not the twenty years of service. We must have a forgiving attitude, because who has absolutely no fault? “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us” is a very touching line in the Lord’s Prayer. “Let me forgive everyone in the same way as I would wish to be forgiven for all my trespasses”—because every minute we commit some mistake, and if we are going to be punished for every little mistake, then we cannot exist in this world. In turn, this should be our attitude towards other people. Be kindhearted.
Dhṛtiḥ is determination to achieve our goal, and never slacken our effort, and be decided in our mind that, “Perhaps this is the last birth of mine. Why should it not be the last birth, when I have put forth all my energy and I honestly strive for the attainment of God Almighty? I have no defect in my mind. I have no greed. I don’t harm anybody. To my mind, there is nothing wrong. Therefore, God should be kind to me. I shall realise God in this birth.” If this kind of determination is there, something really worthwhile may take place one day, perhaps in this life itself.
Śaucam is purity. We know much about it—external purity and internal purity. I need not go on harping on this subject.
Adrohaḥ is never committing blunders in respect of ourselves or of others. This blundering and floundering habit is due to the preponderance of rajoguna, which keeps us restless always and never allows us to concentrate on anything. If we touch something, it falls down; if we take a cup of tea, it spills on our clothes; when we speak, we fumble; when we utter a sentence, there is no verb. These are distractions which cause a habit of blundering—adrohaḥ.
Nātimānitā is never expecting too much regard and respect from people. Do not say, “Oh! He came, but he didn’t greet me.” It is said that Rama respected other people first; and if other people did not speak, he would speak first. He would not have the attitude: “Why should I speak first? Let the other person speak first.” Rama would speak first. Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj was like that. If a person did not touch his feet, he would touch that man’s feet. People would be horrified. “Maharaj! You are touching the feet of that person?” Sahasraśīrṣā puruṣaḥ (P.S. 1). He would speak first. “How are you? Acche hain maharaj? Theek hai?” Even if that person did not speak a word, he would immediately start a conversation: “How are you?” That man would be very highly pleased, and start speaking to him. So do not ask for respect. Give respect to others. Amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā harīḥ (Siksa 3): We are fit to take the name of God only if we give respect to everybody and do not expect any respect for our own self.
“These are the great qualities, O Arjuna, that may be called divine, gracious, noble, superb.”
But what are the qualities which are not divine? They are practically the opposite of these noble characteristics that are delineated as adorning a spiritual seeker, saint and sage.
Dambhaḥ (16.4) is vaingloriously putting on a show—making a show of that which is really not there. Dambhaḥ is a show of something which is not there. Darpaḥ is pride over something which is already there. So, either way there is some show. The only difference is that in one case there is nothing and in the other case there is something, but it is a big demonstration, adumbration and vainglorious advertisement of one’s great importance. Darpaḥ is garva, pride; dambhaḥ is vainglorious behaviour—dambhaḥ darpaḥ.
Abhimāna is being intensely self-conscious, always thinking of oneself, always looking in the mirror, being fond of oneself, and imagining that all people are thinking of us only, while nobody is thinking of us. This is abhimāna, too much egoism, self-consciousness.
Krodhaḥ is anger, as I mentioned. Lord Krishna refers to it once again.
Pāruṣyam is cruelty, a cruel nature. We feel very happy at the suffering of other people. Even if we do not actually commit an act of cruelty, we would like it to be committed by somebody else. Or if we ourselves do it, it is still better. This is called a sadistic attitude. Masochism is feeling pleasure in our own suffering, and sadism is feeling pleasure by causing suffering to others. So we should be neither a sadist nor a masochist. Pāruṣyam is cruelty. Let this quality not be in us.
Ajñānaṁ means ignorance, which is the basis of all topsy-turvy perception of things and wrong evaluation of the world—a lack of spiritual knowledge.
One who is born with these qualities may be said to be characterised as having asuric qualities. These asuric qualities and demoniacal natures that are described in this chapter are not actually characterisations of demons themselves. They are characterisations of human beings who behave like demons, and have all the qualities of a rakshasa, or a pain-giver, killer, exploiter and destroyer. The good qualities and the undivine qualities are, therefore, characterisations of human beings. They apply to everybody—to me, to you, and to everyone.
Daivī saṁpad vimokṣāya (16.5): “If these divine qualities are adopted in your daily life, they will lead you to final liberation gradually, stage by stage.” Nibandhāyāsurī matā: “But if you resort to the undivine qualities, you shall be bound hand and foot more and more every day, until it will be difficult for you to extricate yourself from this bondage. Arjuna! Don’t be afraid. You are born of divine qualities.” Arjuna may have been wondering in which category he belonged. Mā śucaḥ: “Don’t be afraid. Don’t grieve.” Saṁpadaṁ daivīm abhijāto’si: “You are born with qualities that are divine. You are really good and gentlemanly in your nature. You are a divine person.”
Dvau bhūtasargau lokesmin (16.6): There are two characteristics present in this world. Living beings are classifiable into the good and the bad, the noble and the ignoble, the divine and the undivine, the saintly and the demoniacal—daiva āsura eva ca.
Daivo vistaraśaḥ prokta: “Now, I have mentioned to you something about the good qualities, saintly qualities, divine qualities, in the earlier verses.” Lord Krishna has not actually gone into detail, but yet he says, “I have gone into detail in regard to the good qualities.” But actually he goes into greater detail in the description of the demoniacal qualities. Daivo vistaraśaḥ prokta āsuraṁ pārtha me śṛṇu: “Now I shall tell you how demoniacal people behave.”
Actually, there is no need for reading about these demoniacal qualities because every day we are seeing them and reading about them in newspapers, etc. When we go to the marketplace, the bus stand, the railway station or other places, we find some qualities of this kind; we can see them. But we can read about them as anticipated thousands of years ago in the Bhagavadgita.
Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ (16.7): Neither do these people with asuric qualities know what is to be done, nor do they know what is not to be done. With their whim and fancy, with the pressure of the moment, they suddenly engage themselves in doing something, and come to grief. They do not know the pros and cons of an occupation or a project or an undertaking. Knowing not what is the method to be adopted for a successful way of living, they blunder in the choice of the means and ways of doing things in the world, and come to grief later on. Ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ: What is pravritti, what is nivritti, what is to be done and what is not to be done is not known to them.
Na śaucaṁ: Very unclean are their habits, dirty is their behaviour—inwardly as well as outwardly. We would not like to go near them due to their unclean behaviour. Na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāraḥ: They have no good conduct, no special routine of the day, and they are not aware of such a thing as tidiness, cleanliness—to be spic-and-span, as we say. All these are unknown to them. They just act according to their whim.
Na satyaṁ teṣu vidyate means no truthfulness. They say anything they like, provided they are able to get something out of it, even if it means exploiting or even destroying other people. Exploitation is psychological killing; and apart from that, they may actually deal a blow to the very existence of people due to the wrong notion that untruth and exploitation succeed in this world.
Asatyam apratiṣṭhaṁ te jagad āhur anīśvaram (16.8): They do not believe in God. The world is complete in itself. Why should there be a Creator for the world? The five elements constitute this body. God has not made this body. The body is made up of only this material stuff, and it has no transcendent support as others may say. Apratiṣṭhaṁ: It has no transcendental support, and there is no God behind it. Therefore, it is transitory in its nature. It is unreal finally and, therefore, there is no necessity to be too scrupulous in dealing with anything in this world, on account of the simple fact that there is no ruling principle in this world. There is nobody to punish us. There is no God, no ruler, no administration, and the world itself is an unreal phantom, so we do what we like.
Asatyam apratiṣṭhaṁ te jagad āhur anīśvaram, aparasparasaṁbhūtaṁ kim anyat kāmahaitukam: They think that the birth of beings—the coming into being of all existents in this world—is not due to the will of God, because God does not exist. It is only a chemical combination, the coming together of the properties, positive and negative, due to the desires and passions of people. The concourse of men and women, and qualities which are positive and negative, and such other combinations, biological as well as chemical, are the causes of the coming into being of anything in this world. There is no Supernal Creator, and there is no Transcendent Being.
Etāṁ dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya naṣṭātmāno’lpabuddhayaḥ, prabhavanty ugrakarmāṇaḥ kṣayāya jagato’hitāḥ(16.9): They become terrorists—ugrakarmāṇaḥ. They are a terror for everybody because they have a vision of life which is bent on self-satisfaction and the destruction of everybody except themselves. Naṣṭātmānaḥ: They have lost their own souls, and they cannot see that there is a soul in anybody else. Inasmuch as there is no soul—they have lost it, and they cannot visualise souls in anybody other than themselves—they see no value in human life. There is no human feeling, there is no respect for humanity, and there is no necessity to work for the welfare of other people, because the vision of other people requires the perception of humanity in them also, whereas the vision of these people who are terror incarnate is a consuming attitude and not a creative attitude; therefore, they veritably appear to be incarnations of vehement violence and destruction. Naṣṭa-ātmānaḥ alpabuddhayaḥ means one who has no brains to think. Ugrakarmāṇaḥ: They become very dangerous, and capable of violent action. They are apparently intent on the abolition of all life in this world. These are the despots and the tyrants which history has sometimes seen. They would not like anybody else to live except themselves. Jagataḥ ahitāḥ: They are the people who do great injustice to the world.
Kāmam āśritya duṣpūraṁ (16.10): Their desires are endless. Insatiable longing and passion is their quality. Dambhamānamadānvitāḥ: I have already mentioned that dambhaḥ is vanity; egoism, pretentiousness and pride are their qualities. Mohād gṛhītvāsadgrāhān: They have ideologies which are entirely materialistic, sensory, outward, and hedonistic in the worst way. Dambhamānamadānvitāḥ mohād gṛhītvāsadgrāhān: Their ideology—the philosophy of life that they entertain—is something which is pleasing to their egos and totally destructive of the higher, real values of life which are spiritually awakening, to which they are totally opposed. Mohād gṛhītvāsadgrāhān pravartante’śucivratāḥ: Their resolutions are impure. How could there be any kind of pure resolve in the minds of such people?
Cintām aparimeyāṁ ca pralayāntām upāśritāḥ (16.11): They are worried, vexed and always in a state of anxiety, which is going to pursue them even till the end of their lives. There is not even a moment of rest and peace in their minds. Kāmopabhogaparamā etāvad iti niścitāḥ: While there is life, drink ghee and purchase delicacies by borrowing money from other people—because nothing happens when the body dies. This is the Charvaka doctrine, a materialistic attitude of enjoyment. “I must enjoy all things; all the goods should belong to me, and there is no other value in this world. The joy of the senses and the satisfaction of the mind and the ego—these are the highest values of life.” And to fulfil these morbid intentions they keep themselves in a state of restlessness and agony, which will end only with their death. Kāmopabhogaparamā etāvad iti niścitāḥ: These qualities, to some extent, apply to pure hedonistic materialism and what is sometimes known as the Charvaka doctrine.
Ᾱśāpāśaśatair baddhāḥ (16.12) means full of desires. They are bound by the cord of endless longing for things which they cannot obtain even if they live for thousands of years. Kāmakrodhaparāyaṇāḥ: They are intent on anger, passion, and desire. Īhante kāmabhogārtham anyāyenārthasañcayān: For the sake of the fulfilment of their own desires and crude longings, they do not mind accumulating wealth by any means whatsoever. The end justifies the means, so they may employ any means, provided they get the treasure of wealth. Anyāyena: They try to accumulate wealth by unjust means—ārthasañcayān.
Idam adya mayā labdham (16.13): “See how rich I am. So much I have got, and I shall have more afterwards. So many millions are there, but some more millions must be added.” Idam adya mayā labdham: “I have got this now.” Imaṁ prāpsye manoratham: “I shall have more afterwards. What are the ways of getting more?” This is the business mentality. They have so much, more than what they need, but that is not enough. They want more. “I must extend my business more and more, more and more, more and more.” And he breathes his last with this desire of obtaining more and more. Idam asti: “This is mine.” Idam api me: “All this belongs to me.” Bhaviṣyati punar dhanam: “I will accumulate more wealth.”
Asau mayā hataḥ śatruḥ (16.14): “I have destroyed this enemy, and I shall destroy the other enemy also in a few days. I shall have no opponent in front of me.” Haniṣye cāparān api: “This opponent has gone to the land of eternity, and I have cut short the lives of all my opponents.” Īśvaro’aham: “I am the lord. Who can stand before me? Let them come and show their might. I shall see to them.” Ahaṁ bhogī: “I shall have all the appurtenances of a pleasurable life.” Siddhohaṁ: “All perfection I have attained.” Ravana was like that to some extent. Charvaka and Ravana both had these qualities. Ravana thought that he was the lord of the three worlds, and had all the enjoyments of the celestials. He thought he was a perfect person, that nobody could be equal to him, what to talk of being superior to him. Balavān: “Very strong am I, and I am blessed, most blessed indeed.”
Ᾱḍhyo’bhijanavān asmi (16.15): “I am born to a noble family.” All rich people seem to come from noble families. Ᾱḍhyaḥ: “I am very wealthy. There is nothing lacking in me.” Ko’nyo’sti sadṛśo mayā: “Who is equal to me in this world?” I think perhaps people like Hiranyakasipu, Ravana and others may be the ones Lord Krishna had in mind when he described qualities of this terrible nature. Yakṣye: Even demons such as Ravana, Hiranyakasipu, Bali Chakravarti and others gave charity, but it was all demoniacal charity. All these come under this category of “I shall do sacrifice. I shall give. I shall enjoy”.
Mohajālasamāvṛtāḥ (16.16): Thus, completely deluded in their minds, they get caught up in the net of the illusion of this world.
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Discourse 45: The Sixteenth Chapter Concludes – What is Proper and What is Improper in Our Life
anekacittavibhrāntā mohajālasamāvṛtāḥ
prasaktāḥ kāmabhogeṣu patanti narake’śucau (16.16)
ātmasaṁbhāvitāḥ stabdhā dhanamānamadānvitāḥ
yajante nāmayajñais te dambhenāvidhipūrvakam (16.17)
ahaṅkāraṁ balaṁ darpaṁ kāmaṁ krodhaṁ ca saṁśritāḥ
mām ātmaparadeheṣu pradviṣanto’bhyasūyakāḥ (16.18)
tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krurān saṁsāreṣu narādhamānkṣipāmyajasram aśubhān āsurīṣveva yoniṣu (16.19)
āsurīṁ yonim āpannā mūḍhā janmani janmani
mām aprāpyaiva kaunteya tato yāntyadhamāṁ gatim (16.20)
trividhaṁ narakasyedaṁ dvāraṁ nāśanam ātmanaḥ
kāmaḥ krodhas tathā lobhas tasmād tat trayaṁ tyajet (16.21)
In the context of the description of the divine and undivine qualities characterising human beings, a lot has been said by the Lord about these tendencies in people which, on the one hand, enable them to gravitate towards the centre of the universe and, on the other hand, deflect their attention in the direction of the periphery of the universe. The undivine elements are those forces in nature, as well as in individuals, which tend towards externals, and go to the extreme of involvement in space, time and objects. The other category of persons differ entirely from the first mentioned, in the sense that they tend inward into the very centre or the Selfhood of the universe, which is the opposite of the objects which attract demoniacal natures.
While there is joy in entering into one’s own Self in the case of those who are qualified with divine characters, there is sorrow in an inward contemplation in the case of people who wish to run about in an external direction towards more and more contact with sense objects. On account of intense egoism, ahamkaram, balam, darpam, etc.—with egoism, with pride, with vanity, with anger, with insatiable desire for indulgence of senses—they consider themselves as all-in-all in the power that they appear to be wielding, and are despotic in their conduct and cruel in their attitude towards other people. Such ones are endangering not only the lives of other people, but the lives of themselves also.
Those who are trying to harm others are inadvertently trying to harm themselves also—a harm that may come upon them today or tomorrow. This is because as we mete out to others, we will be meted out in the same way. The world is an organic involvement of perfection and a balance of forces, so that any kind of interference of one part with another part, or rather, the interference of one part with the whole to which it belongs, would set up such a reaction that the interference will be paid in its own coin.
Many a time, evil appears to survive and thrive more gloriously than goodness in this world, but when the mills of God begin to grind powerfully, the evil forces will receive their due—though slowly, but very finely. So the indication as to the consequences that follow from utter egoism and evil-doing is here in these verses.
Such persons who are dangerous to themselves as well as to others, and are injurious in their attitude towards things, go to lower regions. They take birth in inferior species of living entities, which, on the one hand, obliterates the consciousness which human beings are supposed to be endowed with and, on the other hand, they suffer like insects, like reptiles, like animals who have only body consciousness, and there is no consciousness of Self. Subhuman creatures do not have the prerogative of inferring the existence of that which is above humanity, above themselves. The animal can think only its own region, its own realm, its own body, its own instincts. It does not have the capacity to infer, to consider the pros and cons and draw conclusions. It is human reason that has the capacity not only to understand what is happening now, but also to draw conclusions by inference from the occurrences and the experiences at present. These prerogatives of humanity will be wiped out due to the preponderance of rajasic and tamasic qualities, which people sometimes adopt due to intense egoism in their nature—behaving arrogantly, tyrannically, selfishly, which will lead them to lower yonis, or species of births. They may even go to hell, which is the lowest of regions.
Ᾱsurīṁ yonim āpannā (16.20): These unfortunate souls that enter into the wombs of asuras—that is to say, totally undivine characters—may run into cycles of transmigratory life again and again, endlessly, as it were, and may lose hope of redemption for an endless period of time.
As we know very well, the way to hell, the gate to hell, is mentioned here as threefold, as reference to it was made in the Third Chapter. Kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajoguṇa samudbhavaḥ, mahāśano mahāpāpmā viddhyenam iha vairiṇam (3.37): If you have any enemy in this world, your enemy is your instinct to like and dislike, passion and anger. Trividhaṁ narakasyedaṁ dvāraṁ nāśanam ātmanaḥ(16.21): The self-destructive ways to hell, the gates to hell, are kama, krodha and lobha: greed, insatiable desire, and anger. The one automatically leads to the other. When there is desire, the other two automatically follow.
The tendency to grab appurtenances from the world as much as possible, and never being satisfied with any kind of possession or any amount of possession, is greed. Anger, of course, is retaliation in respect of any hindrance to the fulfilment of desires. And desire is well known to us. Etat trayaṁ tyajet: Therefore, we must very meticulously avoid these three traits—kama, krodha and lobha—in human nature, because these are the gateways to hell. Dvāraṁ nāśanam ātmanaḥ: They destroy the self, as it were, and hurl the individual into subhuman realms.
Etair vimuktaḥ kaunteya tamodvārais tribhir naraḥ, ācaratyātmanaḥ śreyas tato yāti parāṁ gatim (16.22): Freed from these three kinds of traits—kama, krodha and lobha—one works for one’s own welfare with proper understanding of the way of conducting oneself in life for attaining the spiritual goal. One begins to realise and keep in mind what is actually one’s welfare. Most people do not know what is good for them. They have a blindfolded vision of things, a distorted vision of things, which makes them believe in things which are really not enduring, and doubt the existence of things which are really there. But here a person who is free from these qualities of kama, krodha and lobhawill be automatically purified in nature, and this purified mind will reflect within itself the aspiration necessary for the attainment of the great goal of life. Tato yati param gatim: Automatically one reaches the Supreme State.
Vartate kāmakārataḥ (16.23): One should not act according to one’s own whim and fancy. We should not do things merely because they occur to us. There are certain norms that have been set forth by ancient Masters, who recorded their experiences and their impressions in texts called Shastras—such as the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Gita, the Smrtis. These Shastras give us a norm of conduct and behaviour prescribed in the light of the ultimate aim of life. Shastras, or scriptures, lay down the necessity to place oneself in a harmonious state of affairs in the context of dharma, artha, kama and moksha.
Very few people have even heard of these names: dharma, artha, kama, moksha. These are the four feet, as it were, of the structure of human life. Ordinarily, from one’s own reasoning, these ideas will not normally arise. The normal way of looking at things, the vision of things based on our independent thinking, is materially construed, sensorially oriented, and desire-filled. Thus, the necessity to consult and work according to the injunctions of the Shastras is considered here as imperative.
The necessity for material amenities is something well known to people. We require certain physical comforts, but we cannot have so much of it as would deprive others of an equal share of it in this world. If there is a specific quantum of physical facility in this world, we may proportionately divide it among people according to their needs, according to their status, and according to the relation that obtains between them and other people. But being contrary to the acceptance that others also have a need for similar appurtenances, disregarding the existence of other people and their welfare, would also be detrimental to one’s own welfare. This is because a person who asks for too much may lose everything—like the person who wanted a golden axe and lost the iron axe also.
Therefore, dharma is supposed to be a restraining order, a principle of limitations set on the desires even for material need, and kama is the need for fulfilment of emotional requirements. Dharma puts a limit on our asking for things in this world, whether material or emotional, in the light of the ultimate aim of all beings, the liberation of the spirit, which is moksha. Hence, there is an internal organic connection among this four-faceted aspiration called purusharthas—dharma, artha, kama, moksha. This is something that can only be known from scriptures. We cannot think these things independently.
Yaḥ śāstravidhim utsṛjya vartate kāmakārataḥ, na sa siddhim avāpnoti na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim: We will not attain perfection if we reject the scriptures completely, and try to work according to our own whim and fancy and predilections that change from moment to moment, according to the weakness of our rationality. Na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim: Such a person cannot be happy. A person who is totally independent in his behaviour, who cares not for the welfare of others, and who has no consideration for the injunctions of the great scriptures that are intended for the welfare of everybody, such a person will not reap success in this world, nor will it be possible for him to be happy in this world—na sa siddhim avāpnoti na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim.
“Therefore, O Arjuna, scripture is your final authority in matters of doubt.” The Manusmrti says that the Veda is the ultimate authority whenever we have any kind of dharma-sankata, or doubt in regard to a decision of what is proper and improper in our life. But if it is difficult to find an answer in the Vedas for the little difficulties that we have got in our life, what should we do? We must go to the Smritis, such as the Manu Smriti, Yajnavalkya Smriti, Parasara Smriti, etc., which go into greater details about the difficulties of human nature in a larger dimension than the Veda Samhitas. If we do not find a solution even there because these days there are some peculiar difficulties which Manu, Yajnavalkya and Parasara may not have thought of, what should we do? We should consider how great people, saints and sages, lived in this world. Like us, they must have also passed through tribulations and turmoils. We should look at the experiences of great saints and sages—Vaishnavas, Saivas, Saktas, or whoever they be—and see how they conducted themselves when they were confronted with problems of various kinds. That will be a solution for us. “What did that great saint do when he had this kind of difficulty? Oh! I see. I should behave like this.”
But suppose we have such a peculiar, fantastic difficulty whose solution cannot be found in the Vedas or in the Smritis, and even saints had not passed through that experience, then we should go to our Guru. If we do not have a Guru, we should close our eyes and ask the Atman, “What is good for me?” If we are honest and sincere and repentant, the light within will tell us what is good for us. However, mainly a Shastra is considered as a guide. See how illuminating the Bhagavadgita is! We like to read it again and again. We do not throw it away and say that we know everything. Nobody says that. What do we know? We cannot know anything which is not before our eyes. But realities are those which are invisible to the eyes. The real is invisible; and the visible cannot be regarded as real.
Hence, a Shastra is considered as a great pramana, an authority for us in matters of doubt concerning what is proper and improper. Kāryākāryavyavasthitau jñātvā śāstravidhānoktaṁ (16.24): The authority is Shastra. Karma kartum ihārhasi: “Knowing that there is a great guide for you in the form of a scripture, a Shastra, do what is proper, and engage yourself in right action.” This is the conclusion of the Sixteenth Chapter, called the Daiva Asura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga.
anekacittavibhrāntā mohajālasamāvṛtāḥ
prasaktāḥ kāmabhogeṣu patanti narake’śucau (16.16)
ātmasaṁbhāvitāḥ stabdhā dhanamānamadānvitāḥ
yajante nāmayajñais te dambhenāvidhipūrvakam (16.17)
ahaṅkāraṁ balaṁ darpaṁ kāmaṁ krodhaṁ ca saṁśritāḥ
mām ātmaparadeheṣu pradviṣanto’bhyasūyakāḥ (16.18)
tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krurān saṁsāreṣu narādhamānkṣipāmyajasram aśubhān āsurīṣveva yoniṣu (16.19)
āsurīṁ yonim āpannā mūḍhā janmani janmani
mām aprāpyaiva kaunteya tato yāntyadhamāṁ gatim (16.20)
trividhaṁ narakasyedaṁ dvāraṁ nāśanam ātmanaḥ
kāmaḥ krodhas tathā lobhas tasmād tat trayaṁ tyajet (16.21)
prasaktāḥ kāmabhogeṣu patanti narake’śucau (16.16)
ātmasaṁbhāvitāḥ stabdhā dhanamānamadānvitāḥ
yajante nāmayajñais te dambhenāvidhipūrvakam (16.17)
ahaṅkāraṁ balaṁ darpaṁ kāmaṁ krodhaṁ ca saṁśritāḥ
mām ātmaparadeheṣu pradviṣanto’bhyasūyakāḥ (16.18)
tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krurān saṁsāreṣu narādhamānkṣipāmyajasram aśubhān āsurīṣveva yoniṣu (16.19)
āsurīṁ yonim āpannā mūḍhā janmani janmani
mām aprāpyaiva kaunteya tato yāntyadhamāṁ gatim (16.20)
trividhaṁ narakasyedaṁ dvāraṁ nāśanam ātmanaḥ
kāmaḥ krodhas tathā lobhas tasmād tat trayaṁ tyajet (16.21)
In the context of the description of the divine and undivine qualities characterising human beings, a lot has been said by the Lord about these tendencies in people which, on the one hand, enable them to gravitate towards the centre of the universe and, on the other hand, deflect their attention in the direction of the periphery of the universe. The undivine elements are those forces in nature, as well as in individuals, which tend towards externals, and go to the extreme of involvement in space, time and objects. The other category of persons differ entirely from the first mentioned, in the sense that they tend inward into the very centre or the Selfhood of the universe, which is the opposite of the objects which attract demoniacal natures.
While there is joy in entering into one’s own Self in the case of those who are qualified with divine characters, there is sorrow in an inward contemplation in the case of people who wish to run about in an external direction towards more and more contact with sense objects. On account of intense egoism, ahamkaram, balam, darpam, etc.—with egoism, with pride, with vanity, with anger, with insatiable desire for indulgence of senses—they consider themselves as all-in-all in the power that they appear to be wielding, and are despotic in their conduct and cruel in their attitude towards other people. Such ones are endangering not only the lives of other people, but the lives of themselves also.
Those who are trying to harm others are inadvertently trying to harm themselves also—a harm that may come upon them today or tomorrow. This is because as we mete out to others, we will be meted out in the same way. The world is an organic involvement of perfection and a balance of forces, so that any kind of interference of one part with another part, or rather, the interference of one part with the whole to which it belongs, would set up such a reaction that the interference will be paid in its own coin.
Many a time, evil appears to survive and thrive more gloriously than goodness in this world, but when the mills of God begin to grind powerfully, the evil forces will receive their due—though slowly, but very finely. So the indication as to the consequences that follow from utter egoism and evil-doing is here in these verses.
Such persons who are dangerous to themselves as well as to others, and are injurious in their attitude towards things, go to lower regions. They take birth in inferior species of living entities, which, on the one hand, obliterates the consciousness which human beings are supposed to be endowed with and, on the other hand, they suffer like insects, like reptiles, like animals who have only body consciousness, and there is no consciousness of Self. Subhuman creatures do not have the prerogative of inferring the existence of that which is above humanity, above themselves. The animal can think only its own region, its own realm, its own body, its own instincts. It does not have the capacity to infer, to consider the pros and cons and draw conclusions. It is human reason that has the capacity not only to understand what is happening now, but also to draw conclusions by inference from the occurrences and the experiences at present. These prerogatives of humanity will be wiped out due to the preponderance of rajasic and tamasic qualities, which people sometimes adopt due to intense egoism in their nature—behaving arrogantly, tyrannically, selfishly, which will lead them to lower yonis, or species of births. They may even go to hell, which is the lowest of regions.
Ᾱsurīṁ yonim āpannā (16.20): These unfortunate souls that enter into the wombs of asuras—that is to say, totally undivine characters—may run into cycles of transmigratory life again and again, endlessly, as it were, and may lose hope of redemption for an endless period of time.
As we know very well, the way to hell, the gate to hell, is mentioned here as threefold, as reference to it was made in the Third Chapter. Kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajoguṇa samudbhavaḥ, mahāśano mahāpāpmā viddhyenam iha vairiṇam (3.37): If you have any enemy in this world, your enemy is your instinct to like and dislike, passion and anger. Trividhaṁ narakasyedaṁ dvāraṁ nāśanam ātmanaḥ(16.21): The self-destructive ways to hell, the gates to hell, are kama, krodha and lobha: greed, insatiable desire, and anger. The one automatically leads to the other. When there is desire, the other two automatically follow.
The tendency to grab appurtenances from the world as much as possible, and never being satisfied with any kind of possession or any amount of possession, is greed. Anger, of course, is retaliation in respect of any hindrance to the fulfilment of desires. And desire is well known to us. Etat trayaṁ tyajet: Therefore, we must very meticulously avoid these three traits—kama, krodha and lobha—in human nature, because these are the gateways to hell. Dvāraṁ nāśanam ātmanaḥ: They destroy the self, as it were, and hurl the individual into subhuman realms.
Etair vimuktaḥ kaunteya tamodvārais tribhir naraḥ, ācaratyātmanaḥ śreyas tato yāti parāṁ gatim (16.22): Freed from these three kinds of traits—kama, krodha and lobha—one works for one’s own welfare with proper understanding of the way of conducting oneself in life for attaining the spiritual goal. One begins to realise and keep in mind what is actually one’s welfare. Most people do not know what is good for them. They have a blindfolded vision of things, a distorted vision of things, which makes them believe in things which are really not enduring, and doubt the existence of things which are really there. But here a person who is free from these qualities of kama, krodha and lobhawill be automatically purified in nature, and this purified mind will reflect within itself the aspiration necessary for the attainment of the great goal of life. Tato yati param gatim: Automatically one reaches the Supreme State.
Vartate kāmakārataḥ (16.23): One should not act according to one’s own whim and fancy. We should not do things merely because they occur to us. There are certain norms that have been set forth by ancient Masters, who recorded their experiences and their impressions in texts called Shastras—such as the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Gita, the Smrtis. These Shastras give us a norm of conduct and behaviour prescribed in the light of the ultimate aim of life. Shastras, or scriptures, lay down the necessity to place oneself in a harmonious state of affairs in the context of dharma, artha, kama and moksha.
Very few people have even heard of these names: dharma, artha, kama, moksha. These are the four feet, as it were, of the structure of human life. Ordinarily, from one’s own reasoning, these ideas will not normally arise. The normal way of looking at things, the vision of things based on our independent thinking, is materially construed, sensorially oriented, and desire-filled. Thus, the necessity to consult and work according to the injunctions of the Shastras is considered here as imperative.
The necessity for material amenities is something well known to people. We require certain physical comforts, but we cannot have so much of it as would deprive others of an equal share of it in this world. If there is a specific quantum of physical facility in this world, we may proportionately divide it among people according to their needs, according to their status, and according to the relation that obtains between them and other people. But being contrary to the acceptance that others also have a need for similar appurtenances, disregarding the existence of other people and their welfare, would also be detrimental to one’s own welfare. This is because a person who asks for too much may lose everything—like the person who wanted a golden axe and lost the iron axe also.
Therefore, dharma is supposed to be a restraining order, a principle of limitations set on the desires even for material need, and kama is the need for fulfilment of emotional requirements. Dharma puts a limit on our asking for things in this world, whether material or emotional, in the light of the ultimate aim of all beings, the liberation of the spirit, which is moksha. Hence, there is an internal organic connection among this four-faceted aspiration called purusharthas—dharma, artha, kama, moksha. This is something that can only be known from scriptures. We cannot think these things independently.
Yaḥ śāstravidhim utsṛjya vartate kāmakārataḥ, na sa siddhim avāpnoti na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim: We will not attain perfection if we reject the scriptures completely, and try to work according to our own whim and fancy and predilections that change from moment to moment, according to the weakness of our rationality. Na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim: Such a person cannot be happy. A person who is totally independent in his behaviour, who cares not for the welfare of others, and who has no consideration for the injunctions of the great scriptures that are intended for the welfare of everybody, such a person will not reap success in this world, nor will it be possible for him to be happy in this world—na sa siddhim avāpnoti na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim.
“Therefore, O Arjuna, scripture is your final authority in matters of doubt.” The Manusmrti says that the Veda is the ultimate authority whenever we have any kind of dharma-sankata, or doubt in regard to a decision of what is proper and improper in our life. But if it is difficult to find an answer in the Vedas for the little difficulties that we have got in our life, what should we do? We must go to the Smritis, such as the Manu Smriti, Yajnavalkya Smriti, Parasara Smriti, etc., which go into greater details about the difficulties of human nature in a larger dimension than the Veda Samhitas. If we do not find a solution even there because these days there are some peculiar difficulties which Manu, Yajnavalkya and Parasara may not have thought of, what should we do? We should consider how great people, saints and sages, lived in this world. Like us, they must have also passed through tribulations and turmoils. We should look at the experiences of great saints and sages—Vaishnavas, Saivas, Saktas, or whoever they be—and see how they conducted themselves when they were confronted with problems of various kinds. That will be a solution for us. “What did that great saint do when he had this kind of difficulty? Oh! I see. I should behave like this.”
But suppose we have such a peculiar, fantastic difficulty whose solution cannot be found in the Vedas or in the Smritis, and even saints had not passed through that experience, then we should go to our Guru. If we do not have a Guru, we should close our eyes and ask the Atman, “What is good for me?” If we are honest and sincere and repentant, the light within will tell us what is good for us. However, mainly a Shastra is considered as a guide. See how illuminating the Bhagavadgita is! We like to read it again and again. We do not throw it away and say that we know everything. Nobody says that. What do we know? We cannot know anything which is not before our eyes. But realities are those which are invisible to the eyes. The real is invisible; and the visible cannot be regarded as real.
Hence, a Shastra is considered as a great pramana, an authority for us in matters of doubt concerning what is proper and improper. Kāryākāryavyavasthitau jñātvā śāstravidhānoktaṁ (16.24): The authority is Shastra. Karma kartum ihārhasi: “Knowing that there is a great guide for you in the form of a scripture, a Shastra, do what is proper, and engage yourself in right action.” This is the conclusion of the Sixteenth Chapter, called the Daiva Asura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga.
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