Bhagavad Gita/Conversation 16. Discrimination of the Divine and Demonic
Conversation 16.
Discrimination of the Divine and Demonic
16:1. Fearlessness, purity of life, diligence in the Yoga of Wisdom, generosity, self-possession, sacrificial deeds, studying the Holy Scriptures, spiritual efforts, simplicity,
16:2. non-harming, honesty, non-irascibility, detachment, peacefulness, ingenuousness, compassion for living beings, absence of greed, gentleness, modesty, absence of fickleness,
16:3. courage, all-forgiveness, vigor, frankness, absence of envy and pride — the one of Divine nature possesses these qualities.
16:4. Dishonesty, haughtiness, pride, irascibility, also coarseness and ignorance are the features of the one of demonic qualities.
16:5. Divine qualities bring one to the Liberation, demonic ones — to slavery. Do not grieve: you were born for Divine lot, O Pandava!
16:6. Beings in this world manifest themselves in two ways: as Divine and as demonic. The Divine has been already expounded to you. Now hear from Me, O Partha, about the demonic manifestations!
16:7. Demonic people know neither true power, nor abstinence, nor purity, nor even scrupulosity. There is no truth in them.
16:8. They say, “There is neither truth in the world, nor meaning, nor Ishvara! It came into being not for the Great Purpose, but merely as a result of sexual passion!”
16:9. People of such views, abnegating the Atman, of the undeveloped consciousness, become evildoers and destroyers of the perishable world!
16:10. Yielding to insatiable worldly desires that lead one to destruction, haughty and arrogant, attached to the transient, confident that there is nothing more to it than that,
16:11. indulging in unending baneful reasoning, aiming only at satisfaction of their cravings, they think: “There is only this!”.
16:12. Bound by hundreds of fetters of anticipation, yielding to lust and anger, they accumulate wealth by unjust means for the sake of sensual enjoyments.
16:13. “Today I achieved this, and that purpose I will achieve tomorrow! This wealth is already mine, and that will be mine in the future!
16:14. “I have killed this foe, and will kill others! I am the lord! I am enjoying! I have attained perfection, power, happiness!
16:15. “I am wealthy and noble, who can compare to me? I will make offerings, will give alms, will enjoy!” This is how the ignorant get deluded.
16:16. Lost in many thoughts, entangled in the net of lies, yielded to satisfaction of their worldly passions, they go to hell of the wicked.
16:17. Self-conceited, obstinate, full of pride, and intoxicated with wealth, they perform hypocritical sacrifices in disregard of the spirit of the Scriptures.
16:18. Indulging in egoism, violence, arrogance, lust, and anger, they hate Me in other bodies.
16:19. I always cast such haters, full of evil and cruelty, into adverse, demonic conditions in their next births.
16:20. Appearing in these demonic conditions, enshrouded by ignorance life after life, aspiring not to Me, they go to the very bottom of hell.
16:21. Threefold are the gates to hell where man perishes: lust, anger, and greed. Therefore one has to renounce these three!
16:22. The one who has freed oneself from these three gates of the darkness makes one’s own good, O Kaunteya, and attains the Supreme Aim!
16:23. But those abnegating the Holy Scriptures and yielding to their whims attain neither Perfection, nor happiness, nor the Supreme Aim!
16:24. Therefore, let the Holy Scriptures be for you the instructions of what to do and what not to do! Having come to know the precepts of the Holy Scriptures, you have to bring your actions in this world in accordance with them!
Thus in the Upanishads of the blessed Bhagavad Gita, the Science of Eternal, the Scripture of Yoga, says the sixteenth conversation between Shri Krishna and Arjuna, entitled:
Discrimination of the Divine and Demonic.
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