The Bhagavad-gita
is universally renowned as the jewel of India's spiritual
wisdom. Spoken by Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead to His intimate disciple Arjuna, the Gita's
seven hundred concise verses provide a definitive guide
to the science of self realization. No other philosophical
or religious work reveals, in such a lucid and profound
way, the nature of consciousness, the self, the universe
and the Supreme.
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is
uniquely qualified to present this English translation
and commentary on Bhagavad-gita. He is the world's foremost
Vedic scholar and teacher, and he is also the current
representative of an unbroken chain of fully self-realized
spiritual masters begining with Lord Krishna Himself.
Thus, unlike other editions of the Gita, this one is presented
as it is--without the slightest taint of adulteration
or personal motivation. This edition is certain to stimulate
and enlighten with its ancient yet thoroughly timely message.
Chapter
16.
The Divine And Demoniac Natures
Chapter
16, Verse 1-3.
The Blessed Lord said: Fearlessness,
purification of one's existence, cultivation of spiritual
knowledge, charity, self-control, performance of sacrifice,
study of the Vedas, austerity and simplicity; nonviolence,
truthfulness, freedom from anger; renunciation, tranquility,
aversion to faultfinding, compassion and freedom from covetousness;
gentleness, modesty and steady determination; vigor, forgiveness,
fortitude, cleanliness, freedom from envy and the passion
for honor--these transcendental qualities, O son of Bharata,
belong to godly men endowed with divine nature.
TEXT 1-3
sri-bhagavan uvaca
abhayam sattva-samsuddhir
jnana-yoga-vyavasthitih
danam damas ca yajnas ca
svadhyayas tapa arjavam
sri-bhagavan uvaca--the
Supreme Personality of Godhead said; abhayam--fearlessness;
sattva-samsuddhih--purification of one's existence; jnana--knowledge;
yoga--of linking up; vyavasthitih--the situation; danam--charity;
damah ca--and controlling the mind; yajnah ca--and performance
of sacrifice; svadhyayah--study of Vedic literature; tapah--austerity;
arjavam--simplicity; ahimsa--nonviolence; satyam--truthfulness;
akrodhah--freedom from anger; tyagah--renunciation; santih--tranquility;
apaisunam--aversion to fault-finding; daya--mercy; bhutesu--towards
all living entities; aloluptvam--freedom from greed; mardavam--gentleness;
hrih--modesty; acapalam--determination; tejah--vigor; ksama--forgiveness;
dhrtih--fortitude; saucam--cleanliness; adrohah--freedom from
envy; na--not; ati-manita--expectation of honor; bhavanti--become;
sampadam--qualities; daivim--transcendental; abhijatasya--of
one who is born of; bharata--O son of Bharata.
TRANSLATION
The Blessed Lord
said: Fearlessness, purification of one's existence, cultivation
of spiritual knowledge, charity, self-control, performance
of sacrifice, study of the Vedas, austerity and simplicity;
nonviolence, truthfulness, freedom from anger; renunciation,
tranquility, aversion to faultfinding, compassion and freedom
from covetousness; gentleness, modesty and steady determination;
vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, cleanliness, freedom from envy
and the passion for honor--these transcendental qualities,
O son of Bharata, belong to godly men endowed with divine
nature.
PURPORT
In the beginning
of the Fifteenth Chapter, the banyan tree of this material
world was explained. The extra roots coming out of it were
compared to the activities of the living entities, some auspicious,
some inauspicious. In the Ninth Chapter, also, the devas,
or godly, and the asuras, the ungodly, or demons, were explained.
Now, according to Vedic rites, activities in the mode of goodness
are considered auspicious for progress on the path of liberation,
and such activities are known as daivi prakrti, transcendental
by nature. Those who are situated in the transcendental nature
make progress on the path of liberation. For those who are
acting in the modes of passion and ignorance, on the other
hand, there is no possibility of liberation. Either they will
have to remain in this material world as human beings, or
they will descend among the species of animals or even lower
life forms. In this Sixteenth Chapter the Lord explains both
the transcendental nature and its attendant qualities and
the demoniac nature and its qualities. He also explains the
advantages and disadvantages of these qualities.
The word abhijatasya in reference to one born of transcendental
qualities or godly tendencies is very significant. To beget
a child in a godly atmosphere is known in the Vedic scriptures
as Garbhadhana-samskara. If the parents want a child in the
godly qualities they should follow the ten principles of the
human being. In Bhagavad-gita we have studied also before
that sex life for begetting a good child is Krsna Himself.
Sex life is not condemned provided the process is used in
Krsna consciousness. Those who are in Krsna consciousness
at least should not beget children like cats and dogs but
should beget them so that they may become Krsna conscious
after birth. That should be the advantage of children born
of a father or mother absorbed in Krsna consciousness.
The social institution known as varnasrama-dharma--the institution
dividing society into four divisions or castes--is not meant
to divide human society according to birth. Such divisions
are in terms of educational qualifications. They are to keep
the society in a state of peace and prosperity. The qualities
mentioned herein are explained as transcendental qualities
meant for making a person progress in spiritual understanding
so that he can get liberated from the material world. In the
varnasrama institution the sannyasi, or the person in the
renounced order of life, is considered to be the head or the
spiritual master of all the social statuses and orders. A
brahmana is considered to be the spiritual master of the three
other sections of a society, namely, the ksatriyas, the vaisyas
and the sudras, but a sannyasi, who is on the top of the institution,
is considered to be the spiritual master of the brahmanas
also. For a sannyasi, the first qualification should be fearlessness.
Because a sannyasi has to be alone without any support or
guarantee of support, he has simply to depend on the mercy
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If he thinks, "After
I leave my connections, who will protect me?" he should
not accept the renounced order of life. One must be fully
convinced that Krsna or the Supreme Personality of Godhead
in His localized aspect as Paramatma is always within, that
He is seeing everything and that He always knows what one
intends to do. One must thus have firm conviction that Krsna
as Paramatma will take care of a soul surrendered to Him.
"I shall never be alone," one should think. "Even
if I live in the darkest regions of a forest I shall be accompanied
by Krsna, and He will give me all protection." That conviction
is called abhayam, without fear. This state of mind is necessary
for a person in the renounced order of life. Then he has to
purify his existence. There are so many rules and regulations
to be followed in the renounced order of life. Most important
of all, a sannyasi is strictly forbidden to have any intimate
relationship with a woman. He is even forbidden to talk with
a woman in a secluded place. Lord Caitanya was an ideal sannyasi,
and when He was at Puri His feminine devotees could not even
come near to offer their respects. They were advised to bow
down from a distant place. This is not a sign of hatred for
women as a class, but it is a stricture imposed on the sannyasi
not to have close connections with women. One has to follow
the rules and regulations of a particular status of life in
order to purify his existence. For a sannyasi, intimate relations
with women and possession of wealth for sense gratification
are strictly forbidden. The ideal sannyasi was Lord Caitanya
Himself, and we can learn from His life that He was very strict
in regards to women. Although He is considered to be the most
liberal incarnation of Godhead, accepting the most fallen
conditioned souls, He strictly followed the rules and regulations
of the sannyasa order of the life in connection with association
with woman. One of His personal associates, namely Chota Haridasa,
was personally associated with Lord Caitanya along with His
other confidential personal associates, but somehow or other
this Chota Haridasa looked lustily on a young woman, and Lord
Caitanya was so strict that He at once rejected him from the
society of His personal associates. Lord Caitanya said, "For
a sannyasi or anyone who is aspiring to get out of the clutches
of material nature and trying to elevate himself to the spiritual
nature and go back home, back to Godhead, for him, looking
toward material possessions and women for sense gratification--not
even enjoying them, but just looking toward them with such
a propensity--is so condemned that he had better commit suicide
before experiencing such illicit desires." So these are
the processes for purification.
The next item is jnana-yoga-vyavasthiti: being engaged in
the cultivation of knowledge. Sannyasi life is meant for distributing
knowledge to the householders and others who have forgotten
their real life of spiritual advancement. A sannyasi is supposed
to beg from door to door for his livelihood, but this does
not mean that he is a beggar. Humility is also one of the
qualifications of a transcendentally situated person, and
out of sheer humility the sannyasi goes from door to door,
not exactly for the purpose of begging, but to see the householders
and awaken them to Krsna consciousness. This is the duty of
a sannyasi. If he is actually advanced and so ordered by his
spiritual master, he should preach Krsna consciousness with
logic and understanding, and if he is not so advanced he should
not accept the renounced order of life. But even if he has
accepted the renounced order of life without sufficient knowledge,
he should engage himself fully in hearing from a bona fide
spiritual master to cultivate knowledge. A sannyasi, or one
in the renounced order of life, must be situated in fearlessness,
sattva-samsuddhi (purity) and jnana-yoga (knowledge).
The next item is charity. Charity is meant for the householders.
The householders should earn a livelihood by an honorable
means and spend fifty percent of their income to propagate
Krsna consciousness all over the world. Thus a householder
should give in charity to such institutional societies that
are engaged in that way. Charity should be given to the right
receiver. There are different kinds of charities, as will
be explained later on, charity in the modes of goodness, passion
and ignorance. Charity in the mode of goodness is recommended
by the scriptures, but charity in the modes of passion and
ignorance is not recommended because it is simply a waste
of money. Charity should be given only to propagate Krsna
consciousness all over the world. That is charity in the mode
of goodness.
Then as far as dama (self-control) is concerned, it is not
only meant for other orders of religious society, but it is
especially meant for the householder. Although he has a wife,
a householder should not use his senses for sex life unnecessarily.
There are restrictions for the householders even in sex life,
which should only be engaged in for the propagation of children.
If he does not require children, he should not enjoy sex life
with his wife. Modern society enjoys sex life with contraceptive
methods or more abominable methods to avoid the responsibility
of children. This is not in the transcendental quality but
is demoniac. If anyone, even if he is a householder, wants
to make progress in spiritual life, he must control his sex
life and should not beget a child without the purpose of serving
Krsna. If he is able to beget children who will be in Krsna
consciousness, one can produce hundreds of children, but without
this capacity one should not indulge only for sense pleasure.
Sacrifice is another item to be performed by the householders
because sacrifices require a large amount of money. Other
orders of life, namely brahmacarya, vanaprastha and sannyasa,
have no money; they live by begging. So performance of different
types of sacrifice is meant for the householder. They should
perform agni-hotra sacrifices as enjoined in the Vedic literature,
but such sacrifices at the present moment are very expensive,
and it is not possible for any householder to perform them.
The best sacrifice recommended in this age is called sankirtana-yajna,
the chanting of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare
Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. This is
the best and most inexpensive sacrifice; everyone can adopt
it and derive benefit. So these three items, namely charity,
sense control and performance of sacrifice, are meant for
the householder.
Then svadhyaya, Vedic study, and tapas, austerity, and arjavam,
gentleness or simplicity, are meant for the brahmacarya or
student life. Brahmacaris should have no connection with women;
they should live a life of celibacy and engage the mind in
the study of Vedic literature for cultivation of spiritual
knowledge. This is called svadhyaya.
Tapas or austerity, is especially meant for the retired life.
One must not remain a householder throughout his whole life;
he must always remember that there are four divisions of life,
brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa. So after
grhastha, householder life, one should retire. If one lives
for a hundred years, he should spend twenty-five years in
student life, twenty-five in householder life, twenty-five
in retired life and twenty-five in the renounced order of
life. These are the regulations of the Vedic religious discipline.
A man retired from household life must practice austerities
of the body, mind and tongue. That is tapasya. The entire
varnasrama-dharma society is meant for tapasya. Without tapasya
or austerity, no human being can get liberation. The theory
that there is no need of austerity in life, that one can go
on speculating and everything will be nice, is neither recommended
in the Vedic literature nor in Bhagavad-gita. Such theories
are manufactured by show-bottle spiritualists who are trying
to gather more followers. If there are restrictions, rules
and regulations, people will not become attracted. Therefore
those who want followers in the name of religion, just to
have a show only, don't restrict the lives of their students
nor their own lives. But that method is not approved by the
Vedas.
As far as simplicity is concerned, not only should a particular
order of life follow this principle, but every member, be
he in the brahmacari asrama, or grhastha asrama, or vanaprastha
asrama. One must live very simply.
Ahimsa means not arresting the progressive life of any living
entity. One should not think that since the spirit spark is
never killed even after the killing of the body there is no
harm in killing animals for sense gratification. People are
now addicted to eating animals, in spite of having an ample
supply of grains, fruits and milk. There is no necessity for
animal killing. This injunction is for everyone. When there
is no other alternative, one may kill an animal, but it should
be offered in sacrifice. At any rate, when there is an ample
food supply for humanity, persons who are desiring to make
advancement in spiritual realization should not commit violence
to animals. Real ahimsa means not checking anyone's progressive
life. The animals are also making progress in their evolutionary
life by transmigrating from one category of animal life to
another. If a particular animal is killed, then his progress
is checked. If an animal is staying in a particular body for
so many days or so many years and is untimely killed, then
he has to come back again in that form of life to complete
the remaining days in order to be promoted to another species
of life. So their progress should not be checked simply to
satisfy one's palate. This is called ahimsa.
Satyam. This word means that one should not distort the truth
for some personal interest. In Vedic literature there are
some difficult passages, but the meaning or the purpose should
be learned from a bona fide spiritual master. That is the
process for understanding the Vedas. Sruti means that one
should hear from the authority. One should not construe some
interpretation for his personal interest. There are so many
commentaries on Bhagavad-gita that misinterpret the original
text. The real import of the word should be presented, and
that should be learned from a bona fide spiritual master.
Akrodha means to check anger. Even if there is provocation
one should be tolerant, for once one becomes angry his whole
body becomes polluted. Anger is a product of the modes of
passion and lust, so one who is transcendentally situated
should check himself from anger. Apaisunam means that one
should not find fault with others or correct them unnecessarily.
Of course to call a thief a thief is not faultfinding, but
to call an honest person a thief is very much offensive for
one who is making advancement in spiritual life. Hri means
that one should be very modest and must not perform some act
which is abominable. Acapalam, determination, means that one
should not be agitated or frustrated in some attempt. There
may be failure in some attempt, but one should not be sorry
for that; he should make progress with patience and determination.
The word tejah used here is meant for the ksatriyas. The ksatriyas
should always be very strong to be able to give protection
to the weak. They should not pose themselves as nonviolent.
If violence is required, they must exhibit it.
Saucam means cleanliness, not only in mind and body but in
one's dealings also. It is especially meant for the mercantile
people, who should not deal in the black market. Nati-manita,
not expecting honor, applies to the sudras, the worker class,
who are considered, according to Vedic injunctions, to be
the lowest of the four classes. They should not be puffed
up with unnecessary prestige or honor and should remain in
their own status. It is the duty of the sudras to offer respect
to the higher classes for the upkeep of the social order.
All these twenty-six qualifications mentioned are transcendental
qualities. They should be cultivated according to the different
statuses of the social order. The purport is that even though
material conditions are miserable, if these qualities are
developed by practice, by all classes of men, then gradually
it is possible to rise to the highest platform of transcendental
realization.
Chapter 16, Verse 4.
Arrogance, pride, anger, conceit, harshness
and ignorance--these qualities belong to those of demoniac
nature, O son of Prtha.
TEXT 4
dambho darpo 'bhimanas
ca
krodhah parusyam eva ca
ajnanam cabhijatasya
partha sampadam asurim
SYNONYMS
dambhah--pride;
darpah--arrogance; abhimanah--conceit; ca--and; krodhah--anger;
parusyam--harshness; eva--certainly; ca--and; ajnanam--ignorance;
ca--and; abhijatasya--one who is born of; partha--O son of
Prtha; sampadam--nature; asurim--demoniac.
TRANSLATION
Arrogance, pride,
anger, conceit, harshness and ignorance--these qualities belong
to those of demoniac nature, O son of Prtha.
PURPORT
In this verse,
the royal road to hell is described. The demoniac want to
make a show of religion and advancement in spiritual science,
although they do not follow the principles. They are always
arrogant or proud in possessing some type of education or
so much wealth. They desire to be worshiped by others, and
demand respectability, although they do not command respect.
Over trifles they become very angry and speak harshly, not
gently. They do not know what should be done and what should
not be done. They do everything whimsically, according to
their own desire, and they do not recognize any authority.
These demoniac qualities are taken on by them from the beginning
of their bodies in the wombs of their mothers, and as they
grow they manifest all these inauspicious qualities.
Chapter 16, Verse 5.
The transcendental qualities are conducive
to liberation, whereas the demoniac qualities make for bondage.
Do not worry, O son of Pandu, for you are born with the divine
qualities.
TEXT 5
daivi sampad vimoksaya
nibandhayasuri mata
ma sucah sampadam daivim
abhijato 'si pandava
SYNONYMS
daivi--transcendental;
sampat--nature; vimoksaya--meant for liberation; nibandhaya--for
bondage; asuri--demoniac qualities; mata--it is considered;
ma--do not; sucah--worry; sampadam--nature; daivim--transcendental;
abhijatah--born; asi--you are; pandava--O son of Pandu.
TRANSLATION
The transcendental
qualities are conducive to liberation, whereas the demoniac
qualities make for bondage. Do not worry, O son of Pandu,
for you are born with the divine qualities.
PURPORT
Lord Krsna encouraged
Arjuna by telling him that he was not born with demoniac qualities.
His involvement in the fight was not demoniac because he was
considering the pros and cons. He was considering whether
respectable persons such as Bhisma and Drona should be killed
or not, so he was not acting under the influence of anger,
false prestige, or harshness. Therefore he was not of the
quality of the demons. For a ksatriya, a military man, shooting
arrows at the enemy is considered transcendental, and refraining
from such a duty is demoniac. Therefore, there was no cause
for Arjuna to lament. Anyone who performs the regulative principles
of the different orders of life is transcendentally situated.
Chapter 16, Verse 6.
O son of Prtha, in this world there
are two kinds of created beings. One is called the divine
and the other demoniac. I have already explained to you at
length the divine qualities. Now hear from Me of the demoniac.
TEXT 6
dvau bhuta-sargau
loke 'smin
daiva asura eva ca
daivo vistarasah prokta
asuram partha me srnu
SYNONYMS
dvau--two; bhuta-sargau--created
living beings; loke--in the world; asmin--this; daivah--godly;
asurah--demoniac; eva--certainly; ca--and; daivah--divine;
vistarasah--at great length; proktah--said; asuram--demoniac;
partha--O son of Prtha; me--from Me; srnu--just hear.
TRANSLATION
O son of Prtha,
in this world there are two kinds of created beings. One is
called the divine and the other demoniac. I have already explained
to you at length the divine qualities. Now hear from Me of
the demoniac.
PURPORT
Lord Krsna, having
assured Arjuna that he was born with the divine qualities,
is now describing the demoniac way. The conditioned living
entities are divided into two classes in this world. Those
who are born with divine qualities follow a regulated life;
that is to say they abide by the injunctions in scriptures
and by the authorities. One should perform duties in the light
of authoritative scripture. This mentality is called divine.
One who does not follow the regulative principles as they
are laid down in the scriptures and who acts according to
his whims is called demoniac or asuric. There is no other
criterion but obedience to the regulative principles of scriptures.
It is mentioned in Vedic literature that both the demigods
and the demons are born of the Prajapati; the only difference
is that one class obeys the Vedic injunctions and the other
does not.
Chapter 16, Verse 7.
Those who are demoniac do not know what
is to be done and what is not to be done. Neither cleanliness
nor proper behavior nor truth is found in them.
TEXT 7
pravrttim ca nivrttim
ca
jana na vidur asurah
na saucam napi cacaro
na satyam tesu vidyate
Those who are demoniac
do not know what is to be done and what is not to be done.
Neither cleanliness nor proper behavior nor truth is found
in them.
PURPORT
In every civilized
human society there is some set of scriptural rules and regulations
which are followed from the beginning, especially among the
Aryans, those who adopt the Vedic civilization and who are
known as the most advanced civilized people. Those who do
not follow the scriptural injunctions are supposed to be demons.
Therefore it is stated here that the demons do not know the
scriptural rules, nor do they have any inclination to follow
them. Most of them do not know them, and even if some of them
know, they have no tendency to follow them. They have no faith,
nor are they willing to act in terms of the Vedic injunctions.
The demons are not clean, either externally or internally.
One should always be careful to keep his body clean by bathing,
brushing teeth, changing clothes, etc. As far as internal
cleanliness is concerned, one should always remember the holy
names of God and chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna,
Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The
demons neither like nor follow all these rules for external
and internal cleanliness.
As for behavior, there are many rules and regulations guiding
human behavior, such as the Manu-samhita, which is the law
of the human race. Even up to today, those who are Hindu follow
the Manu-samhita. Laws of inheritance and other legalities
are derived from this book. Now, in the Manu-samhita, it is
clearly stated that a woman should not be given freedom. That
does not mean that women are to be kept as slaves, but they
are like children. Children are not given freedom, but that
does not mean that they are kept as slaves. The demons have
now neglected such injunctions, and they think that women
should be given as much freedom as men. However, this has
not improved the social condition of the world. Actually,
a woman should be given protection at every stage of life.
She should be given protection by the father in her younger
days, by the husband in her youth, and by the grown-up sons
in her old age. This is proper social behavior according to
the Manu-samhita. But modern education has artificially devised
a puffed-up concept of womanly life, and therefore marriage
is practically now an imagination in human society. Nor is
the moral condition of women very good now. The demons, therefore,
do not accept any instruction which is good for society, and
because they do not follow the experience of great sages and
the rules and regulations laid down by the sages, the social
condition of the demoniac people is very miserable.
Chapter 16, Verse 8.
They say that this world is unreal,
that there is no foundation and that there is no God in control.
It is produced of sex desire, and has no cause other than
lust.
TEXT 8
asatyam apratistham
te
jagad ahur anisvaram
aparaspara-sambhutam
kim anyat kama-haitukam
SYNONYMS
asatyam--unreal;
apratistham--without foundation; te--they; jagat--the cosmic
manifestation; ahuh--is said; anisvaram--with no controller;
aparaspara--by mutual lust; sambhutam--cause; kim anyat--there
is no other cause; kama-haitukam--it is due to lust only.
TRANSLATION
They say that this
world is unreal, that there is no foundation and that there
is no God in control. It is produced of sex desire, and has
no cause other than lust.
PURPORT
The demonic conclude
that the world is phantasmagoria. There is no cause, no effect,
no controller, no purpose: everything is unreal. They say
that this cosmic manifestation arises due to chance material
actions and reactions. They do not think that the world was
created by God for a certain purpose. They have their own
theory: that the world has come about in its own way and that
there is no reason to believe that there is a God behind it.
For them there is no difference between spirit and matter,
and they do not accept the Supreme Spirit. Everything is matter
only, and the whole cosmos is supposed to be a mass of ignorance.
According to them, everything is void, and whatever manifestation
exists is due to our ignorance in perception. They take it
for granted that all manifestation of diversity is a display
of ignorance. Just as in a dream we may create so many things,
which actually have no existence, so when we are awake we
shall see that everything is simply a dream. But factually,
although the demons say that life is a dream, they are very
expert in enjoying this dream. And so, instead of acquiring
knowledge, they become more and more implicated in their dreamland.
They conclude that as a child is simply the result of sexual
intercourse between man and woman, this world is born without
any soul. For them it is only a combination of matter that
has produced the living entities, and there is no question
of the existence of the soul. As many living creatures come
out from perspiration and from a dead body without any cause,
similarly, the whole living world has come out of the material
combinations of the cosmic manifestation. Therefore material
nature is the cause of this manifestation, and there is no
other cause. They do not believe in the words of Krsna in
Bhagavad-gita: mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram.
"Under My direction the whole material world is moving."
In other words, amongst the demons there is no perfect knowledge
of the creation of the world; every one of them has some particular
theory of his own. According to them, one interpretation of
the scriptures is as good as another, for they do not believe
in a standard understanding of the scriptural injunctions.
Chapter 16, Verse 9.
Following such conclusions, the demoniac,
who are lost to themselves and who have no intelligence, engage
in unbeneficial, horrible works meant to destroy the world.
Following such
conclusions, the demoniac, who are lost to themselves and
who have no intelligence, engage in unbeneficial, horrible
works meant to destroy the world.
PURPORT
The demoniac are
engaged in activities that will lead the world to destruction.
The Lord states here that they are less intelligent. The materialists,
who have no concept of God, think that they are advancing.
But, according to Bhagavad-gita, they are unintelligent and
devoid of all sense. They try to enjoy this material world
to the utmost limit and therefore always engage in inventing
something for sense gratification. Such materialistic inventions
are considered to be advancement of human civilization, but
the result is that people grow more and more violent and more
and more cruel, cruel to animals and cruel to other human
beings. They have no idea how to behave toward one another.
Animal killing is very prominent amongst demoniac people.
Such people are considered the enemies of the world because
ultimately they will invent or create something which will
bring destruction to all. Indirectly, this verse anticipates
the invention of nuclear weapons, of which the whole world
today is very proud. At any moment war may take place, and
these atomic weapons may create havoc. Such things are created
solely for the destruction of the world, and this is indicated
here. Due to godlessness, such weapons are invented in human
society; they are not meant for the peace and prosperity of
the world.
Chapter 16, Verse 10.
The demoniac, taking shelter of insatiable
lust, pride and false prestige, and being thus illusioned,
are always sworn to unclean work, attracted by the impermanent.
The demoniac, taking
shelter of insatiable lust, pride and false prestige, and
being thus illusioned, are always sworn to unclean work, attracted
by the impermanent.
PURPORT
The
demoniac mentality is described here. The demons lust is never
satiated. They will go on increasing and increasing their
insatiable desires for material enjoyment. Although they are
always full of anxieties on account of accepting nonpermanent
things, they still continue to engage in such activities out
of illusion. They have no knowledge and cannot tell that they
are heading the wrong way. Accepting nonpermanent things,
such demoniac people create their own God, create their own
hymns and chant accordingly. The result is that they become
more and more attracted to two things--sex enjoyment and accumulation
of material wealth. The word asuci-vratah, unclean vow, is
very significant in this connection. Such demoniac people
are only attracted by wine, women, gambling and meat-eating;
those are their asuci, unclean habits. Induced by pride and
false prestige, they create some principles of religion which
are not approved by the Vedic injunctions. Although such demoniac
people are most abominable in the world, still, by artificial
means the world creates a false honor for them. Although they
are gliding toward hell, they consider themselves very much
advanced.
Chapter 16, Verse 11-12.
They believe that to gratify the senses
unto the end of life is the prime necessity of human civilization.
Thus there is no end to their anxiety. Being bound by hundreds
and thousands of desires, by lust and anger, they secure money
by illegal means for sense gratification.
TEXT 11-12
cintam aparimeyam
ca
pralayantam upasritah
kamopabhoga-parama
etavad iti niscitah
cintam--fears and
anxieties; aparimeyam--unmeasurable; ca--and; pralaya-antam--unto
the point of death; upasritah--having taken shelter of them;
kama-upabhoga--sense gratification; paramah--the highest goal
of life; etavat--thus; iti--in this way; niscitah--ascertained;
asa-pasa--entanglements in the network of hope; sataih--by
hundreds; baddhah--being bound; kama--lust; krodha--anger;
parayanah--always situated in that mentality; ihante--desire;
kama--lust; bhoga--sense enjoyment; artham--for that purpose;
anyayena--illegally; artha--wealth; sancayan--accumulate.
TRANSLATION
They believe that
to gratify the senses unto the end of life is the prime necessity
of human civilization. Thus there is no end to their anxiety.
Being bound by hundreds and thousands of desires, by lust
and anger, they secure money by illegal means for sense gratification.
PURPORT
The demoniac accept
that the enjoyment of the senses is the ultimate goal of life,
and this concept they maintain until death. They do not believe
in life after death, and they do not believe that one takes
on different types of bodies according to one's karma, or
activities in this world. Their plans for life are never finished,
and they go on preparing plan after plan, all of which are
never finished. We have personal experience of a person of
such demoniac mentality, who, even at the point of death,
was requesting the physician to prolong his life for four
years more because his plans were not yet complete. Such foolish
people do not know that a physician cannot prolong life even
for a moment. When the notice is there, there is no consideration
of the man's desire. The laws of nature do not allow a second
beyond what one is destined to enjoy.
The demoniac person, who has no faith in God or the Supersoul
within himself, performs all kinds of sinful activities simply
for sense gratification. He does not know that there is a
witness sitting within his heart. The Supersoul is observing
the activities of the individual soul. As it is stated in
the Vedic literature, the Upanisads, there are two birds sitting
in one tree; one is acting and enjoying or suffering the fruits
of the branches, and the other is witnessing. But one who
is demoniac has no knowledge of Vedic scripture, nor has he
any faith; therefore he feels free to do anything for sense
enjoyment, regardless of the consequences.
Chapter 16, Verse 13-15.
The demoniac person thinks: "So
much wealth do I have today, and I will gain more according
to my schemes. So much is mine now, and it will increase in
the future, more and more. He is my enemy, and I have killed
him; and my other enemy will also be killed. I am the lord
of everything. I am the enjoyer. I am perfect, powerful and
happy. I am the richest man, surrounded by aristocratic relatives.
There is none so powerful and happy as I am. I shall perform
sacrifices, I shall give some charity, and thus I shall rejoice."
In this way, such persons are deluded by ignorance.
TEXT 13-15
idam adya maya
labdham
imam prapsye manoratham
idam astidam api me
bhavisyati punar dhanam
The demoniac person
thinks: "So much wealth do I have today, and I will gain
more according to my schemes. So much is mine now, and it
will increase in the future, more and more. He is my enemy,
and I have killed him; and my other enemy will also be killed.
I am the lord of everything. I am the enjoyer. I am perfect,
powerful and happy. I am the richest man, surrounded by aristocratic
relatives. There is none so powerful and happy as I am. I
shall perform sacrifices, I shall give some charity, and thus
I shall rejoice." In this way, such persons are deluded
by ignorance.
Chapter 16, Verse 16.
Thus perplexed by various anxieties
and bound by a network of illusions, one becomes too strongly
attached to sense enjoyment and falls down into hell.
Thus perplexed
by various anxieties and bound by a network of illusions,
one becomes too strongly attached to sense enjoyment and falls
down into hell.
PURPORT
The demoniac man
knows no limit to his desire to acquire money. That is unlimited.
He only thinks how much assessment he has just now and schemes
to engage that stock of wealth farther and farther. For that
reason, he does not hesitate to act in any sinful way and
so deals in the black market for illegal gratification. He
is enamored by the possessions he has already, such as land,
family, house and bank balance, and he is always planning
to improve them. He believes in his own strength, and he does
not know that whatever he is gaining is due to his past good
deeds. He is given an opportunity to accumulate such things,
but he has no conception of past causes. He simply thinks
that all his mass of wealth is due to his own endeavor. A
demoniac person believes in the strength of his personal work,
not in the law of karma. According to the law of karma, a
man takes his birth in a high family, or becomes rich, or
very well educated, or very beautiful because of good work
in the past. The demoniac think that all these things are
accidental and due to the strength of his personal ability.
He does not sense any arrangement behind all the varieties
of people, beauty, and education. Anyone who comes into competition
with such a demoniac man is his enemy. There are many demoniac
people, and each is enemy to the others. This enmity becomes
more and more deep--between persons, then between families,
then between societies, and at last between nations. Therefore
there is constant strife, war and enmity all over the world.
Each demoniac person thinks that he can live at the sacrifice
of all others. Generally, a demoniac person thinks of himself
as the Supreme God, and a demoniac preacher tells his followers:
"Why are you seeking God elsewhere? You are all yourselves
God! Whatever you like, you can do. Don't believe in God.
Throw away God. God is dead." These are the demoniac's
preachings.
Although the demoniac person sees others equally rich and
influential, or even more so, he thinks that no one is richer
than he and that no one is more influential than he. As far
as promotion to the higher planetary system is concerned,
he does not believe in performing yajnas or sacrifices. Demons
think that they will manufacture their own process of yajna
and prepare some machine, by which they will be able to reach
any higher planet. The best example of such a demoniac man
was Ravana. He offered a program to the people by which he
would prepare a staircase so that anyone could reach the heavenly
planets without performing sacrifices, such as are prescribed
in the Vedas. Similarly, in the present age such demoniac
men are striving to reach the higher planetary systems by
mechanical arrangements. These are examples of bewilderment.
The result is that, without their knowledge, they are gliding
toward hell. Here the Sanskrit word moha-jala is very significant.
Jala means net; like fish caught in a net, they have no way
to come out.
Chapter 16, Verse 17.
Self-complacent and always impudent,
deluded by wealth and false prestige, they sometimes perform
sacrifices in name only without following any rules or regulations.
TEXT 17
atma-sambhavitah
stabdha
dhana-mana-madanvitah
yajante nama-yajnais te
dambhenavidhi-purvakam
SYNONYMS
atma-sambhavitah--self-complacent;
stabdhah--impudent; dhana-mana--wealth and false prestige;
mada anvitah--absorbed in pride; yajante--perform sacrifices;
nama--in name only; yajnaih--with such a sacrifice; te--they;
dambhena--out of pride; avidhi-purvakam--without following
any rules and regulations.
TRANSLATION
Self-complacent
and always impudent, deluded by wealth and false prestige,
they sometimes perform sacrifices in name only without following
any rules or regulations.
PURPORT
Thinking themselves
all in all, not caring for any authority or scripture, the
demoniac sometimes perform so-called religious or sacrificial
rites. And since they do not believe in authority, they are
very impudent. This is due to illusion caused by accumulating
some wealth and false prestige. Sometimes such demons take
up the role of preacher, mislead the people, and become known
as religious reformers or as incarnations of God. They make
a show of performing sacrifices, or they worship the demigods,
or manufacture their own God. Common men advertise them as
God and worship them, and by the foolish they are considered
advanced in the principles of religion, or in the principles
of spiritual knowledge. They take the dress of the renounced
order of life and engage in all nonsense in that dress. Actually
there are so many restrictions for one who has renounced this
world. The demons, however, do not care for such restrictions.
They think that whatever path one can create is one's own
path; there is no such thing as a standard path one has to
follow. The word avidhi-purvakam, meaning disregard for the
rules and regulations, is especially stressed here. These
things are always due to ignorance and illusion.
Chapter 16, Verse 18.
Bewildered by false ego, strength, pride,
lust and anger, the demon becomes envious of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, who is situated in his own body and in the bodies
of others, and blasphemes against the real religion.
TEXT 18
ahankaram balam
darpam
kamam krodham ca samsritah
mam atma-para-dehesu
pradvisanto 'bhyasuyakah
SYNONYMS
ahankaram--false
ego; balam--strength; darpam--pride; kamam--lust; krodham--anger;
ca--also; samsritah--having taken shelter of; mam--Me; atma--one's
own; para dehesu--in other bodies; pradvisantah--blasphemes;
abhyasuyakah--envious.
TRANSLATION
Bewildered by false
ego, strength, pride, lust and anger, the demon becomes envious
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is situated in
his own body and in the bodies of others, and blasphemes against
the real religion.
PURPORT
A demoniac person,
being always against God's supremacy, does not like to believe
in the scriptures. He is envious of both the scriptures and
of the existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This
is caused by his so-called prestige and his accumulation of
wealth and strength. He does not know that the present life
is a preparation for the next life. Not knowing this, he is
actually envious of his own self, as well as of others. He
commits violence on other bodies and on his own. He does not
care for the supreme control of the Personality of Godhead
because he has no knowledge. Being envious of the scriptures
and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he puts forward false
arguments against the existence of God and refutes the scriptural
authority. He thinks himself independent and powerful in every
action. He thinks that since no one can equal him in strength,
power, or in wealth, he can act in any way and no one can
stop him. If he has an enemy who might check the advancement
of his sensual activities, he makes plans to cut him down
by his own power.
Chapter 16, Verse 19.
Those who are envious and mischievous,
who are the lowest among men, are cast by Me into the ocean
of material existence, into various demoniac species of life.
TEXT 19
tan aham dvisatah
kruran
samsaresu naradhaman
ksipamy ajasram asubhan
asurisv eva yonisu
SYNONYMS
tan--those; aham--I;
dvisatah--envious; kruran--mischievous; samsaresu--into the
ocean of material existence; nara-adhaman--the lowest of mankind;
ksipami--put; ajasram--innumerable; asubhan--inauspicious;
asurisu--demoniac; eva--certainly; yonisu--in the wombs.
TRANSLATION
Those who are envious
and mischievous, who are the lowest among men, are cast by
Me into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac
species of life.
PURPORT
In this verse it
is clearly indicated that the placing of a particular individual
soul in a particular body is the prerogative of the supreme
will. The demoniac person may not agree to accept the supremacy
of the Lord, and it is a fact that he may act according to
his own whims, but his next birth will depend upon the decision
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and not on himself.
In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Third Canto, it is stated that an
individual soul, after his death, is put into the womb of
a mother where he gets a particular type of body under the
supervision of superior power. Therefore in the material existence
we find so many species of life--animals, insects, men, and
so on. All are arranged by the superior power. They are not
accidental. As for the demoniac, it is clearly said here that
they are perpetually put into the wombs of demons, and thus
they continue to be envious, the lowest of mankind. Such demoniac
species of life are held to be always full of lust, always
violent and hateful and always unclean. They are just like
so many beasts in a jungle.
Chapter 16, Verse 20.
Attaining repeated birth amongst the
species of demoniac life, such persons can never approach
Me. Gradually they sink down to the most abominable type of
existence.
TEXT 20
asurim yonim apanna
mudha janmani janmani
mam aprapyaiva kaunteya
tato yanty adhamam gatim
SYNONYMS
asurim--demoniac;
yonim--species; apannah--gaining; mudhah--the foolish; janmani
janmani--in birth after birth; mam--unto Me; aprapya--without
achieving; eva--certainly; kaunteya--O son of Kunti; tatah--thereafter;
yanti--goes; adhamam--condemned; gatim--destination.
TRANSLATION
Attaining repeated
birth amongst the species of demoniac life, such persons can
never approach Me. Gradually they sink down to the most abominable
type of existence.
PURPORT
It is known that
God is all-merciful, but here we find that God is never merciful
to the demoniac. It is clearly stated that the demoniac people,
life after life, are put into the wombs of similar demons,
and, not achieving the mercy of the Supreme Lord, they go
down and down, so that at last they achieve bodies like those
of cats, dogs and hogs. It is clearly stated that such demons
have practically no chance of receiving the mercy of God at
any stage of later life. In the Vedas also it is stated that
such persons gradually sink to become dogs and hogs. It may
be then argued in this connection that God should not be advertised
as all-merciful if He is not merciful to such demons. In answer
to this question, in the Vedanta-sutra we find that the Supreme
Lord has no hatred for anyone. The placing of the asuras,
the demons, in the lowest status of life is simply another
feature of His mercy. Sometimes the asuras are killed by the
Supreme Lord, but this killing is also good for them, for
in Vedic literature we find that anyone who is killed by the
Supreme Lord becomes liberated. There are instances in history
of many asuras--Ravana, Kamsa, Hiranyakasipu--to whom the
Lord appeared in various incarnations just to kill them. Therefore
God's mercy is shown to the asuras if they are fortunate enough
to be killed by Him.
Chapter 16, Verse 21.
There are three gates leading to this
hell--lust, anger and greed. Every sane man should give these
up, for they lead to the degradation of the soul.
tri-vidham--three
kinds of; narakasya--hellish; idam--this; dvaram--gate; nasanam--destructive;
atmanah--of the self; kamah--lust; krodhah--anger; tatha--as
well as; lobhah--greed; tasmat--therefore; etat--these; trayam--three;
tyajet--must give up.
TRANSLATION
There are three
gates leading to this hell--lust, anger and greed. Every sane
man should give these up, for they lead to the degradation
of the soul.
PURPORT
The beginning of
demoniac life is described herein. One tries to satisfy his
lust, and when he cannot, anger and greed arise. A sane man
who does not want to glide down to the species of demoniac
life must try to give up these three enemies which can kill
the self to such an extent that there will be no possibility
of liberation from this material entanglement.
Chapter 16, Verse 22.
The man who has escaped these three
gates of hell, O son of Kunti, performs acts conducive to
self-realization and thus gradually attains the supreme destination.
etaih--by these;
vimuktah--being liberated; kaunteya--O son of Kunti; tamah-dvaraih--the
gates of ignorance; tribhih--three kinds of; narah--a person;
acarati--performs; atmanah--self; sreyah--benediction; tatah--thereafter;
yati--goes; param--supreme; gatim--destination.
TRANSLATION
The man who has
escaped these three gates of hell, O son of Kunti, performs
acts conducive to self-realization and thus gradually attains
the supreme destination.
PURPORT
One should be very
careful of these three enemies to human life: lust, anger,
and greed. The more a person is freed from lust, anger and
greed, the more his existence becomes pure. Then he can follow
the rules and regulations enjoined in the Vedic literature.
By following the regulative principles of human life, one
gradually raises himself to the platform of spiritual realization.
If one is so fortunate, by such practice, to rise to the platform
of Krsna consciousness, then success is guaranteed for him.
In the Vedic literature, the ways of action and reaction are
prescribed to enable one to come to the stage of purification.
The whole method is based on giving up lust, greed and anger.
By cultivating knowledge of this process, one can be elevated
to the highest position of self-realization; this self-realization
is perfected in devotional service. In that devotional service,
the liberation of the conditioned soul is guaranteed. Therefore,
according to the Vedic system, there are instituted the four
orders of life and the four statuses of life, called the caste
system and the spiritual order system. There are different
rules and regulations for different castes or divisions of
society, and if a person is able to follow them, he will be
automatically raised to the highest platform of spiritual
realization. Then he can have liberation without a doubt.
Chapter 16, Verse 23.
But he who discards scriptural injunctions
and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection,
nor happiness, nor the supreme destination.
TEXT 23
yah sastra-vidhim
utsrjya
vartate kama-karatah
na sa siddhim avapnoti
na sukham na param gatim
SYNONYMS
yah--anyone; sastra-vidhim--the
regulations of the scriptures; utsrjya--giving up; vartate--remains;
kama-karatah--acting whimsically in lust; na--never; sah--he;
siddhim--perfection; avapnoti--achieves; na--never; sukham--happiness;
na--never; param--the supreme; gatim--perfectional stage.
TRANSLATION
But he who discards
scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims
attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme
destination.
PURPORT
As described before,
the sastra-vidhi, or the direction of the sastra, is given
to the different castes and orders of human society. Everyone
is expected to follow these rules and regulations. If one
does not follow them and acts whimsically according to his
lust, greed and desire, then he never will be perfect in his
life. In other words, a man may theoretically know all these
things, but if he does not apply them in his own life, then
he is to be known as the lowest of mankind. In the human form
of life, a living entity is expected to be sane and to follow
the regulations given for elevating his life to the highest
platform, but if he does not follow them, then he degrades
himself. But even if he follows the rules and regulations
and moral principles and ultimately does not come to the stage
of understanding the Supreme Lord, then all his knowledge
becomes spoiled. Therefore one should gradually raise himself
to the platform of Krsna consciousness and devotional service;
it is then and there that he can attain the highest perfectional
stage, not otherwise.
The word kama-karatah is very significant. A person who knowingly
violates the rules acts in lust. He knows that this is forbidden,
still he acts. This is called acting whimsically. He knows
that this should be done, but still he does not do it; therefore
he is called whimsical. Such persons are destined to be condemned
by the Supreme Lord. Such persons cannot have the perfection
which is meant for the human life. The human life is especially
meant for purifying one's existence, and one who does not
follow the rules and regulations cannot purify himself, nor
can he attain the real stage of happiness.
Chapter 16, Verse 24.
One should understand what is duty and
what is not duty by the regulations of the scriptures. Knowing
such rules and regulations, one should act so that he may
gradually be elevated.
TEXT
24
tasmac chastram
pramanam te
karyakarya-vyavasthitau
jnatva sastra-vidhanoktam
karma kartum iharhasi
SYNONYMS
tasmat--therefore;
sastram--scriptures; pramanam--evidence; te--your; karya--duty;
akarya--forbidden activities; vyavasthitau--in determining;
jnatva--knowing; sastra--of scripture; vidhana--regulations;
uktam--as declared; karma--work; kartum--to do; iha arhasi--you
should do it.
TRANSLATION
One should understand
what is duty and what is not duty by the regulations of the
scriptures. Knowing such rules and regulations, one should
act so that he may gradually be elevated.
PURPORT
As stated in the
Fifteenth Chapter, all the rules and regulations of the Vedas
are meant for knowing Krsna. If one understands Krsna from
the Bhagavad-gita and becomes situated in Krsna consciousness,
engaging himself in devotional service, he has reached the
highest perfection of knowledge offered by the Vedic literature.
Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu made this process very easy: He asked
people simply to chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna,
Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare and
to engage in the devotional service of the Lord and eat the
remnants of foodstuff offered to the Deity. One who is directly
engaged in all these devotional activities is to be understood
as having studied all Vedic literature. He has come to the
conclusion perfectly. Of course, for the ordinary persons
who are not in Krsna consciousness or who are not engaged
in devotional service, what is to be done and what is not
to be done must be decided by the injunctions of the Vedas.
One should act accordingly, without argument. That is called
following the principles of sastra, or scripture. Sastra is
without the four principal defects that are visible in the
conditioned soul: imperfect senses, the propensity for cheating,
certainty of committing mistakes, and certainty of being illusioned.
These four principal defects in conditioned life disqualify
one from putting forth rules and regulations. Therefore, the
rules and regulations as described in the sastra--being above
these defects--are accepted without alteration by all great
saints, acaryas and great souls.
In India there are many parties of spiritual understanding,
generally classified as two: the impersonalist and the personalist.
Both of them, however, lead their lives according to the principles
of the Vedas. Without following the principles of the scriptures,
one cannot elevate himself to the perfectional stage. One
who actually, therefore, understands the purport of the sastras
is considered fortunate.
In human society, aversion to the principles of understanding
the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the cause of all falldowns.
That is the greatest offense of human life. Therefore, maya,
the material energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
is always giving us trouble in the shape of the threefold
miseries. This material energy is constituted of the three
modes of material nature. One has to raise himself at least
to the mode of goodness before the path to understanding the
Supreme Lord can be opened. Without raising oneself to the
standard of the mode of goodness, one remains in ignorance
and passion, which are the cause of demoniac life. Those in
the modes of passion and ignorance deride the scriptures,
deride the holy man, and deride the proper understanding of
the spiritual master, and they do not care for the regulations
of the scriptures. In spite of hearing the glories of devotional
service, they are not attracted. Thus they manufacture their
own way of elevation. These are some of the defects of human
society, which lead to the demoniac status of life. If, however,
one is able to be guided by a proper and bona fide spiritual
master, who can lead one to the path of elevation, to the
higher stage, then one's life becomes successful.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta
Purports to the Sixteenth Chapter of the Srimad Bhagavad-gita
in the matter of the Divine and Demoniac Natures.
