विवेचन सारांश
Delusional with Demonic Traits But way to Divine Life guided by the Scriptures.
The 16th Chapter of Bhagavadgītā is about the ‘Yoga of Discrimination between the Divine and the Demoniacal Person’ describing two types of qualities that every human being possesses – the divine and the demoniac.
The evening discourse starts with the melodious opening prayer and lightening of the lamp.
In the previous session, 26 divine qualities were discussed in detail, which are fearlessness, purity of heart, charity, sacrifice, austerity, straightforwardness, etc.
It is mandatory to follow the ordinance of the Holy Scriptures in one’s life but scarcity of time doesn’t permit to go through them. In gītā, Yogeshwar provides the checklists for everyone to judge themselves for possessing the amount of good and bad qualities.
One must feel fortunate for getting the blessings of Paramātmā in the form of learning and understanding the gītā, which helps to figure out the difference between right and wrong through the explanation of divine and demoniac qualities.
The evening discourse starts with the melodious opening prayer and lightening of the lamp.
In the previous session, 26 divine qualities were discussed in detail, which are fearlessness, purity of heart, charity, sacrifice, austerity, straightforwardness, etc.
It is mandatory to follow the ordinance of the Holy Scriptures in one’s life but scarcity of time doesn’t permit to go through them. In gītā, Yogeshwar provides the checklists for everyone to judge themselves for possessing the amount of good and bad qualities.
One must feel fortunate for getting the blessings of Paramātmā in the form of learning and understanding the gītā, which helps to figure out the difference between right and wrong through the explanation of divine and demoniac qualities.
16.4
dambho darpo'bhimānaśca, krodhaḥ(ph) pāruṣyameva ca,
ajñānaṃ(ñ) cābhijātasya, pārtha sampadamāsurīm 16.4
Hypocrisy, arrogance, pride and anger, sternness and ignorance too - these are the marks of him, who is born with demoniac properties.
The demoniac qualities are hypocrisy, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness, and ignorance.
There is a slight difference in hypocrisy, arrogance and conceit. Hypocrites make an external show of virtuous behaviour for impressing others without possessing the matching internal traits, while arrogant treats others disrespectfully. Some feel proud about their possessions and designations such as wealth, education, beauty, position etc.
When pride is hurt, anger develops to hurt others but it hurts the angry person mostly. The best way to control it is by not reacting immediately and waiting for few seconds. If one stands in front of mirror, one can see the red eyes, breathlessness and sweating, those are not good for health and give a devilish look.
In the 15th chapter one learns that Śrī Bhagavān resides in the heart of every living being, so one must not think of hurting others which in turn will hurt HIM.
Every Human possesses both divine and demoniac qualities but it totally depends on them to develop the one that they prioritise at a given situation.
There is a slight difference in hypocrisy, arrogance and conceit. Hypocrites make an external show of virtuous behaviour for impressing others without possessing the matching internal traits, while arrogant treats others disrespectfully. Some feel proud about their possessions and designations such as wealth, education, beauty, position etc.
When pride is hurt, anger develops to hurt others but it hurts the angry person mostly. The best way to control it is by not reacting immediately and waiting for few seconds. If one stands in front of mirror, one can see the red eyes, breathlessness and sweating, those are not good for health and give a devilish look.
In the 15th chapter one learns that Śrī Bhagavān resides in the heart of every living being, so one must not think of hurting others which in turn will hurt HIM.
Every Human possesses both divine and demoniac qualities but it totally depends on them to develop the one that they prioritise at a given situation.
daivī sampadvimokṣāya, nibandhāyāsurī matā,
mā śucaḥ(s) saṃpadaṃ(n) daivīm, abhijāto'si pāṇḍava 16.5
The divine endowment has been recognized as conducive to liberation, and the demoniac one as leading to bondage. Grieve not, Arjuna, for you are born with the divine propensities.
The divine qualities lead to Liberation that means one comes close to achieve the Ultimate Goal, The Yogeshwar. This can be done by continuous practice of meditation, yoga and devotion on HIM.
Ādi Śankarācārya explains that one gets everything according to time and HIS wishes. HE chooses the path of everyone and with HIS blessings one can follow that path with complete devotion.
Demoniac qualities are the continuing destiny of bondage. This bondage can be in the form of sadness, anger, fear, etc. Sri Bhagavan confirms that Arjuna was born with all divine qualities by chanting Bhagavadgītā to him.
Ādi Śankarācārya explains that one gets everything according to time and HIS wishes. HE chooses the path of everyone and with HIS blessings one can follow that path with complete devotion.
Demoniac qualities are the continuing destiny of bondage. This bondage can be in the form of sadness, anger, fear, etc. Sri Bhagavan confirms that Arjuna was born with all divine qualities by chanting Bhagavadgītā to him.
dvau bhūtasargau loke'smin, daiva āsura eva ca,
daivo vistaraśaḥ(ph) prokta, āsuraṃ(m) pārtha me śṛṇu 16.6
There are only two types of men in this world, Arjuna, the one possessing a divine nature and the other possessing a demoniac disposition. Of these, the type possessing divine nature has been dealt with at length; now hear in detail from Me about the type possessing demoniac disposition.
There are two kinds of beings in this world – those endowed with a divine nature and those possessing a demoniac nature. Yogeshwar had described all the divine qualities in the first 3 verses, so HE explains the demoniac qualities in next few shlokas.
pravṛttiṃ(ñ) ca nivṛttiṃ(ñ) ca, janā na vidurāsurāḥ,
na śaucaṃ(n) nāpi cācāro, na satyaṃ(n) teṣu vidyate 16.7
Men possessing a demoniac disposition know not what right activity is, and what right abstinence from activity is. Hence they possess neither purity (external or internal) nor good conduct nor even truthfulness.
There are two types of tendencies in humans:
1. The activities one needs to do.
2. The activities that one loves to do.
Those people who possess a demoniac nature could not comprehend between good and evil actions. They don’t care about right or wrong. Hence, they don’t follow purity of heart, cleanliness, right conduct and truthfulness.
1. The activities one needs to do.
2. The activities that one loves to do.
Those people who possess a demoniac nature could not comprehend between good and evil actions. They don’t care about right or wrong. Hence, they don’t follow purity of heart, cleanliness, right conduct and truthfulness.
asatyamapratiṣṭhaṃ(n) te, jagadāhuranīśvaram,
aparasparasambhūtaṃ(ṅ), kimanyatkāmahaitukam 16.8
Men of demoniac disposition say this world is without any foundation, absolutely unreal and Godless, brought forth by mutual union of the male and female and hence conceived in lust; what else than this?
Demoniac people believe that the world is without absolute truth, without any basis and without The Divine, who is the creator and the protector. These peoples are atheists, who believe that the world is created from the combination mutual relationships and has no purpose other than sexual gratification.
etāṃ(n) dṛṣṭimavaṣṭabhya, naṣṭātmāno'lpabuddhayaḥ,
prabhavantyugrakarmāṇaḥ, kṣayāya jagato'hitāḥ 16.9
Clinging to this false view, these slow - witted men of vile disposition and terrible deeds, are enemies of mankind, bent on destruction of the world.
These atheists have lost their souls by falsifying the existence of Paramātmā. They have small intellect and cruel actions, causing the destruction on the earth. They have unfulfilled desires and oppose the ordinance of Sacred Scriptures.
kāmamāśritya duṣpūraṃ(n), dambhamānamadānvitāḥ,
mohādgṛhītvāsadgrāhān, pravartante'śucivratāḥ 16.10
Cherishing insatiable desires and embracing false doctrines through ignorance, these men of impure conduct move in this world, full of hypocrisy, pride and arrogance.
These people are full of insatiable desires, lust, hypocrisy, pride and arrogance. They are too attached to the illusion and pleasure of materialistic world. Their intellect becomes mean, selfish and arrogant. They disregard the injunctions of the scriptures and go contrary to what is proper and truthful.
cintāmaparimeyāṃ(ñ) ca, pralayāntāmupāśritāḥ,
kāmopabhogaparamā, etāvaditi niścitāḥ 16.11
Cherishing insatiable desires and embracing false doctrines through ignorance, these men of impure conduct move in this world, full of hypocrisy, pride and arrogance.
These demoniac people are obsessed with endless anxieties that end only with their death. Still, they maintain with complete assurance that gratification of desires and accumulation of wealth is the highest purpose of life. They often reject the spiritual path and the final goal is too distant.
Hindu scriptures believe that one will get another body after death and karmic cycle continues, so one needs to practice meditation to gain control on mind and senses; while the principles followed by demoniac people disapproves the cycle of rebirth. Death is the end to everything, so they can do anything to fulfil their desires.
Hindu scriptures believe that one will get another body after death and karmic cycle continues, so one needs to practice meditation to gain control on mind and senses; while the principles followed by demoniac people disapproves the cycle of rebirth. Death is the end to everything, so they can do anything to fulfil their desires.
āśāpāśaśatairbaddhāḥ(kh), kāmakrodhaparāyaṇāḥ,
īhante kāmabhogārtham, anyāyenārthasañcayān 16.12
Held in bondage by hundreds of ties of expectation and wholly giving themselves up to lust and anger, they strive to amass by unfair means hoards of money and other objects for the enjoyment of sensuous pleasures.
They are always bound with illusion and false hopes; driven by lust and anger. They always strive to accumulate wealth by all unjust means. Money is the only mean for them to enjoy the world. They don’t even hesitate to adopt unlawful means for earning wealth.
idamadya mayā labdham, imaṃ(m) prāpsye manoratham,
idamastīdamapi me, bhaviṣyati punardhanam 16.13
They say to themselves, “This much has been secured by me today and now I shall realize this ambition. So much wealth is already with me and yet again this shall be mine”.
The Demoniac person has the thought of possessing wealth in present so that he can enjoy it which is followed in western culture. He keeps planning for more in the future to fulfil his insatiable desires.
Holy scriptures teach that one must feel satisfied with everything one has because no one is sure about the future. Paramātmā never gives the things one wants but HE gives that which is good for one’s living.
Holy scriptures teach that one must feel satisfied with everything one has because no one is sure about the future. Paramātmā never gives the things one wants but HE gives that which is good for one’s living.
asau mayā hataḥ(ś) śatruḥ(r), haniṣye cāparānapi,
īśvaro'hamahaṃ(m) bhogī, siddho'haṃ(m) balavānsukhī 16.14
“That enemy has been slain by me and I shall kill those others too. I am the Lord of all, and enjoyer of all power. I am endowed with all occult powers, and am mighty and happy.”
They think that their enemy has been destroyed by them, and they will destroy the others too. They consider themselves the supreme and they are controlling their own lives. They feel themselves as the most powerful and happy to fulfil their desires.
For example, the history has repeatedly explained the painful ends of arrogance like Hiranyakashyapu and Ravana who considered themselves as God.
For example, the history has repeatedly explained the painful ends of arrogance like Hiranyakashyapu and Ravana who considered themselves as God.
āḍhyo'bhijanavānasmi, ko'nyosti sadṛśo mayā,
yakṣye dāsyāmi modiṣya, ityajñānavimohitāḥ 16.15
“I am wealthy and own a large family; who else is equal to me? I will sacrifice to Gods, will give alms, I will make merry.”
They take themselves as the wealthiest and have highly placed relatives. They pretend to perform sacrifices to the celestial Gods, give alms and rejoice their possession.
For instance, in 21st century, most NGOs take donations but don’t help the needy people. They just show off to the world by posting pictures that they are doing charity. One must always check the authenticity before donating to any organisation, so that the charity doesn’t go to wrong hands.
For instance, in 21st century, most NGOs take donations but don’t help the needy people. They just show off to the world by posting pictures that they are doing charity. One must always check the authenticity before donating to any organisation, so that the charity doesn’t go to wrong hands.
anekacittavibhrāntā, mohajālasamāvṛtāḥ,
prasaktāḥ(kh) kāmabhogeṣu, patanti narake'śucau 16.16
Thus deluded by ignorance, enveloped in the mesh of delusion and addicted to the enjoyment of sensuous pleasures, their mind bewildered by numerous thoughts, these men of devilish disposition fall into the foulest hell.
They are diverted with many thoughts, entangled in the trap of delusions and addicted to the gratification of sensuous pleasures. Such people fall into the most impure hell after death.
ātmasaṃbhāvitāḥ(s) stabdhā, dhanamānamadānvitāḥ,
yajante nāmayajñaiste, dambhenāvidhipūrVākam 16.17
Intoxicated by wealth and honour, those self-conceited and haughty men perform sacrifices only in name for ostentation, without following the sacred rituals.
They are self – conceited and addicted, full of pride of their financial status and arrogance, perform actions in pretence with no regards to the ordinance of the Holy Scriptures.
Every ordinance in holy scriptures is written related to scientific reason, as pouring milk on Shivalinga is thought to get wasted, but it becomes food for various microbes and insects.
Every ordinance in holy scriptures is written related to scientific reason, as pouring milk on Shivalinga is thought to get wasted, but it becomes food for various microbes and insects.
ahaṅkāraṃ(m) balaṃ(n) darpaṃ(ṅ), kāmaṃ(ṅ) krodhaṃ(ñ) ca saṃśritāḥ,
māmātmaparadeheṣu, pradviṣanto'bhyasūyakāḥ 16.18
Given over to egotism, brute force, arrogance, lust and anger etc., and calumniating others, they despise Me (the in-dweller), dwelling in their own bodies, as in those of others.
They are blinded by egotism, strength, arrogance, desire and anger, so they get entangled in the cycle of rebirth. They hate Yogeshwar by hating every living being, so they keep taking birth in the same world.
tānahaṃ(n) dviṣataḥ(kh) krūrān, saṃsāreṣu narādhamān,
kṣipāmyajasRāmaśubhān, āsurīṣveva yoniṣu 16.19
Those haters, sinful, cruel and vilest among men, I cast again and again into demoniacal wombs in this world.
These cruel and hateful persons are the vicious of humankind, so Sri Bhagavan constantly hurls them into the womb of those with similar democratic natures in the cycle of the material world.
āsurīṃ(y̐) yonimāpannā, mūḍhā janmani janmani,
māmaprāpyaiva kaunteya, tato yāntyadhamāṃ(ṅ) gatim.16.20
Failing to reach Me, Arjuna, those stupid persons are born life after life in demoniac wombs and then verily sink down to a still lower plane.
These souls will take birth again and again in demoniac wombs. They fail to reach The Divine and gradually sink to the most abdominal type of existence.
trividhaṃ(n) narakasyedaṃ(n), dvāraṃ(n) nāśanamātmanaḥ,
kāmaḥ(kh) krodhastathā lobhaḥ(s), tasmādetattrayaṃ(n) tyajet 16.21
Desire, anger and greed – these triple gates of hell, bring about the downfall of the soul. Therefore, one must shun all these three.
The triple gateways to go to the hell are lust, anger and greed. These are the gateway to the self-destruction. Thus, one should abandon all three.
etairvimuktaḥ(kh) kaunteya, tamodvāraistribhirnaraḥ,
ācaratyātmanaḥ(ś) śreyaḥ(s), tato yāti parāṃ(ṅ) gatim 16.22
Freed from these three gates of hell, man works for his own salvation and thereby attains the Supreme goal ie. God.
One who frees himself from the three dark doors of hell, strives for the good of his soul, and ultimately attains the path of Liberation.
yaḥ(ś) śāstravidhimutsṛjya, vartate kāmakārataḥ,
na sa siddhimavāpnoti, na sukhaṃ(n) na parāṃ(ṅ) gatim 16.23
Discarding the injunctions of the scriptures, he who acts in an arbitrary way according to his own sweet will, such a person neither attains occult powers, nor the supreme goal, nor even happiness.
Those atheist people, who act under the impulse of desire, discarding the ordinance of the Scriptures, attain neither perfection nor happiness or the Supreme goal of life.
tasmācchāstraṃ(m) pramāṇaṃ(n) te, kāryākāryavyavasthitau,
Jñātvā śāstravidhānoktaṃ(ṅ), karma kartumihārhasi 16.24
Therefore, the scripture alone is your guide in determining what should be done and what should not be done. Knowing this, you ought to perform only such action as is ordained by the scriptures.
Let the Scriptures be the authority working as a guide to determine the purity of every action. After understanding the teaching written in the Scriptures, one must perform the actions in this world accordingly.
Let the Scriptures be the authority working as a guide to determine the purity of every action. After understanding the teaching written in the Scriptures, one must perform the actions in this world accordingly.
The session concluded with Hari Sankirtana.
Q & A session
Anurag ji
Question: Wanted to know in what ways surrendering to Higher Power as described in this chapter applicable to individuals who do not follow specific religion or a spiritual tradition?
Answer: It is not about spirituality or any specific religion. It is about humanity. If a person has all the 26 daivi(positive/good) qualities which ever religion he may belong to or whichever spiritual path he follows; he will have the Divine Life.
Question: Considering Krishna the ultimate Guru how much transformation is seen in a person with demonic traits to Divine traits?
Answer: No person is entirely Demonic or Divine. All of us have both the divine and the Demonic traits in us. None of us is deprived of these 26 Divine qualities which we all do possess in some percentage. So what one needs to do is to assess oneself as to where he stands; and put in efforts to correct ouselves and move on to a higher percentile in the domain of divine qualities. One needs to constantly evaluate and up his scale by whatever degree one can. One cannot reach the 100% mark but one definitely can strive to improve every moment.
On the other hand one cannot erase the demonic traits completely. For one cannot give up anger, ego totally. We would have these demonic qualities in us but we can definitely strive to minimise them and maximise the divine qualities. And when this happens i.e. increase in divine qualities and decrease in demonic qualities the person would have a better Divine life and will experience less anger, stress, frustration etc.
Question: What steps should one take to overcome those undesirable qualities?
Answer: There is no rocket science for the same but one needs to learn to Control the undesirable traits; use the will power to reduce them for there is a greater benefit as the result of this disciplining. eg: Learning Gita has it not brought in positivity in us? It has brought peace a sense of accomplishment, a sense of responsibility are all the positive things that one got from learning, understanding and imbibing Gita.
om tatsaditi śrīmadbhagavadgītāsu upaniṣatsu
brahmavidyāyāṃ(y̐) yogaśāstre śrīkṛṣṇārjunasaṃvāde
daivāsurasampadvibhāgayogo nāma ṣoḍaśo'dhyāyaḥ.
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