Yoga through Discerning the Divine and Demoniac Natures

श्रीभगवानुवाच | अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिर्ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिः |

16.1 The Blessed Lord said Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in knowledge and Yoga, almsgiving, control of the senses, sacrifice, study of scriptures, austerity and straightforwardness.

अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्यागः शान्तिरपैशुनम् | दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम् ||१६-२||

16.2 Harmlessness, truth, absence of anger, renunciation, peacefulness, absence of crookedness, compassion towards beings, non-covetousness, gentleness, modesty, absence of fickleness.

तेजः क्षमा धृतिः शौचमद्रोहो नातिमानिता | भवन्ति सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातस्य भारत ||१६-३||

16.3 Vigour, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence of hatred, absence of pride these belong to the one born for a divine state, O Arjuna.

दम्भो दर्पोऽभिमानश्च क्रोधः पारुष्यमेव च | अज्ञानं चाभिजातस्य पार्थ सम्पदमासुरीम् ||१६-४||

16.4 Hypocrisy, arrogance and self-conceit, anger and also harshness and ignorance, belong to one who is born for a demoniacal state, O Partha (Arjuna).

दैवी सम्पद्विमोक्षाय निबन्धायासुरी मता | मा शुचः सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातोऽसि पाण्डव ||१६-५||

16.5 The divine nature is deemed conducive to liberation, and the demoniacal to bondage. Grieve not, O Arjuna, thou art born with divine endowments.

द्वौ भूतसर्गौ लोकेऽस्मिन्दैव आसुर एव च | दैवो विस्तरशः प्रोक्त आसुरं पार्थ मे शृणु ||१६-६||

16.6 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.

प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च जना न विदुरासुराः | न शौचं नापि चाचारो न सत्यं तेषु विद्यते ||१६-७||

16.7 The demoniacal know not what to do and what to refrain from; neither purity, nor right conduct nor truth is found in them.

असत्यमप्रतिष्ठं ते जगदाहुरनीश्वरम् | अपरस्परसम्भूतं किमन्यत्कामहैतुकम् ||१६-८||

16.8 They say, "This universe is without truth, without (moral) basis, without a God, brought about by mutual union, with lust for its cause; what else?"

एतां दृष्टिमवष्टभ्य नष्टात्मानोऽल्पबुद्धयः | प्रभवन्त्युग्रकर्माणः क्षयाय जगतोऽहिताः ||१६-९||

16.9 Holding this view, these ruined souls of small intellect and fierce deeds, come forth as the enemies of the world for its destruction.

काममाश्रित्य दुष्पूरं दम्भमानमदान्विताः | मोहाद्गृहीत्वासद्ग्राहान्प्रवर्तन्तेऽशुचिव्रताः ||१६-१०||

16.10 Filled with insatiable desires, full of hypocrisy, pride and arrogance, holding evil ideas through delusion, they work with impure resolves.

चिन्तामपरिमेयां च प्रलयान्तामुपाश्रिताः | कामोपभोगपरमा एतावदिति निश्चिताः ||१६-११||

16.11 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.

आशापाशशतैर्बद्धाः कामक्रोधपरायणाः | ईहन्ते कामभोगार्थमन्यायेनार्थसञ्चयान् ||१६-१२||

16.12 Bound by a hundred ties of hope, given over to lust and anger, they strive to obtain by unlawful means hoards to wealth for sensual enjoyments.

इदमद्य मया लब्धमिमं प्राप्स्ये मनोरथम् | इदमस्तीदमपि मे भविष्यति पुनर्धनम् ||१६-१३||

16.13 "This has been gained by me today; this desire of mine I shall fuffil; this is mine and this wealth also shall be mine in future."

असौ मया हतः शत्रुर्हनिष्ये चापरानपि | ईश्वरोऽहमहं भोगी सिद्धोऽहं बलवान्सुखी ||१६-१४||

16.14 "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."

आढ्योऽभिजनवानस्मि कोऽन्योऽस्ति सदृशो मया | यक्ष्ये दास्यामि मोदिष्य इत्यज्ञानविमोहिताः ||१६-१५||

16.15 "I am rich and born in a noble family. Who else is equal to me? I shall perform sacrifices. I shall give (charity). I shall rejoice," thus deluded by ignorance.

अनेकचित्तविभ्रान्ता मोहजालसमावृताः | प्रसक्ताः कामभोगेषु पतन्ति नरकेऽशुचौ ||१६-१६||

16.16 Bewildered by many a fancy, entangled in the snare of delusion, addicted to the gratification of lust, they fall into a foul hell.

आत्मसम्भाविताः स्तब्धा धनमानमदान्विताः | यजन्ते नामयज्ञैस्ते दम्भेनाविधिपूर्वकम् ||१६-१७||

16.17 Self-conceited, stubborn, filled with the pride and intoxication of wealth, they perform sacrifices in name out of ostentation, contrary to scriptural ordinances.

अहंकारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं च संश्रिताः | मामात्मपरदेहेषु प्रद्विषन्तोऽभ्यसूयकाः ||१६-१८||

16.18 Given over to egoism, power, haughtiness, lust and anger, these malicious people hate Me in their own bodies and in those of others.

तानहं द्विषतः क्रुरान्संसारेषु नराधमान् | क्षिपाम्यजस्रमशुभानासुरीष्वेव योनिषु ||१६-१९||

16.19 Those cruel haters, worst among men in the world, I hurl those evil-doers into the wombs of demons only.

आसुरीं योनिमापन्ना मूढा जन्मनि जन्मनि | मामप्राप्यैव कौन्तेय ततो यान्त्यधमां गतिम् ||१६-२०||

16.20 Entering into demoniacal wombs and deluded, birth after birth, not attaining Me, they thus fall, O Arjuna, into a condition still lower than that.

त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः | कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत् ||१६-२१||

16.21 Triple is the gate of this hell, destructive of the self lust, anger and greed; therefore one should abandon these three.

एतैर्विमुक्तः कौन्तेय तमोद्वारैस्त्रिभिर्नरः | आचरत्यात्मनः श्रेयस्ततो याति परां गतिम् ||१६-२२||

16.22 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.

यः शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारतः | न स सिद्धिमवाप्नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम् ||१६-२३||

16.23 He who, having cast aside the ordinances of the scriptures, acts under the impulse of desire, attains not perfection, nor happiness nor the Supreme Goal.

तस्माच्छास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ | ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रविधानोक्तं कर्म कर्तुमिहार्हसि ||१६-२४||

16.24 Therefore, let the scripture be thy 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 …