Chapter 16. "Distinction between the Divine and the Demonic Property".
The Blessed Lord said:
1. Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in Yoga of Self-knowledge, charitable gifts, control of the senses, sacrifice, study of the Sacred Scriptures, austerity and simplicity.
2. Non-injury, truthfulness, absence of anger, renunciation, peace, absence of calumny, compassion to beings, non-covetousness, gentleness, modesty and absence of ficklenes..
3. Vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence of hatred and pride, these, O descendant of Bharata, belong to one born with the divine property.
4. O Partha, ostentatiousness, arrogance and self-conceit, anger as well as cruelty and ignorance, belong to one born with the demonic property.
5. The divine property is for liberation and the demonic for bondage. Grieve not, O Pandava, thou art born with the divine property.
6. O Partha, in this world there are twofold manifestations of beings; the divine and the demonic. The divine has been described at length. Hear from Me now of the demonic state.
7. The demonic people know not how to follow right or how to refrain from wrong; there is neither purity, nor good conduct, nor truth in them.
8. They say that "this universe is without truth, without a basis, without god, born of mutual union caused by lust. What else is there?"
9. Holding this view, these ruined souls, of small understanding and of fierce deeds, rise as the enemies of the world for its destruction.
10. Filled with insatiable desires, possessed with hypocrisy, pride and arrogance, holding evil fancies through delusion, they work with unholy resolve;
11. Beset with immense cares, ending only in death; regarding sensual enjoyment as the highest and feeling sure that that is all there is;
12. Bound by a hundred ties of hope, given over to lust and anger, they strive to secure hoards of wealth by unjust means, for sensual gratification.
13. "This has been gained by me today and this desire I shall obtain, this is mine and trhis wealth also shall be mine."
14. "That enemy has been slain by me, others also shall I slay. I am the lord, I am the enjoyer, I am successful, powerful and happy."
15. "I am rich and well-born; who is equal to me? I shall sacrifice, I shall give, I shall rejoice:: thus deluded by ignorance,
16. Bewildered by many fancies, enwrapped in the net of delusion, addicted to the gratification of the senses, they fall into a foul hell.
17. Self-glorifying, haughty, filled with the vanity and intoxication of wealth, they perform sacrifices (merely) in name out of hypocrisy, disregarding the Spiritual injunctions.
18. Possessed by egoism, power, insolence, lust and anger, these malignant people hate Me (dwelling) in their own bodies and in those of others.
19. I hurl these malignant and cruel evil doers, most degraded of men, into the wombs of Asuras in the world (of birth and death).
20. O son of Kunti, entering into the Asuric (unclean) wombs and deluded birth after birth, without attaining Me they fall into a still lower state.
21. Lust, anger and greed, these three are the soul-destroying gates of hell. Therefore one should forsake these three.
22. O son of Kunti, he who is free from these three gates of darkness, practices what is good for his soul and thus attains the Supreme Goal.
23. He who, setting aside the injunctions of the Scriptures, follows the impulse of desire, attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the highest goal.
24. Therefore let the Scriptures be thy authority in ascertaining what ought to be done and what ought not to be done. Having learned the injunctions declared in the Scriptures, thou shouldst act here (in this world).
Here ends the Sixteenth Chapter called "Distinction between the Divine and the Demonic Property"
The Blessed Lord said:
1. Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in Yoga of Self-knowledge, charitable gifts, control of the senses, sacrifice, study of the Sacred Scriptures, austerity and simplicity.
2. Non-injury, truthfulness, absence of anger, renunciation, peace, absence of calumny, compassion to beings, non-covetousness, gentleness, modesty and absence of ficklenes..
3. Vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence of hatred and pride, these, O descendant of Bharata, belong to one born with the divine property.
4. O Partha, ostentatiousness, arrogance and self-conceit, anger as well as cruelty and ignorance, belong to one born with the demonic property.
5. The divine property is for liberation and the demonic for bondage. Grieve not, O Pandava, thou art born with the divine property.
6. O Partha, in this world there are twofold manifestations of beings; the divine and the demonic. The divine has been described at length. Hear from Me now of the demonic state.
7. The demonic people know not how to follow right or how to refrain from wrong; there is neither purity, nor good conduct, nor truth in them.
8. They say that "this universe is without truth, without a basis, without god, born of mutual union caused by lust. What else is there?"
9. Holding this view, these ruined souls, of small understanding and of fierce deeds, rise as the enemies of the world for its destruction.
10. Filled with insatiable desires, possessed with hypocrisy, pride and arrogance, holding evil fancies through delusion, they work with unholy resolve;
11. Beset with immense cares, ending only in death; regarding sensual enjoyment as the highest and feeling sure that that is all there is;
12. Bound by a hundred ties of hope, given over to lust and anger, they strive to secure hoards of wealth by unjust means, for sensual gratification.
13. "This has been gained by me today and this desire I shall obtain, this is mine and trhis wealth also shall be mine."
14. "That enemy has been slain by me, others also shall I slay. I am the lord, I am the enjoyer, I am successful, powerful and happy."
15. "I am rich and well-born; who is equal to me? I shall sacrifice, I shall give, I shall rejoice:: thus deluded by ignorance,
16. Bewildered by many fancies, enwrapped in the net of delusion, addicted to the gratification of the senses, they fall into a foul hell.
17. Self-glorifying, haughty, filled with the vanity and intoxication of wealth, they perform sacrifices (merely) in name out of hypocrisy, disregarding the Spiritual injunctions.
18. Possessed by egoism, power, insolence, lust and anger, these malignant people hate Me (dwelling) in their own bodies and in those of others.
19. I hurl these malignant and cruel evil doers, most degraded of men, into the wombs of Asuras in the world (of birth and death).
20. O son of Kunti, entering into the Asuric (unclean) wombs and deluded birth after birth, without attaining Me they fall into a still lower state.
21. Lust, anger and greed, these three are the soul-destroying gates of hell. Therefore one should forsake these three.
22. O son of Kunti, he who is free from these three gates of darkness, practices what is good for his soul and thus attains the Supreme Goal.
23. He who, setting aside the injunctions of the Scriptures, follows the impulse of desire, attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the highest goal.
24. Therefore let the Scriptures be thy authority in ascertaining what ought to be done and what ought not to be done. Having learned the injunctions declared in the Scriptures, thou shouldst act here (in this world).
Here ends the Sixteenth Chapter called "Distinction between the Divine and the Demonic Property"
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Text source: Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita. Translated by Swami Paramananda.
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