Chapter 16

Verses 1–3

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
abhayaṁ sattva-saṁśuddhir
jñāna-yoga-vyavasthitiḥ
dānaṁ damaś ca yajñaś ca
svādhyāyas tapa ārjavam

ahiṁsā satyam akrodhas
tyāgaḥ śāntir apaiśunam
dayā bhūteṣv aloluptvaṁ
mārdavaṁ hrīr acāpalam

tejaḥ kṣamā dhṛtiḥ śaucam
adroho nāti-mānitā
bhavanti sampadaṁ daivīm
abhijātasya bhārata

Çré Bhagavän said: Fearlessness, joyfulness of heart, becoming firmly established in the process of acquiring knowledge, charitableness, sense control, performance of sacrifice, scriptural study, penance, simplicity, non-violence, truthfulness, lack of anger, detachment from wife, sons and so forth, peacefulness, avoidance of fault-finding, kindness to all beings, freedom from greed, gentleness, modesty, giving up the tendency to act whimsically, vigour, forgiveness, patience, internal and external cleanliness, and complete absence of hatred and conceit – these are the divine qualities, O Bhärata, that manifest in a godly person who appears in this world at an auspicious moment.

Verse 4

dambho darpo ’bhimānaś ca
krodhaḥ pāruṣyam eva ca
ajñānaṁ cābhijātasya
pārtha sampadam āsurīm

O Pärtha, pride, hypocrisy, arrogance, conceit, anger, cruelty and lack of discrimination are found in those born with demoniac qualities. Those who are born at an inauspicious moment receive these qualities.

Verse 5

daivī sampad vimokṣāya
nibandhāyāsurī matā
mā śucaḥ sampadaṁ daivīm
abhijāto ’si pāṇḍava

Divine qualities are the cause of liberation, and demoniac qualities are the cause of bondage. O son of Päëòu, do not lament, for you are born with divine qualities.

Verse 6

dvau bhūta-sargau loke ’smin
daiva āsura eva ca
daivo vistaraśaḥ prokta
āsuraṁ pārtha me śṛṇu

O Pärtha, in this world there are two types of created beings: the divine and the demoniac. The divine qualities have been described at length. Now hear from Me about the demoniac nature.

Verse 7

pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca
janā na vidur āsurāḥ
na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāro
na satyaṁ teṣu vidyate

Those who are demoniac do not comprehend virtuous tendencies nor how to abstain from vice. Cleanliness, proper conduct and truthfulness are not found in them.

Verse 8

asatyam apratiṣṭhaṁ te
jagad āhur anīśvaram
aparaspara-sambhūtaṁ
kim anyat kāma-haitukam

The demons describe the world as unreal, without basis and godless. They say it is the product of sexual union, or that it is selfgenerated. Not only this, they even say that it is the result of lust.

Verse 9

etāṁ dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya
naṣṭātmāno ’lpa-buddhayaḥ
prabhavanty ugra-karmāṇaḥ
kṣayāya jagato ’hitāḥ

Since they are bereft of knowledge of the soul, foolish demons consider the body to be the self. Accepting shelter of this demoniac view, they take birth solely for the destruction of this world and engage in cruel activities for that purpose.

Verse 10

kāmam āśritya duṣpūraṁ
dambha-māna-madānvitāḥ
mohād gṛhītvāsad-grāhān
pravartante ’śuci-vratāḥ

Driven by insatiable desires and filled with hypocrisy, pride and arrogance, these deluded persons always hanker after temporary sense objects. Sworn to depravity, they engage in the worship of insignificant demigods.

Verses 11–12

cintām aparimeyāṁ ca
pralayāntām upāśritāḥ
kāmopabhoga-paramā
etāvad iti niścitāḥ

āśā-pāśa-śatair baddhāḥ
kāma-krodha-parāyaṇāḥ
īhante kāma-bhogārtham
anyāyenārtha-sañcayān

Since they believe sense enjoyment to be the ultimate purpose of life, they remain beset with unlimited anxieties until the time of death. Bound by the ropes of unlimited desires and always absorbed in lust and anger, they endeavour to secure wealth by any unjust means, for the sake of indulging in sensual pleasures.

Verse 13

idam adya mayā labdham
imaṁ prāpsye manoratham
idam astīdam api me
bhaviṣyati punar dhanam

They think, “Today I have attained so much, and also in the future I will fulfil all my cherished desires. So much wealth is now mine, and it will increase in the future more and more.”

Verse 14

asau mayā hataḥ śatrur
haniṣye cāparān api
īśvaro ’ham ahaṁ bhogī
siddho ’haṁ balavān sukhī

“I have slain this enemy and I shall also slay others. I am a great controller and enjoyer. I am perfect, powerful and happy.”

Verse 15

āḍhyo ’bhijanavān asmi
ko ’nyo ’sti sadṛśo mayā
yakṣye dāsyāmi modiṣya
ity ajñāna-vimohitāḥ

“I am wealthy and of noble birth. Who is equal to me? I will perform ritualistic sacrifices, and give in charity; thus I shall enjoy great happiness.” Deluded by ignorance, they speak in this way.“

Verse 16

aneka-citta-vibhrāntā
moha-jāla-samāvṛtāḥ
prasaktāḥ kāma-bhogeṣu
patanti narake ’śucau

Perplexed by many desires and anxieties, entangled in a net of delusion, and excessively attached to sensual pleasures, they fall into an impure hell.

Verse 17

ātma-sambhāvitāḥ stabdhā
dhana-māna-madānvitāḥ
yajante nāma-yajñais te
dambhenāvidhi-pūrvakam

Filled with pride, unsubmissiveness, arrogance and the intoxication of false prestige due to wealth, these demons perform ostentatious ritualistic sacrifices in name only, disregarding all the injunctions of scripture.

Verse 18

ahaṅkāraṁ balaṁ darpaṁ
kāmaṁ krodhaṁ ca saṁśritāḥ
mām ātma-para-deheṣu
pradviṣanto ’bhyasūyakāḥ

Taking shelter of false ego, bodily strength, pride, lust and anger, the demons hate Me, the Supreme Soul, who resides within the bodies of the saints, whose hearts are always dedicated to serving Me. They attribute faults to the saintly persons’ good qualities.

Verse 19

tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān
saṁsāreṣu narādhamān
kṣipāmy ajasram aśubhān
āsurīṣv eva yoniṣu

Because they are envious of such saints, I perpetually cast those cruel and degraded persons, who perform most inauspicious acts, into mundane existence among various demoniac species.

Verse 20

āsurīṁ yonim āpannā
mūḍhā janmani janmani
mām aprāpyaiva kaunteya
tato yānty adhamāṁ gatim

O son of Kunté, accepting birth after birth in the demoniac species, such fools can never attain Me, and so they descend further into the lowest and most vile destinations.

Verse 21

tri-vidhaṁ narakasyedaṁ
dvāraṁ nāśanam ātmanaḥ
kāmaḥ krodhas tathā lobhas
tasmād etat trayaṁ tyajet

Lust, anger and greed are the three gates that lead to hell, and they cause the destruction of the soul. Therefore, one should completely renounce them.

Verse 22

etair vimuktaḥ kaunteya
tamo-dvārais tribhir naraḥ
ācaraty ātmanaḥ śreyas
tato yāti parāṁ gatim

O son of Kunté, a person who is liberated from these three gateways to hell acts for the welfare of his own self. By this he attains the supreme destination.

Verse 23

yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya
vartate kāma-kārataḥ
na sa siddhim avāpnoti
na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim

He who discards the injunctions of scripture and acts according to his whimsical desires, attains neither perfection, happiness, nor the supreme destination.

Verse 24

tasmāc chāstraṁ pramāṇaṁ te
kāryākārya-vyavasthitau
jñātvā śāstra-vidhānoktaṁ
karma kartum ihārhasi

Therefore, scripture is the authority regarding proper and improper activity. Being aware of the instructions of the scripture concerning the performance of your prescribed duties, simply be an instrument.