TEXTS 1-3
TEXT
sri-bhagavan uvaca
abhayam sattva-samsuddhir
jnana-yoga-vyavasthitih
danam damas ca yajnas ca
svadhyayas tapa arjavam
ahimsa satyam akrodhas
tyagah santir apaisunam
daya bhutesv aloluptvam
mardavam hrir acapalam
tejah ksama dhrtih saucam
adroho nati-manita
bhavanti sampadam daivim
abhijatasya bharata
SYNONYMS
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.
TEXT 4
TEXT
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.
TEXT 5
TEXT
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.
TEXT 6
TEXT
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.
TEXT 7
TEXT
pravrttim ca nivrttim ca
jana na vidur asurah
na saucam napi cacaro
na satyam tesu vidyate
SYNONYMS
pravrttim--proper action; ca--also; nivrttim--improper action;
ca--and; janah--persons; na--never; viduh--know; asurah--demoniac
qualities; na--never; saucam--cleanliness; na--nor; api--also;
ca--and; acarah--behavior; na--never; satyam--truth; tesu--in
them; vidyate--there is.
TRANSLATION
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.
TEXT 8
TEXT
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.
TEXT 9
TEXT
etam drstim avastabhya
nastatmano 'lpa-buddhayah
prabhavanty ugra-karmanah
ksayaya jagato 'hitah
SYNONYMS
etam--thus; drstim--vision; avastabhya--accepting; nasta--lost;
atmanah--self; alpa-buddhayah--less intelligent; prabhavanti--flourish;
ugra-karmanah--in painful activities; ksayaya--for destruction;
jagatah--of the world; ahitah--unbeneficial.
TRANSLATION
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.
TEXT 10
TEXT
kamam asritya duspuram
dambha-mana-madanvitah
mohad grhitvasad-grahan
pravartante 'suci-vratah
SYNONYMS
kamam--lust; asritya--taking shelter of; duspuram--insatiable;
dambha--pride; mana--false prestige; mada-anvitah--absorbed in
conceit; mohat--by illusion; grhitva--taking; asat--nonpermanent;
grahan--things; pravartante--flourish; asuci--unclean; vratah--avowed.
TRANSLATION
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.
TEXTS 11-12
TEXT
cintam aparimeyam ca
pralayantam upasritah
kamopabhoga-parama
etavad iti niscitah
asa-pasa-satair baddhah
kama-krodha-parayanah
ihante kama-bhogartham
anyayenartha-sancayan
SYNONYMS
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.
TEXTS 13-15
TEXT
idam adya maya labdham
imam prapsye manoratham
idam astidam api me
bhavisyati punar dhanam
asau maya hatah satrur
hanisye caparan api
isvaro 'ham aham bhogi
siddho 'ham balavan sukhi
adhyo 'bhijanavan asmi
ko 'nyo 'sti sadrso maya
yaksye dasyami modisya
ity ajnana-vimohitah
SYNONYMS
idam--this; adya--today; maya--by me; labdham--gained;
imam--this; prapsye--I shall gain; manah-ratham--according to my
desires; idam--this; asti--there is; idam--this; api--also;
me--mine; bhavisyati--will increase in the future; punah--again;
dhanam--wealth; asau--that; maya--by me; hatah--has been killed;
satruh--enemy; hanisye--I shall kill; ca--also; aparan--others;
api--certainly; isvarah--the lord; aham--I am; aham--I am; bhogi--the
enjoyer; siddhah--perfect; aham--I am; bala-van--powerful; sukhi--happy;
adhyah--wealthy; abhijana-van--surrounded by aristocratic
relatives; asmi--I am; kah--who else; anyah--other; asti--there
is; sadrsah--like; maya--me; yaksye--I shall sacrifice; dasyami--I
shall give charity; modisye--I shall rejoice; iti--thus; ajnana--by
ignorance; vimohitah--deluded by.
TRANSLATION
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 16
TEXT
aneka-citta-vibhranta
moha-jala-samavrtah
prasaktah kama-bhogesu
patanti narake 'sucau
SYNONYMS
aneka--numerous; citta vibhrantah--perplexed by anxieties; moha--of
illusions; jala--by a network; samavrtah--surrounded; prasaktah--attached;
kama--lust; bhogesu--sense gratification; patanti--glides down;
narake--into hell; asucau--unclean.
TRANSLATION
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.
TEXT 17
TEXT
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.
TEXT 18
TEXT
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.
TEXT 19
TEXT
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.
TEXT 20
TEXT
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.
TEXT 21
TEXT
tri-vidham narakasyedam
dvaram nasanam atmanah
kamah krodhas tatha lobhas
tasmad etat trayam tyajet
SYNONYMS
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.
TEXT 22
TEXT
etair vimuktah kaunteya
tamo-dvarais tribhir narah
acaraty atmanah sreyas
tato yati param gatim
SYNONYMS
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.
TEXT 23
TEXT
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.
TEXT 24
TEXT
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.