Chapter Sixteen

              The Godly and Ungodly Temperaments

                   Daivasura-sampad-vibhaga-yoga

 

 1-3) The Supreme Lord said: O Bharata, all these qualities
appear in a man endowed with a virtuous and godly nature
fearlessness, gracious-heartedness, absorption in self-knowledge,
charity, control of the external senses, sacrifice, study of the
Vedas, austerity, sincerity, nonviolence, truthfulness, freedom
from anger, detachment from the mundane, tranquillity,
disinclination to see other's faults, compassion for others, freedom
from greed, gentleness, modesty, steadfastness, vigor, forgiveness,
patience, cleanliness, nonenviousness, and freedom from egotism.

4) O Partha, these perverted qualities are found in a man of
demoniac mentality: pride, conceit, egotism, anger, mercilessness,
and injudiciousness.

5) The godly and virtuous qualities have been described as the
cause of liberation, and the demoniac qualities have been
described as the cause of certain bondage. O Pandava, you need
not worry, for your nature is godly and virtuous from birth.

6) O Partha, the living beings in this world are seen to be of two
natures godly and demoniac. I have already elaborately described
the godly nature to you, so now hear from Me about the demoniac
nature.

7) The demoniac nature cannot understand religious inclination
or irrelgious disclination. Not a trace of purity, good practices, or
truthfulness can be found in them.

8) The persons of demoniac nature say that the universe is nothing
more than imaginary, baseless, godless, and born of their mutual
cohabitation. They conclude that the whole world was created
simply for lust.

9) Supporting such a conception, the demons, who are less
intelligent bereft of self-knowledge, and the embodiment of
ghastly deeds and inauspiciousness, become powerful simply for
the purpose of world annihilation.

10) Resorting to insatiable lusty desires, totally infatuated and
preoccupied in sensual pursuits, such demons, in a mad frenzy of
arrogance and pride engage in ghastly malpractices.

11-12) Up until their last breath they remain stricken with
unlimited fears and anxieties. They are convinced that
gratification of their lust is the ultimate pursuit. Ensnared by
hundreds of multifarious desires and overcome with lust and
anger, they go on trying to amass wealth unlawfully just for the
purpose of sense gratification.

13) The demoniac persons say, "Today I got what I wanted, and
tomorrow I will get what I want. This is all my wealth, and in the
future, more and more will be mine."

14) "I have killed one enemy, and I will kill others. I am the lord
of all I survey, I am the enjoyer, I am successful, powerful and
happy."

15-16) "What can match my wealth and aristocracy? I shall
perform sacrifice and give charity to the needy, and I shall
thereby enjoy." Deluded by ignorance, filled with anxiety,
victimized by allurements, and addicted to sense enjoyment, those
demoniac persons are doomed to detestable hells such as
Vaitarani.

17) Always conceited, impertinent, and intoxicated by wealth and
grandeur, all these demons (make a great show to) perform non-
scriptural pseudo-sacrifices.

18) Steeped in egotism, mad with power, and carried away by lust
and anger, utterly despising Me who am situated in their own and
others' bodies as the Supersoul, they ascribe faults to all the good
qualities (of the true saints).

19) Because those demons are envious, cruel, evil, and decadent, I
continually cast them asunder to revolve in the cycle of birth and
death, in the wombs of despicable demoniac species.

20) O Kaunteya, repeatedly taking birth in the demoniac species,
these fools cannot come to Me, the embodiment of the Divinity.
Thus, they descend lower and lower to the most vile and degraded
condition of life.

21) The three suicidal gates leading to hell are lust, anger, and
greed. Therefore, they must be completely abandoned.

22) O Kaunteya, one who is actually liberated from these three
gateways to hell, acts for his best self-interest. Thus, he attains to
the supreme destination.

23) A person who transgresses the injunctions of the scriptures
and behaves whimsically can never attain perfection, happiness,
or the supreme destination.

24) Therefore, the scriptural injunctions concerning duty and
nonduty are your only precedent. Having understood the
scriptural command in this plane of action that is, to act
exclusively for the Lord's pleasure it behooves you to now apply
these teachings practically.

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