OM
This page tells the sixteenth installment of an amazing story occurring in the midst of a battle field, long long ago. I am only re-writing (the translation of) this wonderful story on this blog. Originally written in Sanskrit, the Bhagavad Gita, even though conceived as a religious text, is an entire coded system in itself for any human being (irrespective of cast, creed, sex and religion) to become perfect. While the Bhagavad Gita has been been translated into English by many great authors, I have mostly referred to the version of Swami Chinmayanada Ji. This page - and the 17 others in this series/story - are dedicated, with great respect, to the author of the most amazing book (according to me) ever written, Sage Vyasa.
16.
Yoga of Spirituality and Materialism
1)
SRI KRISHNA:
Fearlessness, purity of heart,
steadfastness in Yoga-of-Knowledge, alms-giving, control of the senses,
sacrifice, study of the Shastras, and straightforwardness…
2)
Harmlessness, truth, absence of anger,
renunciation, peacefulness, absence of crookedness, compassion to beings,
non-covetousness, gentleness, modesty, absence of fickleness…
3)
Vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence
of hatred, absence of pride – these belong to the one born for the Divine
Estate, O Bharata. (Arjuna)
4)
Hypocrisy, arrogance, and self-conceit, anger
and also harshness and ignorance, belong to one who is born, O Partha (Arjuna)
for a demonic-estate.
5)
The divine nature is deemed for liberation, the
demoniacal for bondage; grieve not, O Pandava, you are born with divine
qualities.
6)
There are two types of beings in this world, the
‘divine’ and the ‘demonical’; the divine have been described at length; her
from me, O Partha, of the demoniacal.
7)
The demoniac know not what to do and what to
refrain from; neither purity, nor right conduct, nor truth is found in them.
8)
They say, “the universe is without truth,
without (moral) basis, without a God; not brought about by any regular causal
sequence, with lust for its cause; what else?
9)
Holding this view, these ruined souls of small
intellect and fierce deeds, come forth as enemies of the world, for its
destruction.
10)
Filled with insatiable desires, full of
hypocrisy, pride and arrogance, holding evil ideas through delusion, they work
with impure resolves.
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 (that matters.)
12)
Bound by a hundred ties of hope, given to lust
and anger, they do try to obtain, by unlawful means, hoards of wealth for
sensual enjoyments.
13)
“This has to-day been gained by me” – “this
desire I shall obtain” “this is mine” – and “this wealth shall also be mine in
future.”
14)
“That enemy has been slain by me” – “and others
also shall I destroy” – “I am the lord” - “I am the enjoyer” – “I am perfect, powerful
and happy”
15)
“I am rich and well born” – “who else is equal
to me?” – “I will give (alms, money)” – “I will rejoice”. Thus are they,
deluded by ‘ignorance’.
16)
Bewildered by many a fancy, entangled in the
snare of delusion, addicted to the gratification of lust, they fall into a foul
hell.
17)
Self-conceited, stubborn, filled with pride and
drunk with wealth, they perform sacrifices in the name (only) out of
ostentation, contrary to scriptural ordinance.
18)
Given to egoism, power, haughtiness, lust and
anger, these malicious people hate Me in their own bodies, and in those of
others.
19)
These cruel haters, worst among men in the
world, I hurl these evil-doers forever into the wombs of demons only.
20)
Entering into demoniacal wombs, and deluded, not
attaining to Me, birth after birth, they thus fall, O Kaunteya (Arjuna) into a
condition still lower than that.
21)
These three are the gates of hell, destructive
of the Self – lust, anger, and greed; therefore, one should abandon these
three.
22)
A man who is liberated from these three gates of
darkness, O Kaunteya (Arjuna), practices what is good for him and thus goes to
the Supreme Goal.
23)
He who, having cast aside the ordinance of the
scriptures, acts under the impulse of desire, attains neither perfection, nor
happiness, nor the Supreme Goal.
24)
Therefore, let the scriptures be your authority,
in determining what ought to be done and what ought not to be done. Having
known what is said in the commandments of the Scripture, you should act here
(in this world).
Thus ends the 16th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.
No comments:
Post a Comment