Chapter 16

(Revision 01 Aug 24 09)
BHAGAVAD GITA



CHAPTER 16 Daivaasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga (Classification between Divine and Demoniacal Qualities)



Sri Bhagavan said:



16. 1
Fearlessness:'I am the body' is the cause of all fear - of hurt, death, loss
Purity of mind: mind in sense pleasures is impure. disassociated from atma-bhav is impure
Jnana yoga avyavasthithih: fixity in Self realization Knowledge
Daanam: Satvik Charity,
Damascha: and control of senses,
Yajnascha: and sacrifices(material or otherwise)
Swadhyaya: Study of, reflection on Scriptures
Tapah: Suffering hardships in doing one's duties
Aaarjavam:uprightness in body mind and senses, straight forwardness. A quality which seems to be there among poor farmers, villagefolk, and rare among first generation rich.


16. 2
Ahimsa: non hurting. Exception is when hurting forms your duty - parent, teacher, police, soldier, jailer, executioner, man who presses the nuclear button.
Satyam: truthfulness - what is right, straight, honest, without any selfish motive, non hurting
Akrodha: not easily provoked to anger, genial, non expecting. It doesn't mean 'never angry'
Tyagah: given to renunciation, of doer-ship, of desires, of attachment, of possessions, of relationship, finally of world.
Shanthih: calm, peaceful, imperturbable
Apaishunam: non critical, non slanderous, a state of Gunaatita(risen above Gunas)
dayaa bhuteshu: compassion towards creatures
Aloluptwam: non indulgence, non attachment
Maardavam: mildness, softness, tenderness
Heerachaapalam: abstaining from frivolous pursuits


16. 3
Tejah: Divine splendour, an inexplicable 'invisible' glow, (more felt than seen), not necessarily the glow of the affluent, or stars.
Kshama: an automatic, effortless (non-reactive) forgiveness
Dhritih: fortitude, cool, calm in difficulties,
Shaucham:general Cleanliness with orderliness
Adhroha: Bearing enmity, dislike to none,
Naatimaanitaa: not expecting or wanting to be respected

These are the marks of one born with divine endowments

PURPORT:
Shlokas 1-3 list the Divine qualities. Each quality's existence in Saints and Mahatmas is in seed form or practical form. Nothing foolishly exhibited by them. To misunderstand their behaviour is to destroy our own bhakti, sadhana.

In a practical way Daya or Ahimsa was demonstrated by Ramakrishna Paramahamsa by coolly killing the bedbugs!

Bhagavatha mentions of Devahuti who was initially taking bath 3-6 times a day, and later once immersion in Atma-Jnan took place she remained without bath, full of dirt and mud and demonstrated what is shoucham. The ignorant make a fetish of external (imagined)cleanliness, and their entire life remains in such foolish 'don't touch and pollute me' idiotsy.

Hirachaapalam: Swami Brahmananda comes half hour late for his appointment with a new devotee, and says he was playing cards and could not get up. Brahma Chaitanya Maharaj of Gondvale was playing with a 9 yr old girl.

Naatimanitaa: Not wanting any respect, like at 29 when Swami Narayan's head, Pramukh Swami Maharaj when he was elected as President of the order, he was washing utinsils in the kitchen and yet Great Jagadgurus like His Divine Grace, Srila Prabhupada, and many other realized souls taught their disciples, who otherwise would not have learnt, that the respect higher than offered to Lord Himself, needs to be given to their Guru, in order to generate, stabilize, and augment para Shrddha in the disciples.

In short, each divine quality needs to be developed and yet needs to be exercised with care and full of 'prajna'.


16. 4
Dambha: Hypocrisy
Darpa: arrogance, insolence
Abhimaana: Pride, haughtiness
Krodha: Anger, Irritation
Paarushya: Rough, rude and hurting
Ajnaanam: Ignorance of Knowledge (Or ignorance of all that is good)

These are the signs of one born with demoniac qualities

PURPORT: It is not that, one or more of these qualities, are not present at, one or the other time, in many of the otherwise good people, but ignorance of what is called Knowledge as described in Gita. Being part of Gunas of Rajas and Tamas, the qualities manifest when these gunas come to the fore. In Saints and Mahatmas, they quickly get extinguished by their Satvik nature. A brief manifestation of anger or non-manifestation of Jnaan should not be found fault with, otherwise saintly people. Temporary 'I am body' feeling gives rise to these.


16. 5 The divine endowment is conducive to liberation and demoniac one is as leading to bondage
Grieve not, for you are born with divine propensities
16. 6 There are two types of men in this world. Divine and demoniac. Divine one has been dealt with in detail. Listen to the demoniac disposition.

16. 7 People with demoniac disposition, know not what is right to do and what is not right to do
They possess neither purity, nor good conduct, nor even truthfulness.
16. 8 They say this world is unreal, Godless, brought about by mutual union of male and female, conceived in lust. What else than this?
16. 9 These dull witted, men of vile disposition, of terrible deeds, enemies of mankind, bent on destruction of the world.

16.10 Cherishing insatiable desires and embracing false doctrines through ignorance, these men of impure conduct move in this world, full of hypocrisy,pride and arrogance
16.11 With innumerable cares, worries ending only in death, they remain devoted to enjoyment of sensuous pleasures, firmly believing that this is the highest limit of joy.
16.12 Bound by hundreds of ties of expectation wholly giving themselves to lust and anger, they strive to amass by unfair means hordes of wealth for sensuous pleasures.

16.13 They say, this I got today, I shall now fulfill my desire. This is with me, more will be with me in future
16.14 That enemy is slain by me, I shall kill others too; I am the lord, enjoy-er, successful, mighty and happy.
16.15 In ignorance, deluded, says, "I am wealthy, with large family. who equals me? Will enjoy, give alms, perform sacrifices"

16.16 Mind in a variety of delusion, covered with net of moha, addicted to sense pleasures, fall into worst hell.
16.17 Proud with wealth and honour, conceited and haughty do yajnas for show, without the sacred rituals
16.18 With ego, strength, arrogance, lust and anger, they despise ME dwelling in others


16 19 Those cruel, vilest among people, I cast them repeatedly in the demoniacal wombs

16.20 These stupid persons born life after life in demoniac wombs, failing to reach me,they go to low destination.



16.21 Desire, anger, greed these three gates to hell bring downfall of the soul. Therefore, these should be shunned.

16.22 Freed from these three gates of hell, man works for his own salvation, thereby attains the Supreme goal.



PURPORT:



Who are the ones who are of demoniacal nature? All of us who do not read daily Gita and practice it. This pride, insolence, haughtiness, anger, greed, ahamkar, why we are having such qualities ? because of ignorance of, and forgetting to recall what we read once in a year on spiritual knowledge. Anger, greed, lust make us forget in times of need the consequences of our actions(known as karmic laws).



Another way of understanding why they are so, is to know the three Gunas or modes. Satwa(goodness and knowledge), Rajas (activities in desire, lust, anger etc) and Tamas(ignorance, blunder etc)



There is no point in looking where such demons are ? in which religion? in which neighbouring nation? in which political party? or which one of my relative ? These demoniacal propensities are in me only.Witness, we will be in for heartburn.



So, what I have to do. Recall daily actions before I sleep or at prayer time or while meditating and vow to change myself. Beseech Lord to help me.





16. 23 One discarding the rules of scriptures, acts desire-ridden, he does not attain to result, here or hereafter nor happiness

16. 24 Therefore let Shastras be your guide what you should do and should not do. Knowing this you should do what needs to be done as per shastras



PURPORT:

dt 23 08 09



Why we need to follow shastras? same reason why we need to follow rules of the road or laws of the land. Some injustice for individuals at times may take place on account of this.(your wife or child needs urgent medical attention and your driving license has expired, no other transport is available. Will you not drive them with an expired license?)

On the other hand, if everyone starts bending the laws to suit each one's convenience, there will be no organized way of functioning in society.



That's why, all need to follow shastras. Yet exceptions are there. The head of the household may at times break the rules and take decisions if that serves the cause of justice. A soldier can kill in war, a judge can sentence to death the criminal, a doctor can take decisions about his patient, which as a relative he is not supposed to take.



All these examples show to us, as a general practice we have to follow the rules. A guru, Jnani, head of the organization can overrule, modify the existing rule to serve the cause of dharma or duty. Like an expert gardener can re-plant, cut, prune any plant. Shathras can be interpreted only by Acharyas who have larger interests of society and their end welfare(shreyas)





As a disciple, Swami Chinmayananda had to use a rock as a pillow, so he could sleep lightly and get up by 3 am to serve his master tea prepared each day using fresh water from Ganga sixty feet below- tea which the Guru did not drink most of the time. Yet as a Guru, Swami Chinmayananda, did not put his disciples to such harsh tests at Sandeepani Vidyalaya. Gave them comforts (though spartan) of room, cots, beds, pillows, morning tea etc and a more earthly timing for studies. Nature brings change in rules. Both opposing views so it looks like. Both were right in their purpose.



In short, shloka 23 shows, we ourselves, who are prisoners of gunas, cannot change rules(shastras) which govern us. In fact, the shastras must be our guide at all times, and yet the Great Gurus or those in Prajna, can advise us on actions, and also bring permanent change even in Shastras to suit the times, keeping the essence intact.