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Chapter Sixteen: Divine or Demoniac; The Natures Within Us
In our last chapter, Lord Krishna explained His ultimate nature and how He connects everything in the universe. Now, He's going to explain something super important about people—why some of us seem to be so good and kind, and why others act in really selfish or even cruel ways. It's all about our nature, and Krishna is going to show us the difference between divine (godly) qualities and demoniac (evil) qualities.
This chapter is like God Himself giving us a clear map, showing us which path leads to freedom and happiness, and which path leads to trouble and being stuck.
The Goodness That Leads to Freedom¹
Lord Krishna is listing these qualities for Arjuna, revealing what it truly means to possess spiritual knowledge and a divine nature.
"Abhayam sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ jñāna-yoga-vyavasthitiḥ dānam damaḥ ca yajñaḥ ca svādhyāyaḥ tapaḥ ārjavam"¹ "Fearlessness, abhayam; purification of one's existence, sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ; being fixed in spiritual knowledge and connection, jñāna-yoga-vyavasthitiḥ; charity, dānam; self-control (of mind and senses), damaḥ; performing sacrifice, yajñaḥ; study of holy books, svādhyāyaḥ; and austerity, tapaḥ; simplicity, ārjavam—these are some of the divine qualities."
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: This verse starts us off with powerful qualities! Abhayam means fearlessness, which is so important for facing life's challenges. Damaḥ is self-control, like being the boss of your own mind and senses. And svādhyāyaḥ means studying holy books, which fills your mind with good thoughts. These are like building blocks for a strong, good character!
"Ahiṁsā satyam akrodhaḥ tyāgaḥ śāntiḥ apaiśunam dayā bhūteṣu aloluptvam mārdavam hrīḥ acāpalam"² "Then come: nonviolence, ahiṁsā; truthfulness, satyam; freedom from anger, akrodhaḥ; renunciation (letting go of things), tyāgaḥ; tranquillity (peace), śāntiḥ; aversion to fault-finding, apaiśunam; mercy towards all beings, dayā bhūteṣu; freedom from greed, aloluptvam; gentleness, mārdavam; modesty, hrīḥ; and determination, acāpalam—these are more divine qualities."
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Look at how many of these are about kindness and inner calm, kids! Ahiṁsā means nonviolence—not hurting anyone with your body, words, or even thoughts. Akrodhaḥ is freedom from anger, which is a superpower! And dayā bhūteṣu means mercy towards all beings, like having a kind heart for everyone. These qualities make the world a much better place!
"Tejaḥ kṣamā dhṛtiḥ śaucam adrohaḥ na ati-mānitā bhavanti sampadam daivīm abhijātasya bhārata."³ "O son of Bharata, bhārata! These qualities are for one who is born with a divine nature, daivīm sampadam abhijātasya: vigor, tejaḥ; forgiveness, kṣamā; fortitude (steadiness), dhṛtiḥ; cleanliness, śaucam; freedom from envy, adrohaḥ; and not expecting honor, na ati-mānitā—all these, bhavanti, are part of the divine nature."
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Wow, kids, this is a long list of amazing qualities! This is like God giving us the ultimate checklist for what it means to be truly divine (daivīm sampadam). These are the traits that lead us to freedom and happiness! Notice how many are about how we treat others and how we control ourselves.
The Darkness That Traps Us⁴
Krishna now explains the opposite: the demonic qualities. These traits belong to people who are headed towards being bound by the material world.
"Dambhaḥ darpaḥ abhimānaḥ ca krodhaḥ pāruṣyam eva ca ajñānam ca abhijātasya pārtha sampadam āsurīm."⁴ "Pride, dambhaḥ; arrogance, darpaḥ; conceit, abhimānaḥ; and also anger, krodhaḥ; certainly harshness, pāruṣyam eva ca; and also ignorance, ajñānam—these are the qualities, sampadam, of one who is born with a demoniac nature, āsurīm abhijātasya, O son of Pritha, pārtha!"
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Dambhaḥ (dam-bha) means 'pride' or 'boasting.' Darpaḥ (dar-pa) is 'arrogance,' and abhimānaḥ (a-bhi-maa-na) is 'conceit.' These are all about thinking you're better than others or always needing attention. Āsurīm sampadam (aa-soo-reem sam-pa-dam) means 'demoniac qualities.' Krishna is clearly showing us the difference between paths: one leads up, one leads down.
"Daivī sampat vimokṣāya nibandhāya āsurī matā mā śucaḥ sampadam daivīm abhijātaḥ asi pāṇḍava."⁵ "Divine qualities, daivī sampat, are meant for liberation, vimokṣāya! Demoniac qualities, āsurī, are considered for bondage, nibandhāya matā! O son of Pandu, pāṇḍava, do not worry, mā śucaḥ! You are born with divine qualities, daivīm sampadam abhijātaḥ asi!"
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: This is Krishna reassuring Arjuna directly, telling him he has the good qualities. It's a sweet moment of encouragement from God to His friend!
"Dvau bhūta-sargau loke asmin daivaḥ āsuraḥ eva ca daivaḥ vistaraśaḥ proktaḥ āsuram pārtha me śṛṇu."⁶ "There are two types of created living beings, dvau bhūta-sargau, in this world, loke asmin: the divine, daivaḥ, and certainly, eva ca, the demoniac, āsuraḥ! The divine has been described in great detail, daivaḥ vistaraśaḥ proktaḥ! O son of Pritha, pārtha, just hear from Me about the demoniac, āsuram me śṛṇu!"
How Demoniac Minds Think and Act⁷
Krishna now explains in detail the mentality and behavior of those with demoniac qualities. They live without knowing what is right or wrong, truth, or cleanliness, driven by their own desires and false beliefs.
"Pravṛttim ca nivṛttim ca janāḥ na viduḥ āsurāḥ na śaucam na api ca ācāraḥ na satyam teṣu vidyate."⁷ "Persons of demoniac quality, āsurāḥ janāḥ, never know what is proper action, pravṛttim, or what is improper action, nivṛttim! There is never cleanliness, na śaucam, nor good behavior, na ācāraḥ, nor truth, na satyam, in them, teṣu vidyate!"
"Asatyam apratiṣṭham te jagat āhuḥ anīśvaram aparaspara-sambhūtam kim anyat kāma-haitukam."⁸ "They say the cosmic manifestation, jagat, is unreal, asatyam, and without foundation, apratiṣṭham! They say it has no controller, anīśvaram, and that it is born without any cause, aparaspara-sambhūtam! They believe it is due to lust only, kim anyat kāma-haitukam!"
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: This is a chilling description, kids! Asatyam (a-sat-yam) means 'unreal' or 'untrue.' Anīśvaram (a-neesh-va-ram) means 'without a controller' or 'without God.' Demoniac people believe there's no God, no real foundation for the world, and everything just comes from lust or chance. This way of thinking is very dangerous!
"Etām dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya naṣṭa-ātmānaḥ alpa-buddhayaḥ prabhavanti ugra-karmāṇaḥ kṣayāya jagataḥ ahitāḥ."⁹ "Accepting this false vision, etām dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya, those less intelligent, alpa-buddhayaḥ, who have lost themselves, naṣṭa-ātmānaḥ, flourish, prabhavanti, engaging in horrible activities, ugra-karmāṇaḥ! They are harmful, ahitāḥ, for the destruction of the world, jagataḥ kṣayāya!"
The Demoniac Path Leads to Ruin¹⁰
Krishna explains that those with demoniac qualities are driven by insatiable desires and pride. They engage in wicked ways to gain wealth, thinking only of their own pleasure and destroying their enemies. This path of selfishness and material obsession ultimately leads them to fall into hell.
"Kāmam āśritya duṣpūram dambha-māna-mada-anvitāḥ mohāt gṛhītvā asat-grāhān pravartante aśuci-vratāḥ."¹⁰ "Taking shelter of insatiable lust, kāmam āśritya duṣpūram, and being absorbed in pride, dambha, false prestige, māna, and conceit, mada-anvitāḥ—they act, pravartante, in illusion, mohāt, accepting temporary things, asat-grāhān, and engaging in unclean vows, aśuci-vratāḥ!"
"Cintām aparimeyām ca pralaya-antām upāśritāḥ kāma-upabhoga-paramāḥ etāvat iti niścitāḥ."¹¹ "They take shelter of immeasurable fears and anxieties, cintām aparimeyām, that last until death, pralaya-antām upāśritāḥ! They believe sense gratification, kāma-upabhoga-paramāḥ, is the highest goal, paramāḥ etāvat iti niścitāḥ!"
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: This verse shows us how people lost in demoniac thinking are stuck in endless worry, cintām aparimeyām. They believe the most important thing is to simply enjoy their senses, kāma-upabhoga-paramāḥ, and that this is all there is to life. It's a very limited way of seeing the world, and it causes a lot of anxiety because pleasure never truly lasts!
"Āśā-pāśa-śataiḥ baddhāḥ kāma-krodha-parāyaṇāḥ īhante kāma-bhoga-artham anyāyena artha-sañcayān."¹² "Bound by hundreds of networks of hope, āśā-pāśa-śataiḥ baddhāḥ, and always absorbed in lust and anger, kāma-krodha-parāyaṇāḥ, they desire to accumulate wealth illegally, īhante kāma-bhoga-artham anyāyena artha-sañcayān!"
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Here's the sad result of that thinking, kids. Āśā-pāśa means 'networks of hope'—imagine being caught in hundreds of tiny nets, always wanting something more! And kāma-krodha-parāyaṇāḥ (kaa-ma-kro-dha-pa-raa-ya-naah) means 'always absorbed in lust and anger.' These desires become so strong that people will even do things anyāyena (an-yaa-ye-na)—meaning 'illegally' or 'unfairly'—just to get more money for their enjoyment. It's a very clear warning from Krishna about the dangers of unchecked desires!
"Idam adya mayā labdham imam prāpsye manaḥ-ratham idam asti idam api me bhaviṣyati punaḥ dhanam asau mayā hataḥ śatruḥ haniṣye ca aparān api."¹³ "They think: 'This wealth, idam, I gained today, adya mayā labdham! I will gain more, imam prāpsye, according to my desires, manaḥ-ratham! This is mine, idam asti, and this will also be mine in the future, idam api me bhaviṣyati punaḥ dhanam! That enemy was killed by me, asau mayā hataḥ śatruḥ; and I shall kill others too, haniṣye ca aparān api!'"
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: This verse is like a snapshot of a greedy mind, kids! Manaḥ-ratham (ma-nah-ra-tham) means 'a chariot of the mind' or 'desires of the mind.' It shows how quickly one thought—"I got this"—leads to another—"I'll get more!" It's a never-ending chase, and it makes them think only of conquering and even hurting others to get what they want.
"Īśvaraḥ aham aham bhogī siddhaḥ aham bala-vān sukhī āḍhyaḥ abhijana-vān asmi kaḥ anyaḥ asti sadṛśaḥ mayā"¹⁴ "They think: 'I am the lord, īśvaraḥ aham! I am the enjoyer, aham bhogī! I am perfect, siddhaḥ aham! I am powerful, bala-vān! I am happy, sukhī! I am wealthy, āḍhyaḥ! I am surrounded by aristocratic relatives, abhijana-vān asmi! Who else is like me, kaḥ anyaḥ asti sadṛśaḥ mayā?'"
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: This verse really shows the false pride (abhimānaḥ) Krishna mentioned earlier. Īśvaraḥ aham (eesh-va-rah a-ham) means 'I am the controller!' They think they are the boss of everything, the most important, the strongest, and that no one is as good as them. This mindset is very dangerous because it pushes God out of the picture and makes them think they don't need anyone or anything.
"Yakṣye dāsyāmi modiṣye iti ajñāna-vimohitāḥ."¹⁵ "They think: 'I shall perform sacrifices, yakṣye! I shall give charity, dāsyāmi! I shall rejoice, modiṣye!'—Thus, iti, they are completely deluded by ignorance, ajñāna-vimohitāḥ!"
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Even when these demoniac people do seemingly good things like sacrifices or charity, Krishna says it's still part of their delusion, ajñāna-vimohitāḥ, meaning 'bewildered by ignorance.' They do it for show, or for power, or to feel important, not with true devotion to God. It's like doing a good thing for a selfish reason, which doesn't really purify the heart.
"Aneka-citta-vibhrāntāḥ moha-jāla-samāvṛtāḥ prasaktāḥ kāma-bhogeṣu patanti narake aśucau."¹⁶ "Perplexed by countless anxieties, aneka-citta-vibhrāntāḥ, and surrounded by a network of illusions, moha-jāla-samāvṛtāḥ—being attached to sense gratification, prasaktāḥ kāma-bhogeṣu, they glide down into unclean hell, patanti narake aśucau!"
Proud Hearts Miss God and Fall Low¹⁷
Krishna describes how self-complacent, arrogant demonic people perform sacrifices only for show, without following any real rules. Consumed by false ego, strength, lust, and anger, they hate God in themselves and others. Because of this envy, God casts them into miserable, demonic births, trapping them in repeated lower existences away from Him.
"Ātma-sambhāvitāḥ stabdhāḥ dhana-māna-mada-anvitāḥ yajante nāma yajñaiḥ te dambhena avidhi-pūrvakam."¹⁷ "Those who are self-complacent, ātma-sambhāvitāḥ, impudent, stabdhāḥ, and absorbed in the delusion of wealth and false prestige, dhana-māna-mada-anvitāḥ—they perform sacrifices only in name, yajante nāma yajñaiḥ, out of pride, dambhena, without following any rules or regulations, avidhi-pūrvakam!"
"Ahaṅkāram balam darpam kāmam krodham ca saṁśritāḥ mām ātma-para-deheṣu pradviṣantaḥ abhyasūyakāḥ."¹⁸ "Having taken shelter of false ego, ahaṅkāram, strength, balam, pride, darpam, lust, kāmam, and anger, krodham—they blaspheme Me, pradviṣantaḥ mām, in their own bodies and in other bodies, ātma-para-deheṣu, being envious, abhyasūyakāḥ!"
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Pradviṣantaḥ mām means 'blaspheming Me.' This is a huge warning, kids! It means when people hate God, they're actually hating God's presence in their own heart and in everyone else's heart. This kind of envy is very serious.
"Tān aham dviṣataḥ krūrān saṁsāreṣu nara-adhamān kṣipāmi ajasram āsurīṣu eva yoniṣu."¹⁹ "Those envious, dviṣataḥ, mischievous, krūrān, lowest among mankind, nara-adhamān, I cast them, kṣipāmi, continuously, ajasram, into the ocean of material existence, saṁsāreṣu, specifically into demonic wombs, āsurīṣu eva yoniṣu!"
"Āsurīm yonim āpannāḥ mūḍhāḥ janmani janmani mām aprāpya eva kaunteya tataḥ yānti adhamām gatim."²⁰ "O son of Kunti, kaunteya! Those foolish ones, mūḍhāḥ, taking birth in demonic species, āsurīm yonim āpannāḥ, birth after birth, janmani janmani, certainly, eva, without achieving Me, mām aprāpya—they go to a condemned destination, tataḥ yānti adhamām gatim!"
Three Gates to Hell and the Path to God²¹
Krishna reveals the three most dangerous doors that lead to hell and destroy the soul. He then explains that by giving these up, a person can perform actions that lead to the supreme, highest destination, guided by the wisdom of the holy scriptures.
"Tri-vidham narakasya idam dvāram nāśanam ātmanaḥ kāmaḥ krodhaḥ tathā lobhaḥ tasmāt etat trayam tyajet."²¹ "This gate to hell, narakasya idam dvāram, is of three kinds, tri-vidham, and it destroys the self, nāśanam ātmanaḥ! It is lust, kāmaḥ, anger, krodhaḥ, and also, tathā, greed, lobhaḥ! Therefore, tasmāt, one must give up these three, etat trayam tyajet!"
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: This is a super important warning, kids! Kāmaḥ (kaa-mah), krodhaḥ (kro-dha), and lobhaḥ (lo-bha) are like the three most dangerous doors that can trap your soul and lead you to unhappiness. Krishna says we must give them up!
"Etaiḥ vimuktaḥ kaunteya tamaḥ-dvāraiḥ tribhiḥ naraḥ ācarati ātmanaḥ śreyaḥ tataḥ yāti parām gatim."²² "O son of Kunti, kaunteya! A person, naraḥ, being liberated, vimuktaḥ, from these three gates of darkness, etaiḥ tamaḥ-dvāraiḥ tribhiḥ, performs actions for his own welfare, ācarati ātmanaḥ śreyaḥ! Thereafter, tataḥ, he goes to the supreme destination, yāti parām gatim!"
"Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ na saḥ siddhim avāpnoti na sukham na parām gatim."²³ "Anyone who gives up, utsṛjya, the regulations of the scriptures, śāstra-vidhim, and acts whimsically in lust, vartate kāma-kārataḥ—he never achieves perfection, na saḥ siddhim avāpnoti, nor happiness, na sukham, nor the supreme goal, na parām gatim!"
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Śāstra-vidhim (shaa-stra-vi-dhim) means 'regulations of the scriptures' or 'rules from holy books.' Krishna is saying these rules aren't just for fun; they are like a map to guide us. If we ignore the map and just do whatever we want, we won't reach our destination, no matter how hard we try!
"Tasmāt śāstram pramāṇam te kārya-akārya-vyavasthitau jñātvā śāstra-vidhāna-uktam karma kartum iha arhasi."²⁴ "Therefore, tasmāt, let the scriptures, śāstram, be your guide, pramāṇam te, in determining what is duty, kārya, and what is forbidden, akārya! Knowing the regulations declared in the scriptures, jñātvā śāstra-vidhāna-uktam, you should perform your actions, karma kartum arhasi, in this world, iha!"
Wow, kids! What a powerful and clear chapter! Lord Krishna explained the two main paths in this world: the divine nature, full of good qualities that lead to freedom, and the demoniac nature, full of bad qualities that lead to suffering and rebirth. He showed us the dangerous gates of lust, anger, and greed, and taught us that following the wisdom of the scriptures is our sure guide to the highest happiness and our true spiritual home!
Next time, we'll dive into Chapter Seventeen, where Krishna will explain the three kinds of faith. Get ready for more amazing lessons!