The Yoga of the Division between Divine and Demonic Qualities

अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्यागः शान्तिरपैशुनम् ।दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम् ॥

ahiṃsā satyamakrodhastyāgaḥ śāntirapaiśunam |dayā bhūteṣvaloluptvaṃ mārdavaṃ hrīracāpalam ||

non-violence, truthfulness, freedom from anger, letting go, peace, not speaking ill of others, kindness to all beings, freedom from greed, gentleness, modesty and steadiness,

तेजः क्षमा धृतिः शौचमद्रोहो नातिमानिता ।भवन्ति संपदं दैवीमभिजातस्य भारत ॥

tejaḥ kṣamā dhṛtiḥ śaucamadroho nātimānitā |bhavanti saṃpadaṃ daivīmabhijātasya bhārata ||

vigour, forgiveness, firmness, cleanliness, freedom from malice and from too much pride: these belong to one born with the divine nature, O Bharata.

दम्भो दर्पोऽभिमानश्च क्रोधः पारुष्यमेव च ।अज्ञानं चाभिजातस्य पार्थ संपदमासुरीम् ॥

dambho darpo'bhimānaśca krodhaḥ pāruṣyameva ca |ajñānaṃ cābhijātasya pārtha saṃpadamāsurīm ||

Hypocrisy, arrogance, excessive pride, anger, harshness and ignorance belong to one born with the demonic (asuric) nature, Arjuna.

दैवी संपद्विमोक्षाय निबन्धायासुरी मता ।मा शुचः संपदं दैवीमभिजातोऽसि पाण्डव ॥

daivī saṃpadvimokṣāya nibandhāyāsurī matā |mā śucaḥ saṃpadaṃ daivīmabhijāto'si pāṇḍava ||

The divine nature is held to lead to freedom, and the demonic nature to bondage. Do not grieve, Arjuna: you are born with the divine nature.

द्वौ भूतसर्गौ लोकेऽस्मिन्दैव आसुर एव च ।दैवो विस्तरशः प्रोक्त आसुरं पार्थ मे शृणु ॥

dvau bhūtasargau loke'smindaiva āsura eva ca |daivo vistaraśaḥ prokta āsuraṃ pārtha me śṛṇu ||

There are two kinds of beings created in this world, the divine and the demonic. The divine has been described at length; now hear from me about the demonic, Arjuna.

प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च जना न विदुरासुराः ।न शौचं नापि चाचारो न सत्यं तेषु विद्यते ॥

pravṛttiṃ ca nivṛttiṃ ca janā na vidurāsurāḥ |na śaucaṃ nāpi cācāro na satyaṃ teṣu vidyate ||

People of demonic nature do not understand what should be done and what should be avoided. Neither cleanliness, nor good conduct, nor truth is found in them.

असत्यमप्रतिष्ठं ते जगदाहुरनीश्वरम् ।अपरस्परसंभूतं किमन्यत्कामहैतुकम् ॥

asatyamapratiṣṭhaṃ te jagadāhuranīśvaram |aparasparasaṃbhūtaṃ kimanyatkāmahaitukam ||

They say the world is without truth, without a firm basis and without a God; that it came about from mere union, with desire as its only cause. What else could it be, they ask.

एतां दृष्टिमवष्टभ्य नष्टात्मानोऽल्पबुद्धयः ।प्रभवन्त्युग्रकर्माणः क्षयाय जगतोऽहिताः ॥

etāṃ dṛṣṭimavaṣṭabhya naṣṭātmāno'lpabuddhayaḥ |prabhavantyugrakarmāṇaḥ kṣayāya jagato'hitāḥ ||

Holding on to this view, these lost souls of small understanding, doing cruel deeds, rise up as enemies of the world, bringing it harm.

काममाश्रित्य दुष्पूरं दम्भमानमदान्विताः ।मोहाद्‌गृहीत्वासद्ग्राहान्प्रवर्तन्तेऽशुचिव्रताः ॥

kāmamāśritya duṣpūraṃ dambhamānamadānvitāḥ |mohādgṛhītvāsadgrāhānpravartante'śucivratāḥ ||

Relying on desire that can never be satisfied, full of hypocrisy, pride and arrogance, holding false ideas out of delusion, they go about with impure aims.

चिन्तामपरिमेयां च प्रलयान्तामुपाश्रिताः ।कामोपभोगपरमा एतावदिति निश्चिताः ॥

cintāmaparimeyāṃ ca pralayāntāmupāśritāḥ |kāmopabhogaparamā etāvaditi niścitāḥ ||

Gripped by endless worries that last until death, treating the enjoyment of desires as the highest aim, they are sure that this is all there is.

आशापाशशतैर्बद्धाः कामक्रोधपरायणाः ।ईहन्ते कामभोगार्थमन्यायेनार्थसञ्चयान् ॥

āśāpāśaśatairbaddhāḥ kāmakrodhaparāyaṇāḥ |īhante kāmabhogārthamanyāyenārthasañcayān ||

Bound by hundreds of ropes of hope, given over to desire and anger, they try to pile up wealth by unfair means to enjoy their desires.

इदमद्य मया लब्धमिमं प्राप्स्ये मनोरथम् ।इदमस्तीदमपि मे भविष्यति पुनर्धनम् ॥

idamadya mayā labdhamimaṃ prāpsye manoratham |idamastīdamapi me bhaviṣyati punardhanam ||

They think: This I have gained today; this wish I shall fulfil next. This wealth is mine, and more will be mine as well.

असौ मया हतः शत्रुर्हनिष्ये चापरानपि ।ईश्वरोऽहमहं भोगी सिद्धोऽहं बलवान्सुखी ॥

asau mayā hataḥ śatrurhaniṣye cāparānapi |īśvaro'hamahaṃ bhogī siddho'haṃ balavānsukhī ||

That enemy has been killed by me, and I shall kill others too. I am the master, I enjoy, I am successful, strong and happy.

आढ्योऽभिजनवानस्मि कोऽन्योऽस्ति सदृशो मया ।यक्ष्ये दास्यामि मोदिष्य इत्यज्ञानविमोहिताः ॥

āḍhyo'bhijanavānasmi ko'nyo'sti sadṛśo mayā |yakṣye dāsyāmi modiṣya ityajñānavimohitāḥ ||

I am rich and of high family; who else is like me? I will perform sacrifices, I will give gifts, I will enjoy myself. So they think, deluded by ignorance.

अनेकचित्तविभ्रान्ता मोहजालसमावृताः ।प्रसक्ताः कामभोगेषु पतन्ति नरकेऽशुचौ ॥

anekacittavibhrāntā mohajālasamāvṛtāḥ |prasaktāḥ kāmabhogeṣu patanti narake'śucau ||

Confused by many thoughts, caught in a net of delusion, hooked on the enjoyment of desires, they fall into a foul hell.

आत्मसंभाविताः स्तब्धा धनमानमदान्विताः ।यजन्ते नामयज्ञैस्ते दम्भेनाविधिपूर्वकम् ॥

ātmasaṃbhāvitāḥ stabdhā dhanamānamadānvitāḥ |yajante nāmayajñaiste dambhenāvidhipūrvakam ||

Full of self-importance and stubbornness, drunk with the pride of wealth, they perform sacrifices only in name, for show, without following the proper rules.

अहंकारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं च संश्रिताः ।मामात्मपरदेहेषु प्रद्विषन्तोऽभ्यसूयकाः ॥

ahaṃkāraṃ balaṃ darpaṃ kāmaṃ krodhaṃ ca saṃśritāḥ |māmātmaparadeheṣu pradviṣanto'bhyasūyakāḥ ||

Clinging to ego, force, arrogance, desire and anger, these jealous people hate me, who dwell in their own bodies and in the bodies of others.

तानहं द्विषतः क्रुरान्संसारेषु नराधमान् ।क्षिपाम्यजस्रमशुभानासुरीष्वेव योनिषु ॥

tānahaṃ dviṣataḥ krurānsaṃsāreṣu narādhamān |kṣipāmyajasramaśubhānāsurīṣveva yoniṣu ||

Those cruel and hateful people, the lowest of humans, who do evil, I throw again and again into demonic births in the rounds of rebirth.

आसुरीं योनिमापन्ना मूढा जन्मनि जन्मनि ।मामप्राप्यैव कौन्तेय ततो यान्त्यधमां गतिम् ॥

āsurīṃ yonimāpannā mūḍhā janmani janmani |māmaprāpyaiva kaunteya tato yāntyadhamāṃ gatim ||

Having fallen into demonic births, deluded birth after birth, they never reach me, Arjuna, and sink to the lowest state.

एतैर्विमुक्तः कौन्तेय तमोद्वारैस्त्रिभिर्नरः ।आचरत्यात्मनः श्रेयस्ततो याति परां गतिम् ॥

etairvimuktaḥ kaunteya tamodvāraistribhirnaraḥ |ācaratyātmanaḥ śreyastato yāti parāṃ gatim ||

A person freed from these three gates of darkness, Arjuna, does what is truly good for himself, and then reaches the highest goal.

यः शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारतः ।न स सिद्धिमवाप्नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम् ॥

yaḥ śāstravidhimutsṛjya vartate kāmakārataḥ |na sa siddhimavāpnoti na sukhaṃ na parāṃ gatim ||

One who sets aside the guidance of scripture and acts on the push of desire gains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the highest goal.

तस्माच्छास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ ।ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रविधानोक्तं कर्म कर्तुमिहार्हसि ॥

tasmācchāstraṃ pramāṇaṃ te kāryākāryavyavasthitau |jñātvā śāstravidhānoktaṃ karma kartumihārhasi ||

So let scripture be your measure in deciding what should and should not be done. Knowing what scripture teaches, you should do your work here.