bhagavad-giitaa adhyaaya 16 (English)

This chapter starts with a description of divine qualities, followed by a description of demoniac qualities. After giving those descriptions, Kr's'n'a explains that the divine qualities lead to liberation, and the demoniac qualities lead to bondage. This indicates that one, who aspires for liberation, should try to develop the divine qualities and avoid the demoniac qualities. Then, Kr's'n'a gives a detailed explanation of the demoniac qualities and declares that people, who are confused in this way, fall into an impure hell. Then, Kr's'n'a says that the triad of desire, anger, and impatience, leads to hell and the destruction of oneself. This destruction of oneself doesn't mean that the soul will be annihilated and cease to exist, but it means that the self will be lost, far from its natural condition. In earlier chapters, Kr's'n'a has explained that the soul is eternal and can not be killed, even if the body is killed. Therefore, the word "destruction of oneself" has to be taken as a destruction of the normal life, like a punishment for one's crimes. One strange thing in verse 22 is that the person, who behaves in a way which is preferable to the soul, is not said to be liberated from these three doors to tamah', but liberated by them. This could be seen as a support for the idea that it is possible to achieve liberation through demoniac activities. However, that is a very risky interpretation, and although it seems to have some support here, it is not recommended. Thereafter, Kr's'n'a establishes the rules of the scriptures, and encourages Arjuna to act with the scriptures as his standard. This indicates the importance of the scriptures.

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Â:iB:g:v:an:Øv:ac: AB:y:ö s:¶v:s:öS:Øe¹waün:y:<g:vy:v:¡sT:et:H . dan:ö dm:Á: y:wÁ: sv:aDy:ay:st:p: Aaj:üv:m:Î / 1 /	S''rii Bhagavaan spoke: Safety, purity of character, determination in jnjaana-yoga, giving, and self-control, and sacrifice, recitation, penance, honesty, (1)
Aehös:a s:ty:m:#<D:sty:ag:H S:a¡nt:rp:òS:Øn:m:Î . dy:a B:Üt:ð\v:l:<l:Øptv:ö m:adüv:ö Ëirc:ap:l:m:Î / 2 /	harmlessness, truth, freedom from anger, forsaking, peace, unwickedness, compassion for living beings, freedom from greed, kindness, modesty, unfickleness, (2)
t:ðj:H x:m:a D:àet:H S:>c:m:dÒ<h< n:aet:m:aen:t:a . B:v:¡nt: s:mp:dö dòv:im:eB:j:at:sy: B:art: / 3 /	beauty, patience, satisfaction, purity, freedom from malice, and freedom from unnecessary pride, are the divine perfection of the born, o descendant of Bharata^*. (3)
dmB:< dp:<ü\|eB:m:an:Á: #<D:H p:a,\y:m:ðv: c: . Awan:ö c:aeB:j:at:sy: p:aT:ü s:mp:dm:as:Ørim:Î / 4 /	Hypocrisy, arrogance, and pride, anger, and even harshness, and ignorance, are the demoniac perfection of the born, o Pr'thaa's son^*. (4)
dòv:i s:mp:e¾m:<x:ay: en:b:nD:ay:as:Øri m:t:a . m:a S:Øc:H s:mp:dö dòv:im:eB:j:at:<\|es: p:aNRv: / 5 /	Divine perfection is regarded to be for deliverance, and demoniac for bondage. Don't lament, you are born for divine perfection, o Paan'd'u's son^*. (5)
¾> B:Üt:s:g:>ü l:<kñ\|¡sm:ndòv: Aas:Ør Ov: c: . dòv:< ev:st:rS:H )<Vt: Aas:Ørö p:aT:ü m:ð S:àN:Ø / 6 /	There are two creations of beings in this world: the divine and even the demoniac. The divine has been proclaimed in detail. Hear about the demoniac from me, o Pr'thaa's son^*! (6)
)v:àe¶:ö c: en:v:àe¶:ö c: j:n:a n: ev:dØras:ØraH . n: S:>c:ö n:aep: c:ac:ar< n: s:ty:ö t:ð\:Ø ev:½t:ð / 7 /	Demoniac people have not understood activity and rest. Purity, truth, and even behaviour is not known in them. (7)
As:ty:m:)et:Åö t:ð j:g:dahÚrn:iÃ:rm:Î . Ap:rsp:rs:mB:Üt:ö ekm:ny:tkam:hòt:Økm:Î / 8 /	They have, untruly and unfoundedly, called the world godless, not produced reciprocally, produced by what other than desire. (8)
Ot:aö dàeÄm:v:ÄBy: n:Äatm:an:<\|lp:b:Ø¹y:H . )B:v:nty:Øg:Òkm:aüN:H x:y:ay: j:g:t:<\|eht:aH / 9 /	After leaning on this doctrine, the silly, violent, improper people, who are deprived of sense, are masters of the decay of the world. (9)
kam:m:aeÂ:ty: dØ\p:Ürö dmB:m:an:m:da¡nv:t:aH . m:<ha·âhitv:as:dÏg:Òahanp:Òv:t:ünt:ð\|S:Øec:v:Òt:aH / 10 /	After resorting to desire, which is difficult to satisfy and accompanied by hypocrisy, pride, and intoxication, people of impure conduct proceed, after grasping caprices due to bewilderment, (10)
ec:nt:am:p:erm:ðy:aö c: )l:y:ant:am:Øp:aeÂ:t:aH . kam:<p:B:<g:p:rm:a Ot:av:edet: en:eÁ:t:aH / 11 /	and they have arrived at immeasurable anxiety, near annihilation, and are so very determined that desire and enjoyment are highest. (11)
AaS:ap:aS:S:t:òb:ü¹aH kam:#<D:p:ray:N:aH . Ihnt:ð kam:B:<g:aT:üm:ny:ay:ðn:aT:üs:Wc:y:an:Î / 12 /	They are bound by the chain of hundreds of hopes, with desire and anger as the final aim, and long for accumulations of aims by improper means, for the sake of desire and enjoyment. (12)
Edm:½ m:y:a l:bD:em:m:ö )apsy:ð m:n:<rT:m:Î . Edm:st:idm:ep: m:ð B:ev:\y:et: p:Øn:D:ün:m:Î / 13 /	"This I have obtained today, I will receive this wish for myself, besides, this wealth is for me, this will also become so, (13)
As:> m:y:a ht:H S:*:Øhüen:\y:ð c:ap:ran:ep: . IÃ:r<\|hm:hö B:<g:i es:¹<\|hö b:l:v:ans:ØK:i / 14 /	I have killed that enemy, and I will kill others for myself also, I am the master, I am the enjoyer, I am the successful, happy, and powerful person, (14)
Aaµ<\|eB:j:n:v:an:¡sm: k<\|ny:<\|¡st: s:dàS:< m:y:a . y:xy:ð dasy:aem: m:<ed\y: Ety:wan:ev:m:<eht:aH / 15 /	I am a rich person of noble descent. Who else is similar to me? I will institute sacrifices. I will give for others. I will rejoice." say the ones who are confused by ignorance. (15)
An:ðkec:¶:ev:B:Òant:a m:<hj:al:s:m:av:àt:aH . )s:Vt:aH kam:B:<g:ð\:Ø p:t:¡nt: n:rkñ\|S:Øc:> / 16 /	They, who are confused by many thoughts, and covered by the snare of bewilderment, and attached to desires and enjoyments, fall into an impure hell. (16)
Aatm:s:mB:aev:t:aH st:bD:a D:n:m:an:m:da¡nv:t:aH . y:j:nt:ð n:am:y:wòst:ð dmB:ðn:aev:eD:p:Üv:ükm:Î / 17 /	They are self-honoured, arrogant, and linked to intoxication and pride of wealth, and offer sacrifice only in name, with hypocrisy and not according to the rules, (17)
Ah¢arö b:l:ö dp:þ kam:ö #<D:ö c: s:öeÂ:t:aH . m:am:atm:p:rdðhð\:Ø )e¾\:nt:<\|By:s:Üy:kaH / 18 /	and they have clung to egotism, force, pride, desire, and anger, are indignant and hating me in their own and other bodies. (18)
t:an:hö e¾\:t:H #Ýrans:ös:arð\:Ø n:raD:m:an:Î . ex:p:amy:j:+m:S:ØB:an:as:Øri\v:ðv: y:<en:\:Ø / 19 /	I perpetually throw those hating, cruel, and unfortunate wretches in worldly, truly demoniac, wombs. (19)
Aas:Øriö y:<en:m:ap:Àa m:ÜZa j:nm:en: j:nm:en: . m:am:)apy:òv: k>nt:ðy: t:t:< y:anty:D:m:aö g:et:m:Î / 20 /	When they have entered a demoniac womb, they are bewildered in birth after birth. After truly failing to reach me, o Kuntii's son^*, they then proceed to the lowest condition. (20)
e:ev:D:ö n:rksy:ðdö ¾arö n:aS:n:m:atm:n:H . kam:H #<D:st:T:a l:<B:st:sm:adðt:t:y:ö ty:j:ðt:Î / 21 /	This threefold destruction of oneself, and door to hell, consists of desire, anger, as well as impatience. Therefore, one should abandon this triad. (21)
Ot:òev:üm:ØVt:H k>nt:ðy: t:m:<¾arò¡s*:eB:n:ürH . Aac:rty:atm:n:H Â:ðy:st:t:< y:aet: p:raö g:et:m:Î / 22 /	The man, who is liberated by these three doors to tamah', o Kuntii's son^*, behaves in a way which is preferable to the soul. He then proceeds to the supreme condition. (22)
y:H S:as*:ev:eD:m:Øts:àjy: v:t:üt:ð kam:kart:H . n: s: es:e¹m:v:apn:<et: n: s:ØK:ö n: p:raö g:et:m:Î / 23 /	He, who willingly lives, after abandoning the rules of the scriptures, does not obtain fulfilment, nor pleasure, nor the supreme condition.^* (23)
t:sm:acCas:ö )m:aN:ö t:ð kay:aükay:üvy:v:¡sT:t:> . watv:a S:as:ev:D:an:<Vt:ö km:ü kt:Øüem:hahües: / 24 /	Therefore, the scripture is your standard. After knowing what is fixed to be done and not to be done, you need to perform the action, which is the spoken rules of the scriptures, here. (24)