Bhagavtagita chapter16 The divine and demoniac

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10.kamam

aaSrithya dhushpooram

dhambhamaanamadhaanvithaaH

 

mohaath

grheethvaa asadhgraahaan pravarthanthe

aSuchivrathaaH

 

Pursuing

their desires which are insatiable, filled with hypocrisy, pride and arrogance,

they get hold of wrong notions and act with impure ideals.

 

They do not know that the desires can never be

fulfilled because it is dhushpoora anala, unquenchable fire as

denoted in chapter 3 sloka 39.

 

dhambha is hypocrisy or

proclaiming themselves to be great, without possessing the qualities that make

one great.

 

maana is pride and madha

is arrogance. All the three go together. They want to be praised by everyone

and pose as though they have praiseworthy qualities and take pride in it . When

they are praised by those who are their dependents or those who expect favours

from them they become arrogant.

 

They are deluded into believing that their evil notions are correct and act on in the world to secure the fruit of

their evil desires.

 

11.chinthaam

aparimeyaamcha pralayaanthaam upaaSrithaaH

 

kaamopabhogaparamaa ethaavath ithi

niSchithaaH

 

They entertain immeasurable thoughts till the end of

life deciding that it was the only goal, intent on fulfilling their desires.

As

Sankara says, vrdDho yaathi grheethvaa dhandam

thadhapi na munchathi

aasaapindam, he is old and goes with the help of a staff but yet his desires are not

quenched.. The only goal in life for them is enjoying the sensual desires.

12.asaapaaSasathaiH

badDhaaH kaamkroDhaparaayaNaaH

 

eehanthe kaamabhogaarTham anyaayena

arThasanchayaan

 

Bound with hundreds of ropes of attachment,

overpowered with desire and anger, they hanker for the fulfillment of desires

and amass wealth through foul methods (like deceit and confiscation the

property of others..)

 

Does this not look too familiar in the modern world?

The forthcoming slokas only make it explicit.

 

They pursue their desires, which are never

satisfied, believe that their view alone is true, and filled with arrogance,

hypocrisy and vanity they follow the path of unrighteousness. Their attitude is

vividly described by the following slokas which reminds us of politicians and

thugs of today.

 

13.idham

adhya mayaa labDham idham praapsye manoraTham

idham asthi idham api me bhavishyathi

punarDhanam

 

"Today I have won this; I shall fulfil that hope

soon; Now this wealth shall also be mine."

 

14.asou

mayaa hathah sathruh; hanishyecha aparaan api;

eeesvaro aham aham bhogee siddhoham balavaan

sukhee

 

"I have killed this enemy; I will kill the others

also; I am the mighty Lord, the enjoyer; I am well established strong and

happy."

 

15.aaDhyo

abhijanvaan asmi ko anyo asthi sadhrSomayaa

Yakshye dhaasyAmi modhishye ithi ajaana

vimohithaah

 

"I am wealthy and high-born; who is there to

equal me ?

I perform yajna

and give gifts and make

merry"---- thus they are deluded by ignorance.

These

slokas need no explanation as the idea

expressed therein is only too vivid in life today.

 

Here a doubt may arise that some of these qualities

crop up in all individuals and not only the aasurik ones and hence how is the

classification of beings into divine and demoniac justified. But this

description fits only those who have all the aasurik qualities and not those who

lapse back into some of the aasurik qualities from time to time, which would

mean all of us. Those who have most of

the divine qualities will be able to correct themselves if they express any of

the aasurik qualities, on seeing that they impede spiritual progress, though there

is a possibility of their sinking into the aasurik nature if they do not keep track

of their emotions.