Chapter 16

Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga

दैवासुरसम्पद्विभागयोग

Daivāsura Sampad Vibhāg Yog•“Yoga through Discerning the Divine and Demoniac Natures”•24 Verses

A Reading - Rantideb

Chapter 15 closed by tying real understanding to fulfilled duty. Chapter 16 draws a much blunter line than the earlier chapters have, listing the concrete qualities of a divine nature, fearlessness, purity, generosity, self-control, alongside the concrete qualities of a demonic one, hypocrisy, arrogance, anger, excessive desire, and states plainly that people of demonic nature don't know what to do and what not to do, purity and right conduct are not found in them. Why this matters: after many chapters of nuanced, patient explanation, this one is comparatively direct, naming certain patterns, deceit, cruelty, self-importance, as genuinely corrosive rather than just another equally valid life orientation to be understood sympathetically. In life, this is the chapter for the moment you're tempted to rationalize a harmful pattern in yourself or someone close to you as just a personality quirk rather than something actively worth confronting. The teaching is that discernment sometimes means calling a pattern what it actually is, without excessive nuance, because clear naming is often the first real step toward changing it.

Chapter Summary

The sixteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is "Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga". In this chapter, Krishna describes explicitly the two kinds of natures among human beings - divine and demoniac. Those who possess demonaic qualities associate themselves with the modes of passion and ignorance do not follow the regulations of the scriptures and embrace materialistic views. These people attain lower births and further material bondage. But people who possess divine qualities, follow the instructions of the scriptures, associate themselves with the mode of goodness and purify the mind through spiritual practices. This leads to the enhancement of divine qualities and they eventually attain spiritual realization.

Verses in this Chapter (24)

Verse 1

श्री भगवानुवाच अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिः ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिः। दानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्यायस्तप आर्जवम्।।16.1।।

The Lord said, "Fearlessness, purity of mind, devotion to meditation on the knowledge of the self, alms-giving, self-control, worship, study of the Vedas, austerity, and uprightness -

Verse 2

अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्यागः शान्तिरपैशुनम्।दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम्।।16.2।।

Non-injury, truth, freedom from anger, renunciation, tranquility, non-slandering of others, compassion for all beings, freedom from desire, gentleness, a sense of shame, and freedom from fickleness;

Verse 3

तेजः क्षमा धृतिः शौचमद्रोहो नातिमानिता। भवन्ति सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातस्य भारत।।16.3।।

Grandeur, patience, fortitude, purity, freedom from hatred and over-pride - these, O Arjuna, belong to one who is born to a divine destiny.

Verse 4

दम्भो दर्पोऽभिमानश्च क्रोधः पारुष्यमेव च।अज्ञानं चाभिजातस्य पार्थ सम्पदमासुरीम्।।16.4।।

Pompousness, arrogance, self-conceit, wrath, rudeness, and ignorance - these, O Arjuna, belong to one who is born with a demonic destiny.

Verse 5

दैवी सम्पद्विमोक्षाय निबन्धायासुरी मता।मा शुचः सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातोऽसि पाण्डव।।16.5।।

The divine destiny is said to lead to liberation, while the demoniac to bondage. Do not grieve, O Arjuna, for you are born with a divine destiny.

Verse 6

द्वौ भूतसर्गौ लोकेऽस्मिन् दैव आसुर एव च।दैवो विस्तरशः प्रोक्त आसुरं पार्थ मे श्रृणु।।16.6।।

There are two types of beings in this world: the divine and the demoniac. The divine have been described at length. Hear from Me, O Arjuna, about the demoniac.

Verse 7

प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च जना न विदुरासुराः।न शौचं नापि चाचारो न सत्यं तेषु विद्यते।।16.7।।

The demoniacal men neither know action nor renunciation. They have no cleanliness, nor right conduct, nor truth.

Verse 8

असत्यमप्रतिष्ठं ते जगदाहुरनीश्वरम्।अपरस्परसम्भूतं किमन्यत्कामहैतुकम्।।16.8।।

They maintain: 'The universe is without truth, with no foundation, and without a Lord (Isvara). What else could exist without mutual causation? It has lust as its cause.'

Verse 9

एतां दृष्टिमवष्टभ्य नष्टात्मानोऽल्पबुद्धयः।प्रभवन्त्युग्रकर्माणः क्षयाय जगतोऽहिताः।।16.9।।

Holding this view, these men of lost souls and feeble understanding do cruel deeds, leading to the destruction of the world.

Verse 10

काममाश्रित्य दुष्पूरं दम्भमानमदान्विताः।मोहाद्गृहीत्वासद्ग्राहान्प्रवर्तन्तेऽशुचिव्रताः।।16.10।।

Turning to insatiable desires, seizing through delusion unjustly acquired wealth, and following impious vows, they act, full of ostentation, pride, and arrogance.

Verse 11

चिन्तामपरिमेयां च प्रलयान्तामुपाश्रिताः।कामोपभोगपरमा एतावदिति निश्िचताः।।16.11।।

Obsessed by unlimited cares that end with dissolution, looking upon the enjoyment of desires as their highest aim, and convinced that this is all;

Verse 12

आशापाशशतैर्बद्धाः कामक्रोधपरायणाः।ईहन्ते कामभोगार्थमन्यायेनार्थसञ्चयान्।।16.12।।

Bound by hundreds of fetters of hopes, given over to desire and anger, they strive unjustly to gather wealth for the gratification of their desires.

Verse 13

इदमद्य मया लब्धमिमं प्राप्स्ये मनोरथम्।इदमस्तीदमपि मे भविष्यति पुनर्धनम्।।16.13।।

'This I have gained today, and this desire I shall attain. This wealth is mine, and this will also be mine hereafter.

Verse 14

असौ मया हतः शत्रुर्हनिष्ये चापरानपि।ईश्वरोऽहमहं भोगी सिद्धोऽहं बलवान्सुखी।।16.14।।

'I have slain this enemy, and I shall slay others too. I am the Lord, the enjoyer, the successful one, the strong one, and the happy one.'

Verse 15

आढ्योऽभिजनवानस्मि कोऽन्योऽस्ति सदृशो मया।यक्ष्ये दास्यामि मोदिष्य इत्यज्ञानविमोहिताः।।16.15।।

'I am wealthy and high-born; who else is equal to me? I shall sacrifice, I shall give alms, I shall rejoice.' Thus they think, deluded by ignorance.

Verse 16

अनेकचित्तविभ्रान्ता मोहजालसमावृताः।प्रसक्ताः कामभोगेषु पतन्ति नरकेऽशुचौ।।16.16।।

Bewildered by numerous thoughts, ensnared in the net of delusion, addicted to sensual pleasures, they fall into a wretched Naraka.

Verse 17

आत्मसम्भाविताः स्तब्धा धनमानमदान्विताः।यजन्ते नामयज्ञैस्ते दम्भेनाविधिपूर्वकम्।।16.17।।

Self-conceited, self-sufficient, intoxicated by wealth and pride, they perform sacrifices in name only, ostentatiously and not according to the injunctions of the scriptures.

Verse 18

अहङ्कारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं च संश्रिताः।मामात्मपरदेहेषु प्रद्विषन्तोऽभ्यसूयकाः।।16.18।।

Depending on their egoism, power, and pride, as well as their desires and wrath, these malicious men hate Me in their own bodies and in those of others.

Verse 19

तानहं द्विषतः क्रूरान्संसारेषु नराधमान्।क्षिपाम्यजस्रमशुभानासुरीष्वेव योनिषु।।16.19।।

Those who are hateful, cruel, the vilest and most inauspicious of mankind, I hurl forever into the cycles of births and deaths, into the wombs of demons.

Verse 20

असुरीं योनिमापन्ना मूढा जन्मनि जन्मनि।मामप्राप्यैव कौन्तेय ततो यान्त्यधमां गतिम्।।16.20।।

Fallen into demoniac wombs in birth after birth, these deluded men, not attaining Me, further sink down to the lowest level, O Arjuna.

Verse 21

त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः।कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत्।।16.21।।

Desire, wrath, and greed - these are the three gateways to Naraka, ruinous to the self. Therefore, one should abandon these three.

Verse 22

एतैर्विमुक्तः कौन्तेय तमोद्वारैस्त्रिभिर्नरः।आचरत्यात्मनः श्रेयस्ततो याति परां गतिम्।।16.22।।

One who has been released from these three gates of darkness, O Arjuna, works for the benefit of the self; thus, they reach the supreme state.

Verse 23

यः शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारतः।न स सिद्धिमवाप्नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम्।।16.23।।

He who, abandoning the injunctions of the Sastras, acts under the influence of desire, attains neither perfection nor pleasure, nor the supreme state.

Verse 24

तस्माच्छास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ।ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रविधानोक्तं कर्म कर्तुमिहार्हसि।।16.24।।

Therefore, let the Sastra be your authority for determining what should be done and what should not be done. Knowing what is enjoined in the injunctions of the Sastra, you should perform work here.

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Verses

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