Bhagavad gita according to gandhi chapter 16

THE BHAGAVD GITAACCORDING TO

GANDHIT K G NAMBOODHIRI

THIRUVALLA, KERALAPresentation adapted from

The Bhagavad Gita According to Gandhi, Orient Paperbacks,2011

T K G Namboodhiri


GANDHI

T K G Namboodhiri

CHAPTER 16

DAIVA ASURA SAMPAD VIBHAGA YOGA


GANDHICHAPTER 16 - Introduction

In this Chapter Lord Krishna talks about the two orders of created beings in the world- the divine & the devilish. Their characteristic behaviours are described. The divine heritage makes for freedom & the devilish for bondage. The Lord assures Arjuna that he belongs to the divine order.

T K G Namboodhiri


GANDHIVerses 16.1 to 16.3

Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in Jnana & yoga- knowledge & action- beneficence, self-restraint, sacrifice, spiritual study, austerity & uprightness.Non-violence, truth, slowness to wrath, the spirit of dedication, serenity, aversion to slander, tenderness to all that lives, freedom from greed, gentleness, modesty, freedom from levity.Spiritedness, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, freedom from ill will & arrogance– these are to be found in one born with the divine heritage, O Bharata.Lord Krishna starts this chapter with an enlistment of the 26 qualities exhibited by one born with a divine heritage & thus qualified to attain spiritual perfection.

T K G Namboodhiri



Pretentiousness, arrogance, self-conceit, wrath, coarseness, ignorance– these are to be found in one with the devilish heritage.The divine heritage makes for freedom; the devilish for bondage. Grieve not O Partha; thou art born with a divine heritage.There are two orders of created beings in the world--- the divine & the devilish; the divine order has been described in detail, hear from Me now of the devilish, O Partha.Lord Krishna now indicates the characteristic of the devilish. He says that the divine heritage leads to Moksha or liberation, while the devilish tendencies lead to more bondage.There are two orders of created beings in this world- the divine & the devilish. The divine order has been described; now hear from Me of the devilish.

T K G Namboodhiri


GANDHIVerses 16.7 & 16.8

Men of the devil do not know what they may do & what they may not; neither purity, nor right conduct, nor truth is to be found in them.“Without truth, without basis, without God is the universe” , they say; “born of the union of the sexes, prompted by naught but lust”.With these verses, Sri Krishna starts describing the people of devilish heritage. Those who lack purity & truthfulness, & whose conduct is not moral are diseased men & women. There can be no disease unless there is mental evil or bodily error. Outwardly they may be clean & their conduct may be moral; but, without truthfulness, it is all as hollow as a drum. Persons of demonic nature say that the entire cosmic manifestation is unreal, with no foundation, without a supreme controller, without cause, & is produced from cohabitation born only of lust.

T K G Namboodhiri



Holding this view, these deprived souls, of feeble understanding & fierce deeds, come forth as enemies of the world to destroy it.Given to insatiable lust, possessed by pretentiousness, arrogance & conceit, they seize wicked purpose in their delusion, & go about pledged to unclean deeds.The devilish consider the gratification of senses as the highest goal of life. They commit dreadful deeds & roam around as enemies of the world & destroy it as much as possible. Pretentious, arrogant & full of conceit, they take up wicked & unclean deeds.

T K G Namboodhiri



Given to boundless cares that end only with their death, making indulgence or lust their sole goal, convinced that that is all.Caught in myriad snares of hope, slave to lust & wrath, they seek unlawfully to amass wealth for the satisfaction of their appetites.Taking satisfaction of lust as the whole purpose of life, these devilish people move around with unending desires, till death takes them away. Driven by lust & anger they try to accumulate wealth by all illicit means for gratifying their senses.

T K G Namboodhiri



This have I gained today; this aspiration shall I now attain; this wealth is mine; this likewise shall be mine hereafter.This enemy I have already slain, others also I shall slay; lord of all am I; enjoyment is mine, perfection is mine, strength is mine, happiness is mine.“wealthy am I, & high born. What other is like unto me? I shall perform a sacrifice! I shall give alms! I shall be merry!” . Thus think they by ignorance deluded.Living in this way, deluded by ignorance, the demonic gamble away their body. We are all full of demonic feelings & suffer because of that. We must strive to the best of our ability to raise ourselves to a higher level.

T K G Namboodhiri



And tossed about by diverse fancies, caught in the net of delusion, stuck deep in the indulgence of appetites into foul hell they fall.Wise in their own conceit, stubborn, full of intoxication of pelf & pride, they offer nominal sacrifices for show, contrary to the rule.Enveloped in a network of illusions & engrossed in gratification of senses, they slide into abominable hell. Sometimes they perform yajnas but this is only a pretext; their real aim is to serve their self interests

T K G Namboodhiri



Given to pride, force, arrogance, lust & wrath they are deriders indeed, scorning Me in their own & in other’s bodies.These cruel scorners, lowest of mankind & vile, I hurl down again, into devilish wombs.Doomed to devilish wombs, these deluded ones, far from ever coming to Me, sink lower & lower in birth after birth.Thus the demonic descend deeper & deeper into lower & lower species of degraded life.

T K G Namboodhiri



Threefold is this gate of hell, leading man to perdition--- Lust, Wrath and Greed; these three, therefore, should be shunned.The man who escapes these three gates of Darkness, O Kaunteya, works out his welfare and thence reaches the highest state.There are three gates leading to the hell– lust, anger & greed. One who keeps himself free from these does not devote himself to the pursuit of worldly happiness, but follows the path of spiritual welfare.

T K G Namboodhiri



He who forsakes the rule of Shastra & does but the bidding of his selfish desires, gain neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the highest state.Therefore let Shastra be thy authority for determining what ought to be done & what not ought to be done; ascertain thou the rule of the Shastra & do thy task here (accordingly).Ending his discourse on divine & demonic impulses, Sri Krishna tells Arjuna that in his internal struggles between divine & demonic impulses, he should be guided always by the Shastras. Shastra means not some books, but shishtachara- example of our holy & fearless forefathers-. In the absence of a Guru, we should be humble by worship of a personal God. If you are humble, you will be saved. If you are humble & sincere, the veils before your eyes will be lifted one after another.

End of Chapter 16.

T K G Namboodhiri

Bhagavad gita according to gandhi chapter 16

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