Yoga through Discerning the Divine and Demoniac Natures

The Blessed Lord said: Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in knowledge and yoga, almsgiving, control of the senses, sacrifice, study of scriptures, austerity, and straightforwardness.

The Lord made a mention of the three kinds of Nature that belong to sentient beings, viz., the nature of the gods, Asuras and Rakshasas, in the ninth discourse (verses 12 and 13). He now describes them in detail in this discourse. The distinction between the god or the godman and the Asuras is clearly drawn in the first, second, third and fourth verses. Daivi Prakriti or the nature of the gods leads to Moksha or release from the round of birth and death. The nature of the Asuras and Rakshasas leads to bondage. This is an obstacle to the attainment of knowledge of the Self. The divine nature must be accepted and cultivated the Asuric and Rakshasic nature should be abandoned. All these alities are found in human beings. There are Sattvic people who possess the divine attributes there are Asuras and Rakshasas among human beings also, who are endowed with demoniacal alities, who are filled with excessive Tamas. In an ordinary man there is a mixture of the three Gunas. Tamas and Rajas pull a man downwards Sattva lifts a man upwards. Tamas and Rajas lead to bondage Sattva helps to attain salvation. Discipline yourself and develop Sattva This is the foundation of Yoga. This is the first preparatory discipline. The first rung in the spiritual ladder is reached by developing Sattva. When the mind is Sattvic, thee is calmness in it

Harmlessness, truth, absence of anger, renunciation, peacefulness, absence of crookedness, compassion for beings, non-covetousness, gentleness, modesty, and absence of fickleness.

Ahimsa Noninjury in thought, word and deed. By refraining from injuring living creatures the outgoing forces of Rajas are curbed. Ahimsa is divided into physical, verbal and mental.Satyam Truth Speaking of things as they are, without uttering unpleasant words or lies. This includes selfrestraint, absence of jealousy, forgiveness, patience, endurance and kindness.Akrodhah Absence of anger when insulted, ruked or beaten, i.e., even under the gravest provocation.Tyagah Renunciation -- literally, giving up giving up of Vasanas, egoism and the fruits of action. Charity is also Tyaga. This has already been mentioned in the previous verse.Santih Serenity of the mind.Apaisunam Absence of narrowmindedness.Daya Compassion to those who are in distress. A man of compassion has a tender heart. He lives only for the benefit of the world. Compassion indicates realisation of unity or oneness with other creatures.Aloluptvam Noncovetousness

Vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence of hatred, absence of pride—these belong to one born for a divine state, O Arjuna.

Tejas Vigour, energy, brilliance or lustre of the skin. The aspirant who is bent on attaining salvation marches boldly on the spiritual path. Nothing can tempt him or slacken his progress. This unbroken progress towards the realisation of the Self or the Absolute is lustre. It overcomes the downward pull of Tamas.Kshama Forgiveness. He who is endowed with this virtue does not exhibit anger even when he is insulted, ruked or beaten, although he is strong enough to take vengeance. He is unaffected by the insult or injury.Dhriti The sage absorbs within himself all calamities. He is steadfast even when he is in very adverse and trying conditions this is a particular Sattvic Vritti or state of mind which removes depression or exhaustion of the body and senses when they sink down. An aspirant who is endowed with this divine attribute never gets disheartened, even when he is under severe trials and difficulties or tribulations. Dhriti is a divine pickmeup (tonic) when the body and the senses are in a state of low spirits or dejection.Saucham Purity. This is of two kinds, viz., external and internal. External purity is achieved by means of earth and water

Hypocrisy, arrogance, and self-conceit, anger, harshness, and ignorance—these belong to one who is born for a demoniacal state, O Partha.

Dambha Hypocrisy. To pretend to be what one is not, to pretend to be religious and pious. It consists of bragging of ones own greatness. Religious hypocrisy is the worst form of hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is a mixture of deceit and falsehood. Those who boast about their own merits will get demerit only.Darpa Arrogance. Pride of learning, wealth, high connection, etc. An arrogant man cannot endure to see his fellowmen happy. He is more and more enraged at the fortune of his fellowmen in the matter of learning, happiness and prosperity.Parushyam (in speech) To speak of the blind as having lotuslike eyes, of the ugly as beautiful, of a man of low birth as one of high birth and so on, usually with an ulterior, selfish or evil motive.Ajnanam Ignorance, misconception of ones duties. An ignorant man is blind as to what should be done and what should not be done. There is absence of discrimination. Just as a child will put anything it gets in its hands into its mouth, whether it is clean or dirty, so also is the condition of the ignorant man who is not able to discriminate between the Real and the unreal, the good and the evil, virtue and vice. He is on the path of destruction. He does not know the road that leads to Moskha or liberation. He is drowned in the ocean of this worldly existence.These are the six demonical alities. These evil alities constitute the satanic or demonical wealth

The divine nature is deemed conducive to liberation, and the demonic to bondage. Grieve not, O Arjuna, for you are born with divine endowments.

Sampat Endowment, wealthy state, nature, virtue.Moksha Liberation from the bondage of Samsara, release from the round of birth and death. The,divine nature leads to salvation the demoniacl nature, to bondage.As Arjuna was already griefstricken and dejected, Lord Krishna assures him not to feel alarmed at this description of the Asuric alities which bring grief and delusion, as he was born with Sattvic tendencies, leading towards salvation. Arjuna, on hearing the words of Lord Krishna, might have thought within himself, Do I possess divine nature or demoniacal nature The Lord, in order to remove Arjuna's doubt, said, Grieve not, O Arjuna, thou art born with divine alities. Thou art fortunate. Thou mayest attain to the happiness of Selfrealisation.Do not think, O Arjuna, that by engaging yourself in battle and killing people you will become an Asura. Grieve not on this score. You will establish the kingdom of righteousness by fighting this righteous battle.

There are two types of beings in this world: the divine and the demoniacal. The divine has been described at length; hear from Me, O Arjuna, about the demoniacal.

The two divisions of created beings, the one divine and the other satanic, carry on their respective activities in accordance with their natural tendencies or traits.In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad also you will find Verily there are two classes of the Creators creatures -- gods and demons (I.3.1).Bhutasargau Creations of beings, types or classes of creatues. Creation here means what is created. The men who are created with the two kinds of nature, the divine and the demonical, are here mentioned as the two creations. Every man in this world comes under the one or the other of the two creations, the divine and the demoniacal.Lord Krishna says to Arjuna, I will now describe to thee the characteristics of those men who are endowed with the devilish alities. If you have an understanding of the demoniacal alities, you will avoid them. The demoniacal nature is described in detail to the very end of this discourse.There is some reference in chapter IX, verses 9, 11 and 12, to the demoniacal nature but as the description is incomplete it is completed in this discourse.The divine nature has been declared in detail by the blessed Lord in the previous chapters -- the state of a Sthitaprajna in chapter II, the state of a Bhagavata in chapter XII and the state of a Trigunatita in chapter XIV and in the first three verses of this discourse.

The demoniacal do not know what to do and what to refrain from; they have neither purity, nor right conduct, nor truth.

The demoniacal do not understand the nature of action and inaction (right abstinence). The idea of a Self apart from the body, doing nothing (actionless) but imply watching the play of the Gunas is something incomprehensible to them. They have no consideration for the interest of others. They work for the sake of their bodies or sensual enjoyment. They are greedy, selfish and cruel. Therefore, they have neither good conduct nor good behaviour. They are untruthful, unjust and impure. They do not know what actions they should do in order to attain the goal of life or end of human existence, nor from what actions they should refrain to ward off,evil.Those who are endowed with demoniacal alities are sunk in the mire of ignorance. They are totally ignorant of what is prescribed or what is prohibited action. They have not the least idea of what purity or cleanliness is. Their actions are crooked. They know neither right Pravritti nor right Nivritti. They have no idea of virtue or vice or of scriptural injunctions or prohibitions. They will never speak loving words. They are hypocrites and liars.

They say, "This universe is without truth, without a moral basis, without a God, brought about by mutual union, with lust as its cause; what else?"

They hold that the universe is without any substratum or support or an undying basic reality.This is a description of the opinion of atheists like the Charvakas and other materialists. They do not believe in the existence of Brahman Who is the support of this world. They do not even accept the existence of an Isvara in this world. They say We are unreal. Therefore this world also is unreal, the scriptures which declare the truth are also unreal. What else but lust can be the cause of this universe Sexual passion is the sole cause of all living creatures. There is no such thing as the theory of Karma. The whole world is caused by the mutual union of man and woman under the impulse of lust. There is neither virtue nor vice. There is no Lord Who dispenses the fruits of actions of the individuals according to virtue and vice. Dharma and Adharma are not the basis of this world. Sexual desire is the sole basis for this universe. This world is a world of chance. They are not endowed with the faculty of introspection. They are ignorant of the field (Nature) and knower of the field (God).Mutual union Sexual union it may mean the union of atoms. The world arose from the combination of atoms according to the Vaiseshikas.

Holding this view, these ruined souls of small intellect and fierce deeds come forth as enemies of the world, intent on its destruction.

They rob others. They acire wealth by destroying others. They boast of their evil actions.Nashtatmanah Ruined souls They have lost all chances of attaining Selfrealisation or going to the higher world.Alpabuddhayah They have a small intellect as they identify themselves with their little bodies full of impurities, as they have no conception of the Supreme Beign, and as their intellects are concerned with the little sensual pleasures only (eating, drinking, etc.).Ugrakarmanah Of fierce deeds They always injure others. They murder for aciring wealth. They do any heinous crime to get money and women. They bring great confusion and destroy the peace and harmony of the world.Enemies of the world World here means people who live in the world.

Filled with insatiable desires, full of hypocrisy, pride, and arrogance, holding evil ideas due to delusion, they work with impure intentions.

These soulless malevolent persons perform cruel and sinful actions. Their minds are saturated with vanity, conceit and arrogance. They entertain in their minds unholy resolves and unreasonable ideas. They harbour insatiable desires in their hearts. Just as a monkey becomes more and more intoxicated if wine if given to it, so also the older they grow the more and more arrogant and lustful do they become. They cause the ruin and death of those around them. They boast of their own actions and treat others with great contempt. They are very much attached to their bodies. They worship their bodies. Their passion is boundless. They are stupid and obstinate and so they have no firm determination.Desire is insatiable like fire. Enjoyment cannot bring about satisfaction of the desires. The more you enjoy, the stronger does the desire become. After an object is enjoyed, there springs up a desire to continue the enjoyment for ever. You take recourse to all sorts of devices to preserve the objects.Although a man is not righteous he pretends to be a man of righteousness. This is hypocrisy. Although a man is not worthy of being honoured, he claims to be so. This is Mana (pride). There is false dignity. Although a man does not possess great things he superimposes them on himself. This is Mada.These Asuras make impure resolves

Giving themselves over to immeasurable cares that end only with death, regarding the gratification of lust as their highest aim, and feeling sure that that is all.

They are beset with immense cares, worries and anxieties and their minds are engrossed in aciring and preserving the countless sensual objects. They have got the strong conviction that the sensual enjoyment is the highest end of a man. They are steeped in enjoying the objects of the senses. They firmly believe that that is everything. They believe that sensual enjoyment is the supreme source of happiness and there is no such thing as eternal bliss of the soul or transcendental bliss of the Self. They have no belief in the happiness in another world (or plane) or in the perennial bliss which is independent of sensual objects, which is beyond the reach of the senses. They have a dull and gross intellect, and so they cannot grasp the subtle higher truth. Sensual enjoyment is the greatest object of attainment for them.

Bound by a hundred ties of hope, given over to lust and anger, they strive to obtain hoards of wealth by unlawful means for sensual enjoyment.

They murder people and rob them of their wealth in order to have sensual enjoyments. They amass wealth for sensepleasure only, but not for doing righteous actions. They have no mercy. They are very cruel. They are held in bondage by a hundred ties of expectation. They harbour in their hearts a craving for all kinds of sensual objects. Various sorts of desires crop up in their mind. When their desires are not gratified they become furious. They acire wealth by unjust means. Hope or expectation binds a man to the wheel of Samsara.,Therefore hope is likened to a cord or a rope. There is no end to their cravings. Though they possess enormous wealth their cravings are not appeased. They multiply daily. These people become hopeless victims of greed.

"I have gained this today; I will fulfill this desire of mine; this is mine, and this wealth will be mine in the future."

I will be able to acire all that the world possesses. Then I will be the lord of all wealth. No one will be eal to me on the surface of this earth.In future Next year this wealth also shall be mine. I will be known to the world as a man of immense wealth. People will address me as my lord.These demons (who think like this) become selfconceited on account of their wealth. Their heads are swollen with pride. They regard everyone else as worthless as straw. Pride of wealth destroyes their power of discrimination. They strive for happiness but they never obtain it. They are entangled in the meshes of Maya. They are wedded to sin and misry here and hereafter.

"I have slain that enemy, and I shall slay others too. I am the Lord; I enjoy, I am perfect, powerful, and happy."

I will be the lord of all I survey. I will kill everyone who will not serve me. In fact I am the lord of all creation. I will be successful in all my undertakings. I have got plenty of landed property, cattle and immense wealth. I have got plenty of children and grandchildren. Even Indra is not eal to me. I am not an ordinary man. I am very powerful, strong, healthy and happy in every respect.In this verse there is a description of the vain imaginations of the people of demoniacal nature.

"I am wealthy and born into a noble family. Who is my equal? I shall perform sacrifices, give charity, and rejoice," thus deluded by ignorance.

Kubera (the god of wealth) may be wealthy, but he cannot be compared with me. Even Vishnu Himself does not possess the wealth that I possess. In comparison with my illustrious family and the extent of my relations even Brahma is indeed of inferior descent. They are as nothing when compared with me. Who then is there in the whole world eal to meWellborn Born in a family learned in the scriptures for seven generations. None is eal to me in this respect. I will do may sacrificial rites to get name and fame. None is eal to me in this respect also. I will give money and presents to those who entertain me with dance, music and songs in praise of me. None is eal to me in charity (giving) also. I will indulge in eating, drinking and women.

Bewildered by many fancies, entangled in the snare of delusion, addicted to the gratification of lust, they fall into a foul hell.

Just as a man utters many incoherent words when he gets delirium or high fever, so also these diabolical men prattle about their desires, sensual enjoyment, etc. They commit,countless sins and so they fall into a foul hell such as the Vaitarani. Delusion is a snare because those who are deluded are entrapped. They are caught like fish in the meshes of the net of delusion. They are enveloped by the net on four sides. They are bewildered as to what to do first and what next. As they are enveloped or covered by delusion, they are bewildered in various ways by entertaining various evil thoughts. They have no discrimination between the proper or beneficial and improper or harmful Sadhanas. The lack of the knowledge of the distinction between these two is Moha. As Mohas is a veil and a cause of bondage it is compared to a net.All the alities mentioned above lead to downfall.

Self-conceited, stubborn, filled with pride and intoxication of wealth, they perform sacrifices in name only for ostentation, contrary to scriptural ordinances.

They are puffed up with unbounded pride. They esteem themselves very highly. They are not esteemed or honoured as such by the righteous or pious persons. They have a very high opinion of their own greatness. They esteem themselves as possessed of all the virtuous attributes. They are not humble. They have no humility or meekness. Their minds are entirely filled with a sense of their own importance. They treat others with contempt. They think that others are inferior to them. They never bend their heads and make prostrations to elders or superiors or spiritual teachers and monks. They stand erect like a pillar or iron post, intoxicated as they are with the wine of wealth. They pretend to perform Yajnas.They do not care for an altar, a sacrifical bower or a receptacle for the fire, or any of the proper materials to be used in the sacrifices. They do not pay any attention to the prescribed rules. They do sacrifices in order to increase their own fame. They will not hear even the mentioning of the name of God or Brahmana. How can God or a Brahmana attend their sacrifices They perform sacrifices without paying attention to the several parts of them and the obligations enjoined in the scriptural ordinances such as the recitation of the Mantras, worship of the gods, giving of the fees, etc. They will not do the sacrifices with reverence and faith

Given over to egoism, power, haughtiness, lust, and anger, these malicious people hate Me in their own bodies and in the bodies of others.

They are selfsufficient and puffed up with mental and material power. They pose too much. They resent it much if they are belittled. The body is dearer to them than everything else. They live solely for it. If anybody tries to thwart their plans or schemes they become bitterly hostile towards him. They take vengeance on him and try to kill him mercilessly. They are extremely meanminded. Just as darness seems to be denser after night sets in, so also as their,folly increases, their arrogance grows, their egoism develops, their pride swells, and their delusion augments day by day. They use brutal force to gain their selfish ends. They abuse and illtreat all those people who are truthful and charitable, and who are devoted to Me.Ahamkaram Egoism The selfarrogating principle, the effect or modification of ignorance. This is the source of all the defects and perversities in human nature and of all evil actions. Lust, anger, greed, pride and hypocrisy are all attendants of egoism. It is very difficult to overcome this dire enemy, but through Vichara (right enquiry) it can be annihilated.These Asuras who are very egoistic on account of their deep ignorance esteem themselves very highly for the alities they possess and for those which they falsely superimpose upon themselves

Those cruel haters, the worst among men in the world, I hurl those evil-doers into the wombs of demons only.

Now listen to the manner in which I deal with all these demoniacal persons who injure people and who take delight in killing people and animals and who hate Me, the indweller of all bodies. I deprive them of their human state and reduce them to a lower condition as subhuman creatures. I hurl them into the wombs of the most cruel beings such as tigers, lions, scorpions, snakes and the like. For ever only means till they purify their hearts. There is no such thing as eternal damnation.Tan Those The enemies of those who tread the path of righteousness and the haters of virtuous persons.Naradhaman Worst among men because they are guilty of the wors evil deeds and they take delight in injuring virtuous persns and in killing persons and animals ruthlessly.Asurishu yonishu Wombs of Asuras Wombs of the most cruel beings such as tigers, lions and the like.

Entering into demoniacal wombs and deluded, birth after birth, they do not attain Me, thus falling, O Arjuna, into a condition still lower than that.

These degraded Asuras are cast into the demoniacal wombs. They are reduced to the very lowest condition or the most appalling state. They are cast into utter darkness. They fall into lower and yet lower wombs in response to their own satanic desires and actions and their extreme Tamasic nature. From the birth of a tiger, they will get the birth of a serpent from a serpents they will get the birth of a wormfrom that they will get the birth of a tree, etc. In Sanskrit the suffix Tara denotes comparative degree and Tama is superlative degree. These people get Nikrishtatama Yonis (the lowest wombs).They do not reach Me as their minds are filled with impurities, as they do not tread the path of righteousness in accordance with the injunctions of the scriptures. The diabolical nature is inimical to spiritual progress. Therefore, you will have to annihilate the evil tendencies by cultivating divine alities and the practice of regular meditation. Then and only then will you attain liberation.

There are three gates to this hell, destructive of the self: lust, anger, and greed; therefore, one should abandon these three.

Lust, anger and greed, -- these highway robbers will cause a man to fall into the dark abyss of hell, misery or grief. These are the three fountainheads of misery. These three constitute the gateway leading to the lowest of hells. These are the enemies of peace, devotion and knowledge. When these evil modifications of the mind arise in it, man loses his balance or poise and discrimination and commits various evil actions.Lust, anger and greed denote selfblindness and ignorance, for there are no Vasanas, wants, anger, or greed in Brahman or the pure immortal Self.Narakasya dvaram The gate to hell The gate leading to hell. The self is destroyed by merely entering at the gate, i.e., it is not fit to do any right exertion to attain the goal of life.As this gate causes selfdestruction, let everyone renounce these three. (Cf.III.47)In the next verse the man who has abandoned these three evils is highyl eulogised.

A person who is liberated from these three gates of darkness, O Arjuna, practices what is beneficial for them and thus goes to the Supreme Goal.

When these gates to hell are abandoned, the path to salvation is made clear for the aspirant. He gets the company of sages, which leads to liberation. He gets spiritual instructions and practises them. He hears the scriptures, reflects, meditates and attains Selfrealisation.Tamodvara Gate to darkness leading to hell which is full of pain and delusion.

He who, having cast aside the ordinances of the scriptures, acts under the impulse of desire, does not attain perfection, nor happiness, nor the Supreme Goal.

He who does not care for the Self, who gives free rein to these three sins, is a traitor to the Self. He who has renounced the authority of the Vedas which, like a mother, is eally disposed and kind to all, and which, like a beaconlight, points out what is good and what is evil, does not attain perfection nor happiness nor the Supreme Goal. He who pays no attention to prescribed actions and follows the promptings of desire awakened by the senses, does not obtain God.

Therefore, let the scripture be thy authority in determining what ought to be done and what ought not to be done. Having known what is said in the ordinance of the scriptures, thou shouldst act in this world.

He who desires the welfare of the Self should not disregard the ,nds of the scriptures. A man who is anxious to obtain eternal bliss should respect the Vedas and the Smritis which lay down the code of right conduct. He should readily renounce whatever the scriptures teach him to abandon and accept whatever he is directed to accept.He who is thus entirely devoted to the Vedas cannot meet with misfortune, grief or delusion. No mother is more kind than the scriptures for they restrain us from doing evil and bestow on us the greatest good (liberation or Moksha). Therefore treat the scriptures with great respect. Renounce all that the scriptures prohibit. Whatever is worthy of being done, that thou shouldst do thoroughly with all thy heart and all thy strength.