Bhagavad Gita Chapter 16
(Compiled notes)
Note: This is a series of study notes from the translation of Bhagavad Gita by Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada (ISKCON founder) and titled as "Bhagvad Gita as it is". The copyright and content is that of Prabhupada & publishers. My part is simply distilling the knowledge from my self study and notes to share here in simple abridged form.
Daivasuri Gyan Yoga - Yoga of Divine and Demonic Natures
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16.1 - Godly people have 26 qualities.
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Top 3 are - (BTC) - boldness, truthfulness, compassion. They create conditions for the rest.
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Note the Lord puts boldness or fearlessness ( अभयं ) as the first quality.
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On the other hand, here are some qualities of demoniac people
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16.4 - दम्भो दर्पोऽभिमानश्च क्रोध: पारुष्यमेव च । अज्ञानं चाभिजातस्य पार्थ सम्पदमासुरीम् ॥ ४ ॥
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demonic people are full of ego (arrogance, pride), anger, unkind behavior and full of ignorance
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16.8 - असत्यमप्रतिष्ठं ते जगदाहुरनीश्वरम् । अपरस्परसम्भूतं किमन्यत्कामहैतुकम् ॥ ८ ॥
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demonic people say world is unreal, w/o reason, godless, mix of chems, for sex pleasure only
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one would observe that is widespread in todays world, from billboards to books to literature this idea is full.
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16.9 - एतां दृष्टिमवष्टभ्य नष्टात्मानोऽल्पबुद्धय: । प्रभवन्त्युग्रकर्माण: क्षयाय जगतोऽहिता: ॥ ९ ॥
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the demonic, accepting this view indulge in harmful, intense acts (thoughts, words, actions)
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16.10 - काममाश्रित्य दुष्पूरं दम्भमानमदान्विता: । मोहाद्गृहीत्वासद्ग्राहान्प्रवर्तन्तेऽशुचिव्रता: ॥ १० ॥
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they are driven by lust ego arrogance and do lowly unclean acts
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16.12-15 - demonic people devise new ways of boosting ego, anger, lust, malice thinking it will bring them happiness but in the end they are inevitably full of anxiety
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16.18 - अहङ्कारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं च संश्रिता: । मामात्मपरदेहेषु प्रद्विषन्तोऽभ्यसूयका: ॥ १८ ॥
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blinded by ego, lust, anger they become envious of Me.
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(remember the acts of Kamsa, Sisupal, even Duryodhan who tried to 'arrest' the Lord)
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अभ्यसूयका: = envious = ( x अनसूय )
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16.19 - तानहं द्विषत: क्रूरान्संसारेषु नराधमान् । क्षिपाम्यजस्रमशुभानासुरीष्वेव योनिषु ॥ १९ ॥
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those envious ones, the lowest of humans, I perpetually throw in wombs of low demonic species
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16.20 - आसुरीं योनिमापन्ना मूढा जन्मनि जन्मनि । मामप्राप्यैव कौन्तेय ततो यान्त्यधमां गतिम् ॥ २० ॥
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those fools in low wombs birth after birth are then never able to reach Me
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this is how the demonic cause their own ruination and are lost forever from divine grace
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16.23-24:
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Q- Under what guidance and how should one work?
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A- The safest, simplest, fastest path to the Lord to be in mode of goodness, practice spiritual discipline according to scriptural injunctions and above all surrender the ego at the Lords' holy feet. Then the grace of Lord will gradually follow.
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Obviously one has to avoid the pitfalls of demonic nature as listed above.
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More of this discussion is continued in Chap 17
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My chosen verse from this chapter:
असत्यमप्रतिष्ठं ते जगदाहुरनीश्वरम् ।
अपरस्परसम्भूतं किमन्यत्कामहैतुकम् ॥ 16.8 ॥
demonic people say world is unreal, without a reason, godless, mix of chems, for sex pleasure only
This verse is especially suited to the modern times. Especially the atheistic, godless, materialistic mindset that prevails -- one would observe that is widespread in todays world, from billboards to books to literature this idea is full. This pride and arrogance of the so called modern civilization riding on the back of handful of scientific and technical advancements, is a highly disrespectful attitude of the primal force of the Lord. As a result there is widespread distrust, worries, stress, anxieties and quarrel in every sphere. This is a suicidal mentality that eventually will lead to the destruction of the planet if not checked in time. And the simple solution is to go back to the vedic principles as taught by Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita.
