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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

"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…

"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…

"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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…