Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 16 of 18

Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga

दैवासुरसम्पद्विभागयोग — The Divine and Demonic Natures · 24 verses

Summary

Krishna contrasts divine qualities — fearlessness, purity, generosity, self-control, truthfulness, non-violence, compassion and humility — with demonic ones: hypocrisy, arrogance, anger, harshness and ignorance. The divine qualities lead to freedom, the demonic to bondage. Lust, anger and greed are the three gates to self-destruction, and scripture should guide one’s actions.

Key themes

Divine and demonic qualities
The three gates of self-destruction
Guidance of scripture

All 24 verses

Sanskrit, transliteration and English meaning for every verse.

Transliteration Meaning

16.1 · Krishna

अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिर्ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिः ।
दानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्यायस्तप आर्जवम् ॥
abhayaṃ sattvasaṃśuddhirjñānayogavyavasthitiḥ |
dānaṃ damaśca yajñaśca svādhyāyastapa ārjavam ||
The Lord said: Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in the yoga of knowledge, generosity, self-restraint, sacrifice, study of scripture, austerity, straightforwardness —
16.2 · Krishna

अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्यागः शान्तिरपैशुनम् ।
दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम् ॥
ahiṃsā satyamakrodhastyāgaḥ śāntirapaiśunam |
dayā bhūteṣvaloluptvaṃ mārdavaṃ hrīracāpalam ||
— non-violence, truthfulness, freedom from anger, renunciation, tranquillity, refraining from slander, compassion for all beings, freedom from greed, gentleness, modesty, steadiness —
16.3 · Krishna

तेजः क्षमा धृतिः शौचमद्रोहो नातिमानिता ।
भवन्ति संपदं दैवीमभिजातस्य भारत ॥
tejaḥ kṣamā dhṛtiḥ śaucamadroho nātimānitā |
bhavanti saṃpadaṃ daivīmabhijātasya bhārata ||
— vigour, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, freedom from malice and from excessive pride: these belong to one born with the divine endowment, Bharata.
16.4 · Krishna

दम्भो दर्पोऽभिमानश्च क्रोधः पारुष्यमेव च ।
अज्ञानं चाभिजातस्य पार्थ संपदमासुरीम् ॥
dambho darpo’bhimānaśca krodhaḥ pāruṣyameva ca |
ajñānaṃ cābhijātasya pārtha saṃpadamāsurīm ||
Hypocrisy, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness and ignorance belong to one born with the demonic (asuric) endowment, son of Pritha.
16.5 · Krishna

दैवी संपद्विमोक्षाय निबन्धायासुरी मता ।
मा शुचः संपदं दैवीमभिजातोऽसि पाण्डव ॥
daivī saṃpadvimokṣāya nibandhāyāsurī matā |
mā śucaḥ saṃpadaṃ daivīmabhijāto’si pāṇḍava ||
The divine endowment leads to liberation, the demonic to bondage. Do not grieve, son of Pandu: you are born with the divine endowment.
16.6 · Krishna

द्वौ भूतसर्गौ लोकेऽस्मिन्दैव आसुर एव च ।
दैवो विस्तरशः प्रोक्त आसुरं पार्थ मे शृणु ॥
dvau bhūtasargau loke’smindaiva āsura eva ca |
daivo vistaraśaḥ prokta āsuraṃ pārtha me śṛṇu ||
There are two kinds of beings created in this world, the divine and the demonic. The divine has been described at length; now hear from me about the demonic, son of Pritha.
16.7 · Krishna

प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च जना न विदुरासुराः ।
न शौचं नापि चाचारो न सत्यं तेषु विद्यते ॥
pravṛttiṃ ca nivṛttiṃ ca janā na vidurāsurāḥ |
na śaucaṃ nāpi cācāro na satyaṃ teṣu vidyate ||
Demonic people do not know what to take up and what to turn away from. Neither purity nor good conduct nor truth is found in them.
16.8 · Krishna

असत्यमप्रतिष्ठं ते जगदाहुरनीश्वरम् ।
अपरस्परसंभूतं किमन्यत्कामहैतुकम् ॥
asatyamapratiṣṭhaṃ te jagadāhuranīśvaram |
aparasparasaṃbhūtaṃ kimanyatkāmahaitukam ||
They say the world is unreal, without foundation and without God, not brought about by any ordered causation — what else is its cause but desire?
16.9 · Krishna

एतां दृष्टिमवष्टभ्य नष्टात्मानोऽल्पबुद्धयः ।
प्रभवन्त्युग्रकर्माणः क्षयाय जगतोऽहिताः ॥
etāṃ dṛṣṭimavaṣṭabhya naṣṭātmāno’lpabuddhayaḥ |
prabhavantyugrakarmāṇaḥ kṣayāya jagato’hitāḥ ||
Holding this view, these lost souls of small understanding and cruel deeds rise up as enemies of the world, bent on its destruction.
16.10 · Krishna

काममाश्रित्य दुष्पूरं दम्भमानमदान्विताः ।
मोहाद्‌गृहीत्वासद्ग्राहान्प्रवर्तन्तेऽशुचिव्रताः ॥
kāmamāśritya duṣpūraṃ dambhamānamadānvitāḥ |
mohād‌gṛhītvāsadgrāhānpravartante’śucivratāḥ ||
Clinging to insatiable desire, full of hypocrisy, pride and arrogance, seizing on false notions through delusion, they act with impure resolves.
16.11 · Krishna

चिन्तामपरिमेयां च प्रलयान्तामुपाश्रिताः ।
कामोपभोगपरमा एतावदिति निश्चिताः ॥
cintāmaparimeyāṃ ca pralayāntāmupāśritāḥ |
kāmopabhogaparamā etāvaditi niścitāḥ ||
Beset by boundless anxieties that end only with death, they hold the gratification of desire as the highest aim, convinced that this is all there is.
16.12 · Krishna

आशापाशशतैर्बद्धाः कामक्रोधपरायणाः ।
ईहन्ते कामभोगार्थमन्यायेनार्थसञ्चयान् ॥
āśāpāśaśatairbaddhāḥ kāmakrodhaparāyaṇāḥ |
īhante kāmabhogārthamanyāyenārthasañcayān ||
Bound by hundreds of cords of hope, given over to lust and anger, they strive to amass wealth by unjust means for the enjoyment of their desires.
16.13 · Krishna

इदमद्य मया लब्धमिमं प्राप्स्ये मनोरथम् ।
इदमस्तीदमपि मे भविष्यति पुनर्धनम् ॥
idamadya mayā labdhamimaṃ prāpsye manoratham |
idamastīdamapi me bhaviṣyati punardhanam ||
They think: “This I have gained today, and this wish I will fulfil. This wealth is mine, and more will be mine as well.
16.14 · Krishna

असौ मया हतः शत्रुर्हनिष्ये चापरानपि ।
ईश्वरोऽहमहं भोगी सिद्धोऽहं बलवान्सुखी ॥
asau mayā hataḥ śatrurhaniṣye cāparānapi |
īśvaro’hamahaṃ bhogī siddho’haṃ balavānsukhī ||
That enemy I have killed, and I will kill others too. I am the lord, I am the enjoyer; I am successful, powerful and happy.
16.15 · Krishna

आढ्योऽभिजनवानस्मि कोऽन्योऽस्ति सदृशो मया ।
यक्ष्ये दास्यामि मोदिष्य इत्यज्ञानविमोहिताः ॥
āḍhyo’bhijanavānasmi ko’nyo’sti sadṛśo mayā |
yakṣye dāsyāmi modiṣya ityajñānavimohitāḥ ||
I am wealthy and well-born. Who else is like me? I will perform sacrifices, I will give, I will rejoice.” Deluded by ignorance in this way —
16.16 · Krishna

अनेकचित्तविभ्रान्ता मोहजालसमावृताः ।
प्रसक्ताः कामभोगेषु पतन्ति नरकेऽशुचौ ॥
anekacittavibhrāntā mohajālasamāvṛtāḥ |
prasaktāḥ kāmabhogeṣu patanti narake’śucau ||
— led astray by many thoughts, caught in the net of delusion and addicted to sensual pleasures, they fall into a foul hell.
16.17 · Krishna

आत्मसंभाविताः स्तब्धा धनमानमदान्विताः ।
यजन्ते नामयज्ञैस्ते दम्भेनाविधिपूर्वकम् ॥
ātmasaṃbhāvitāḥ stabdhā dhanamānamadānvitāḥ |
yajante nāmayajñaiste dambhenāvidhipūrvakam ||
Self-important and stubborn, intoxicated with wealth and pride, they perform sacrifices in name only, out of hypocrisy and without regard for the prescribed rules.
16.18 · Krishna

अहंकारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं च संश्रिताः ।
मामात्मपरदेहेषु प्रद्विषन्तोऽभ्यसूयकाः ॥
ahaṃkāraṃ balaṃ darpaṃ kāmaṃ krodhaṃ ca saṃśritāḥ |
māmātmaparadeheṣu pradviṣanto’bhyasūyakāḥ ||
Given over to egoism, force, arrogance, lust and anger, these spiteful people hate me, who dwell in their own bodies and in the bodies of others.
16.19 · Krishna

तानहं द्विषतः क्रुरान्संसारेषु नराधमान् ।
क्षिपाम्यजस्रमशुभानासुरीष्वेव योनिषु ॥
tānahaṃ dviṣataḥ krurānsaṃsāreṣu narādhamān |
kṣipāmyajasramaśubhānāsurīṣveva yoniṣu ||
These cruel and hateful people, the lowest of humankind, I cast again and again into the cycle of rebirth, into demonic wombs alone.
16.20 · Krishna

आसुरीं योनिमापन्ना मूढा जन्मनि जन्मनि ।
मामप्राप्यैव कौन्तेय ततो यान्त्यधमां गतिम् ॥
āsurīṃ yonimāpannā mūḍhā janmani janmani |
māmaprāpyaiva kaunteya tato yāntyadhamāṃ gatim ||
Entering demonic wombs, deluded birth after birth, they never reach me, son of Kunti, and so they sink to the lowest state.
16.21 · Krishna · key verse

त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः ।
कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत् ॥
trividhaṃ narakasyedaṃ dvāraṃ nāśanamātmanaḥ |
kāmaḥ krodhastathā lobhastasmādetattrayaṃ tyajet ||
Desire, anger and greed — these are the three gates of hell that destroy the self. Therefore, give up these three.
16.22 · Krishna

एतैर्विमुक्तः कौन्तेय तमोद्वारैस्त्रिभिर्नरः ।
आचरत्यात्मनः श्रेयस्ततो याति परां गतिम् ॥
etairvimuktaḥ kaunteya tamodvāraistribhirnaraḥ |
ācaratyātmanaḥ śreyastato yāti parāṃ gatim ||
A person released from these three gates of darkness, son of Kunti, does what is truly good for himself, and so reaches the highest goal.
16.23 · Krishna

यः शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारतः ।
न स सिद्धिमवाप्नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम् ॥
yaḥ śāstravidhimutsṛjya vartate kāmakārataḥ |
na sa siddhimavāpnoti na sukhaṃ na parāṃ gatim ||
One who casts aside the injunctions of scripture (shastra) and acts on the impulse of desire attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the highest goal.
16.24 · Krishna

तस्माच्छास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ ।
ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रविधानोक्तं कर्म कर्तुमिहार्हसि ॥
tasmācchāstraṃ pramāṇaṃ te kāryākāryavyavasthitau |
jñātvā śāstravidhānoktaṃ karma kartumihārhasi ||
Therefore let scripture be your authority in deciding what should and should not be done. Knowing what the injunctions of scripture prescribe, you should do your work here in this world.

Reading counter

Today0

All time0