Bg 16.6
dvau bhūta-sargau loke ’smin daiva āsura eva ca
daivo vistaraśaḥ prokta āsuraṁ pārtha me śṛṇu
Bg 16.7
pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ
na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāro na satyaṁ teṣu vidyate
Bg 16.8
asatyam apratiṣṭhaṁ te jagad āhur anīśvaram
aparaspara-sambhūtaṁ kim anyat kāma-haitukam
Translation
6. There are two types of beings, in this world, the 'divine' and the 'demoniacal; ' the divine have been described at length; hear from Me, O Partha, of the demoniacal.
7. The demoniac know not what to do and what to refrain from; neither purity, nor right conduct, nor truth is found in them.
8. They say, "the universe is without truth, without (moral) basis, without a God; not brought about by any regular causal sequence, with lust for its cause; what else? "
Commentary
According to Krishna the entire creation falls under two categories: the 'Divinely Good' (Daivic) and the 'Diabolically Fallen' (Asuric). But in fact, there is yet another group, the 'Incorrigibly Indifferent' (Rakshasic) about whom the Lord is serenely silent. This silence regarding them is perhaps more eloquent than all his eloquence regarding the other two groups! Religions and the techniques of self-development are addressed only to the former two groups and not to the Rakshasic type of men. They have not yet sufficiently grown in their evolution; they are still in the hands of the moulding Nature and they have yet to be properly baked in the furnace-of-life and its scorching experiences. As they grow up sufficiently, they come under the category of the "Diabolically Fallen," and religion can come forward to lift them to the status of the "Divinely Good." From then onwards it can show them the way to experience and realise the Absolute Goodness which is the Eternal Reality.
If all about the Asura type was given in a broad sketch earlier, (XVI-4) the details are being filled in elaborately in the following stanzas.
In almost all religious text-books of the world, the positive qualities of goodness and righteousness are glorified. But they rarely paint, exhaustively, the negative tendencies in a devilish personality. Some critics of Hinduism are jubilant in discovering this tendency in our scriptural texts as a great weakness in our prophets and seers. This criticism against Hinduism was levelled mainly by the critics of the nineteenth century. They are very silent nowadays because of the results of the twentieth century psychological researches and the success of some of the psychiatric methods. To become poignantly aware of the negative tendencies in one's own personality-structure, and to become consciously disgusted with those vulgar urges, are the ways of easily eradicating such wrong tendencies from one's inner nature. Be aware of a weakness; it readily disappears from our character --- says the modern psychiatrist.
The bad is not merely an opposite of the good. It can never be that the good has certain urges and the bad has another type of urges. Human urges are always typical, and both the good and the bad are expressions of man's heart. Bad is only "GOOD MISCONSTRUED." Therefore, in the enumeration of the qualities of the bad, we do not have to meet with a sapless list of the opposites of the previous enumeration which pointed the good. As we discover the contents of the bad mind, we shall discover that they are all the very same as those of the good, but mis-applied under a wrong enthusiasm created as a result of some false evaluations. Virtue, poisoned with ignorance is evil; evil, treated and cured of its poison, when it regains its health, becomes virtue.
THUS THE VERY FIRST STANZA WHICH PAINTS THE ASURIC TYPE OPENS, AS IT WERE, WITH AN APOLOGY FOR THE 'DIABOLICALLY FALLEN,' ALONG WITH A POWERFUL SUGGESTION ELICITING OUR MOST TENDER KINDNESS TOWARDS THEM:
WHAT TO DO AND WHAT TO REFRAIN FROM --- The men of Asuric nature know not either 'action' or 'inaction.' Here 'action' means any intelligent piece of work undertaken and pursued with a right motive so as to gain for ourselves a better inner satisfaction.
Religious acts, selfless work and dedicated service are all examples of right actions whereby the individual gains not only immediate profits, but also the ultimate inner heightening of culture; for he will then be working without losing sight of his Higher Goal. 'Inaction' here means forbidding ourselves from striving in the right channels, and that can bring about only restlessness for ourselves and for others. The list enumerating the negative tendencies of the 'fallen' starts with the idea of 'ignorance.' This is very significant. If any one commits a crime in 'ignorance,' though justice may not accept it as an excuse, the heart of the society will readily discover a tender forgiveness for the erring soul.
NEITHER PURITY NOR RIGHT CONDUCT NOR TRUTH IS FOUND IN THEM --- Outer cleanliness is, to a large measure, a reflection of the inner condition. A disciplined man with education and culture alone can, in fact, maintain a systematic order and cleanliness around him.
One who is incapable of deciding the actions to be pursued as well as those to be avoided by him, has no harmony within; and therefore, there is no inner purity, or outer cleanliness (shaucha), for such an individual. If the mind is indisciplined there cannot be a decent, and well-regulated life, since outward behaviour (Achara) is nothing but an expression of the mind. Therefore, Krishna indicates that in them good conduct is conspicuous by its absence.
He who is confused about 'action' and 'inaction,' who has no purity, or external cleanliness, and who fails in good conduct, cannot maintain TRUTHFULNESS in his words. All through, if you read these terms very carefully in the spirit in which the Divine Charioteer has given them out you will find in them a divine tenderness for such 'Diabolically Fallen' folks. There is no revengefulness for the sinner anywhere, even hinted at, in the entire length of the Geeta. It is a logical conclusion that such a man must necessarily be untruthful in words, not because he is deliberately pursuing dishonesty, but because by temperament he is incapacitated to be honest.
MOREOVER:
In the description of the 'Diabolically Fallen,' we recognise the picture of an utterly sceptical materialist who looks at life from his own limited intellectual standpoint, and who, naturally, fails to recognise any final purpose or permanent substratum for this seemingly confusing array of illogical happenings. Such materialists, however, have stalwart intellects and are capable of original and independent thinking, but they have to be a wee bit trained, to see something beyond what their general observation and analysis can discover for them. The materialist view-point of life and the world are explained in the stanza.
WITHOUT TRUTH (Asatyam) --- Even when they are very scientific in their observation and analysis, the materialists fail to recognise the Truth that upholds the Universe. They recognise change, and the constant change itself is accepted by them as the world, without having for it any steady and changeless substratum. At the same time, scientists admit that change is a relative phenomenon and without a changeless, constant foundation, change cannot take place and give us the impression of continuity. Without a screen, steady and motionless, a running film cannot be projected; without a constant bed, the waters of the rivers cannot flow continuously. The everchanging universe cannot give us a constant APPEARANCE without its having a steady and changeless 'foundation.' This eternal and unchanging Reality behind the ever-changing Universe is called the Truth. According to the materialist, "the Universe is without Truth (Asatyam)."
WITHOUT A LORD: (An-Ishwaram) --- There is no substratum; at least, is there a commanding intelligence that orders, regulates, and generally guides the happenings in the world? According to the materialist there is no such Director of Events, no Architect of Happenings. There is no Creator, no Sustainer.
NOT BROUGHT ABOUT IN REGULAR SEQUENCE --- The entire universe of beings and things is formed only as a result of mutual combinations of the great elements and the sole ruling factor that determines Creation is "chance"; and the only deciding urge, propelled by which beings are born, is nothing but 'lust.' Even modern psychologists insist that the sex urge alone is the mother urge because of which everything is happening, every achievement is gained and every profit is made everywhere in life.
Sources: vedabase.com; The Holy Geeta
dvau bhūta-sargau loke ’smin daiva āsura eva ca
daivo vistaraśaḥ prokta āsuraṁ pārtha me śṛṇu
Bg 16.7
pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ
na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāro na satyaṁ teṣu vidyate
Bg 16.8
asatyam apratiṣṭhaṁ te jagad āhur anīśvaram
aparaspara-sambhūtaṁ kim anyat kāma-haitukam
Translation
6. There are two types of beings, in this world, the 'divine' and the 'demoniacal; ' the divine have been described at length; hear from Me, O Partha, of the demoniacal.
7. The demoniac know not what to do and what to refrain from; neither purity, nor right conduct, nor truth is found in them.
8. They say, "the universe is without truth, without (moral) basis, without a God; not brought about by any regular causal sequence, with lust for its cause; what else? "
Commentary
According to Krishna the entire creation falls under two categories: the 'Divinely Good' (Daivic) and the 'Diabolically Fallen' (Asuric). But in fact, there is yet another group, the 'Incorrigibly Indifferent' (Rakshasic) about whom the Lord is serenely silent. This silence regarding them is perhaps more eloquent than all his eloquence regarding the other two groups! Religions and the techniques of self-development are addressed only to the former two groups and not to the Rakshasic type of men. They have not yet sufficiently grown in their evolution; they are still in the hands of the moulding Nature and they have yet to be properly baked in the furnace-of-life and its scorching experiences. As they grow up sufficiently, they come under the category of the "Diabolically Fallen," and religion can come forward to lift them to the status of the "Divinely Good." From then onwards it can show them the way to experience and realise the Absolute Goodness which is the Eternal Reality.
If all about the Asura type was given in a broad sketch earlier, (XVI-4) the details are being filled in elaborately in the following stanzas.
In almost all religious text-books of the world, the positive qualities of goodness and righteousness are glorified. But they rarely paint, exhaustively, the negative tendencies in a devilish personality. Some critics of Hinduism are jubilant in discovering this tendency in our scriptural texts as a great weakness in our prophets and seers. This criticism against Hinduism was levelled mainly by the critics of the nineteenth century. They are very silent nowadays because of the results of the twentieth century psychological researches and the success of some of the psychiatric methods. To become poignantly aware of the negative tendencies in one's own personality-structure, and to become consciously disgusted with those vulgar urges, are the ways of easily eradicating such wrong tendencies from one's inner nature. Be aware of a weakness; it readily disappears from our character --- says the modern psychiatrist.
The bad is not merely an opposite of the good. It can never be that the good has certain urges and the bad has another type of urges. Human urges are always typical, and both the good and the bad are expressions of man's heart. Bad is only "GOOD MISCONSTRUED." Therefore, in the enumeration of the qualities of the bad, we do not have to meet with a sapless list of the opposites of the previous enumeration which pointed the good. As we discover the contents of the bad mind, we shall discover that they are all the very same as those of the good, but mis-applied under a wrong enthusiasm created as a result of some false evaluations. Virtue, poisoned with ignorance is evil; evil, treated and cured of its poison, when it regains its health, becomes virtue.
THUS THE VERY FIRST STANZA WHICH PAINTS THE ASURIC TYPE OPENS, AS IT WERE, WITH AN APOLOGY FOR THE 'DIABOLICALLY FALLEN,' ALONG WITH A POWERFUL SUGGESTION ELICITING OUR MOST TENDER KINDNESS TOWARDS THEM:
WHAT TO DO AND WHAT TO REFRAIN FROM --- The men of Asuric nature know not either 'action' or 'inaction.' Here 'action' means any intelligent piece of work undertaken and pursued with a right motive so as to gain for ourselves a better inner satisfaction.
Religious acts, selfless work and dedicated service are all examples of right actions whereby the individual gains not only immediate profits, but also the ultimate inner heightening of culture; for he will then be working without losing sight of his Higher Goal. 'Inaction' here means forbidding ourselves from striving in the right channels, and that can bring about only restlessness for ourselves and for others. The list enumerating the negative tendencies of the 'fallen' starts with the idea of 'ignorance.' This is very significant. If any one commits a crime in 'ignorance,' though justice may not accept it as an excuse, the heart of the society will readily discover a tender forgiveness for the erring soul.
NEITHER PURITY NOR RIGHT CONDUCT NOR TRUTH IS FOUND IN THEM --- Outer cleanliness is, to a large measure, a reflection of the inner condition. A disciplined man with education and culture alone can, in fact, maintain a systematic order and cleanliness around him.
One who is incapable of deciding the actions to be pursued as well as those to be avoided by him, has no harmony within; and therefore, there is no inner purity, or outer cleanliness (shaucha), for such an individual. If the mind is indisciplined there cannot be a decent, and well-regulated life, since outward behaviour (Achara) is nothing but an expression of the mind. Therefore, Krishna indicates that in them good conduct is conspicuous by its absence.
He who is confused about 'action' and 'inaction,' who has no purity, or external cleanliness, and who fails in good conduct, cannot maintain TRUTHFULNESS in his words. All through, if you read these terms very carefully in the spirit in which the Divine Charioteer has given them out you will find in them a divine tenderness for such 'Diabolically Fallen' folks. There is no revengefulness for the sinner anywhere, even hinted at, in the entire length of the Geeta. It is a logical conclusion that such a man must necessarily be untruthful in words, not because he is deliberately pursuing dishonesty, but because by temperament he is incapacitated to be honest.
MOREOVER:
In the description of the 'Diabolically Fallen,' we recognise the picture of an utterly sceptical materialist who looks at life from his own limited intellectual standpoint, and who, naturally, fails to recognise any final purpose or permanent substratum for this seemingly confusing array of illogical happenings. Such materialists, however, have stalwart intellects and are capable of original and independent thinking, but they have to be a wee bit trained, to see something beyond what their general observation and analysis can discover for them. The materialist view-point of life and the world are explained in the stanza.
WITHOUT TRUTH (Asatyam) --- Even when they are very scientific in their observation and analysis, the materialists fail to recognise the Truth that upholds the Universe. They recognise change, and the constant change itself is accepted by them as the world, without having for it any steady and changeless substratum. At the same time, scientists admit that change is a relative phenomenon and without a changeless, constant foundation, change cannot take place and give us the impression of continuity. Without a screen, steady and motionless, a running film cannot be projected; without a constant bed, the waters of the rivers cannot flow continuously. The everchanging universe cannot give us a constant APPEARANCE without its having a steady and changeless 'foundation.' This eternal and unchanging Reality behind the ever-changing Universe is called the Truth. According to the materialist, "the Universe is without Truth (Asatyam)."
WITHOUT A LORD: (An-Ishwaram) --- There is no substratum; at least, is there a commanding intelligence that orders, regulates, and generally guides the happenings in the world? According to the materialist there is no such Director of Events, no Architect of Happenings. There is no Creator, no Sustainer.
NOT BROUGHT ABOUT IN REGULAR SEQUENCE --- The entire universe of beings and things is formed only as a result of mutual combinations of the great elements and the sole ruling factor that determines Creation is "chance"; and the only deciding urge, propelled by which beings are born, is nothing but 'lust.' Even modern psychologists insist that the sex urge alone is the mother urge because of which everything is happening, every achievement is gained and every profit is made everywhere in life.
Sources: vedabase.com; The Holy Geeta
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