The Bhagavadgîtâ, with the Sanatsugâtîya and the Anugîtâ — SBE Vol. 8 (trans. K. T. Telang, 1882)
The translator’s English as printed (K. T. Telang). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
(are made up of) the three qualities. Goodness is the match of goodness, and passion is the match of goodness; and goodness is also the match of passion, and darkness the match of goodness. Where darkness is restrained, passion there prevails. Where passion is restrained, goodness there prevails¹. Darkness should be understood to consist in obscurity. It has three qualities², and is called delusion. Its characteristic is also impiety, and it is constant in sinful actions. This is the nature of darkness ; it also appears combined (with others). Passion is said to consist in activity, and is the cause of successive (acts). When it prevails, its characteristic, among all beings, appears to be production’. Light, lightness⁴, faith, such is stated to be the nature of goodness (prevailing) among all beings, as accepted by good men. The true nature of their characteristics, in aggregation and separation, will now be stated together with the reasons; learn those accurately. Delusion, ignorance, want of liberality, indecision about actions’, sleep, haughtiness’, fear, avarice, grief, finding fault with good acts, want of memory’, immaturity (of intellect), nihilism 4, violation of (the rules of) conduct, want of discrimination ?, blindness, behaviour of the lowest quality, pride of performance without (actual) performance, pride of knowledge without (actual) knowledge, unfriendliness, evil disposition, want of faith, deluded convictions, want of straightforwardness, want of knowledge, sinful action, want of knowledge (of the subtle principle), stolidity 7, lassitude, want of self-restraint, going into inferior ways ; all these qualities, O Brâhmaṇas! are celebrated as being dark. And whatever other states of mind, connected with delusion, are found in various places in this world, all these are dark qualities. Constant talk in disparagement of gods, Brâhmaszas and Vedas, want of liberality, vanity, delusion *, anger, want of forgiveness likewise, and also animosity towards people, this is considered to be dark conduct. Whatever vain! actions (there are), and whatever vain gifts, and vain eating, that is considered to be dark conduct. Reviling, and want of forgiveness, animosity, vanity, want of faith also, this is considered to be dark conduct. And whatever such people there are in this world, doers of sinful acts, who break through (all) regulations, they are all held to be dark. I will state the wombs appointed for these (men) of sinful actions. They go to the hell, (namely) the brute (species), to be born in the lower hell?; (or become) the immovable entities ?, animals, beasts of burden, demons, and serpents, and worms, insects, birds, and also creatures born from eggs, and all quadrupeds, and idiots, deaf and dumb men, and whatever others are attacked by diseases generated by sin‘. These dark, evilconducted men, who are sunk in darkness, who bear the marks of their own actions, the current of whose (thoughts) is downwards ®, sink into darkness. I will now proceed to state their improvement and ascent; how, becoming men of meritorious actions, they attain to the worlds of those who perform good actsf. Resorting to a contrary” (course of life), and growing old in (good) actions 8, they exert themselves, and through the ceremonies (performed for them) by benevolent Brahmavas devoted to their own duties, they go upwards to the same world (as the Brdhmazas)—the heaven of the gods. Such is the Vedic text. Resorting to a contrary’ (course of life), and growing old in their own duties, they become men in this world whose nature is to return ?. Coming to a sinful womb, as Kazdalas*, or deaf, or lisping men, they attain to higher and higher castes in order ; going beyond the Stidra womb, and (beyond) whatever other dark qualities there are which abide in the quality of darkness‘ in the current (of this world). Attachment to objects of desire is laid down to be the great delusion. There, sages and saints and gods become deluded, wishing for pleasure. Darkness®, delusion, the great delusion, the great obscurity called anger, and death the blinding obscurity ; anger is called the great obscurity. I have now duly described to you, O Brâhmaṇas! this quality of darkness, in full and accurately with reference to its nature, and also its qualities, and also its source. Who, indeed, understands this properly; who, indeed, perceives this properly? The definition of the essence of darkness is, that one sees the real in what is unreal. The qualities of darkness have been described to you in many ways. And darkness in its higher and lower! (forms) has been accurately stated. The man who always understands these qualities gets rid of all dark qualities.
upholding, says Arguna Misra, as the total absence of one would lead to the absence of the others also; attending=becoming subordinate to whichever of them is dominant for the time being; joined=so as to become one organic whole. Cf. as to all this, Yoga-sûtra II, 18, and commentary, p. 101; Sânkhya-kârikâ, Kârikâ 12, with Vâkaspati Misra’s comments on it.
1 Cf. GitA, p. 108, and the quotation in the Sankhyatattvakaumudi, p. 64.
2 Le. characteristics, viz. obscurity (which seems to stand for ignorance), delusion (which is false knowledge), and impiety (doing that which is known to be sinful and wrong).
8 The original means, according to Nîlakaṇṭha, wrong, unlawful conduct. As to all this cf. Santi Parvan (Moksha), chap. 194, st. 29.
4 T.e. apparently perpetually doing something. Cf. Gita, p. 108.
5 Cf. as to this, and generally also, Sankhya-karika 13, and commentary of Vâkaspati Misra (p. 64). The blazing upwards of fire is said to illustrate the lightness of the quality of goodness which belongs to fire.
(are made up of) the three qualities. Goodness is the match of goodness, and passion is the match of goodness; and goodness is also the match of passion, and darkness the match of goodness. Where darkness is restrained, passion there prevails. Where passion is restrained, goodness there prevails¹. Darkness should be understood to consist in obscurity. It has three qualities², and is called delusion. Its characteristic is also impiety, and it is constant in sinful actions. This is the nature of darkness; it also appears combined (with others). Passion is said to consist in activity, and is the cause of successive acts. When it prevails, its characteristic, among all beings, appears to be production¹. Light, lightness⁴, faith—such is stated to be the nature of goodness prevailing among all beings, as accepted by good men. The true nature of their characteristics, in aggregation and separation, will now be stated together with the reasons; learn those accurately. Delusion, ignorance, want of liberality, indecision about actions¹, sleep, haughtiness¹, fear, avarice, grief, finding fault with good acts, want of memory¹, immaturity of intellect, nihilism⁴, violation of the rules of conduct, want of discrimination¹, blindness, behaviour of the lowest quality, pride of performance without actual performance, pride of knowledge without actual knowledge, unfriendliness, evil disposition, want of faith, deluded convictions, want of straightforwardness, want of knowledge, sinful action, want of knowledge of the subtle principle, stolidity⁷, lassitude, want of self-restraint, going into inferior ways—all these qualities, O Brâhmaṇas! are celebrated as being dark. And whatever other states of mind, connected with delusion, are found in various places in this world, all these are dark qualities. Constant talk in disparagement of gods, Brâhmaszas and Vedas, want of liberality, vanity, delusion⁴, anger, want of forgiveness likewise, and also animosity towards people—this is considered to be dark conduct. Whatever vain¹ actions there are, and whatever vain gifts, and vain eating, that is considered to be dark conduct. Reviling, and want of forgiveness, animosity, vanity, want of faith also—this is considered to be dark conduct. And whatever such people there are in this world, doers of sinful acts, who break through all regulations, they are all held to be dark. I will state the wombs appointed for these men of sinful actions. They go to the hell, namely the brute species, to be born in the lower hell²; or become the immovable entities², animals, beasts of burden, demons, and serpents, and worms, insects, birds, and also creatures born from eggs, and all quadrupeds, and idiots, deaf and dumb men, and whatever others are attacked by diseases generated by sin¹. These dark, evil-conducted men, who are sunk in darkness, who bear the marks of their own actions, the current of whose thoughts is downwards⁸, sink into darkness. I will now proceed to state their improvement and ascent; how, becoming men of meritorious actions, they attain to the worlds of those who perform good acts¹. Resorting to a contrary¹ course of life, and growing old in good actions⁸, they exert themselves, and through the ceremonies performed for them by benevolent Brâhmaṇas devoted to their own duties, they go upwards to the same world as the Brâhmaṇas—the heaven of the gods. Such is the Vedic text. Resorting to a contrary¹ course of life, and growing old in their own duties, they become men in this world whose nature is to return². Coming to a sinful womb, as Kazdalas⁴, or deaf, or lisping men, they attain to higher and higher castes in order; going beyond the Stidra womb, and beyond whatever other dark qualities there are which abide in the quality of darkness¹ in the current of this world. Attachment to objects of desire is laid down to be the great delusion. There, sages and saints and gods become deluded, wishing for pleasure. Darkness⁸, delusion, the great delusion, the great obscurity called anger, and death the blinding obscurity; anger is called the great obscurity. I have now duly described to you, O Brâhmaṇas! this quality of darkness, in full and accurately with reference to its nature, and also its qualities, and also its source. Who, indeed, understands this properly; who, indeed, perceives this properly? The definition of the essence of darkness is, that one sees the real in what is unreal. The qualities of darkness have been described to you in many ways. And darkness in its higher and lower¹ forms has been accurately stated. The man who always understands these qualities gets rid of all dark qualities.
upholding, says Arjuna Misra, since the total absence of one would bring about the absence of the others as well; attending=becoming subordinate to whichever of them is dominant at any given time; joined=so as to form one organic whole. Cf. on all this, Yoga-sûtra II, 18, and commentary, p. 101; Sânkhya-kârikâ, Kârikâ 12, with Vâkaspati Misra's comments on it.
1 Cf. GitA, p. 108, and the quotation in the Sankhyatattvakaumudi, p. 64.
2 That is, characteristics, namely obscurity (which appears to stand for ignorance), delusion (which is false knowledge), and impiety (doing what is known to be sinful and wrong).
8 The original means, according to Nîlakaṇṭha, wrong, unlawful conduct. As to all this cf. Santi Parvan (Moksha), chap. 194, st. 29.
4 That is, apparently always in the act of doing something. Cf. Gita, p. 108.
5 Cf. on this point, and more generally, Sankhya-karika 13, and the commentary of Vâkaspati Misra (p. 64). The upward leap of flames is cited to illustrate the lightness that belongs to the quality of goodness, which is a quality of fire.