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.
CHAPTER XVI. "T2. Ils
. final emancipation, demoniac for bondage. Grieve not, O descendant of Bharata ! you are born to godlike endowments. (There are) two classes of created beings in this world, the godlike and the demoniac : the godlike (class) has been described at length ; now hear from me, O son of Prîthâ! about the demoniac. Demoniac persons know not action or inaction*, neither purity nor yet (correct) conduct nor veracity are in them. They say the universe is devoid of truth, devoid of fixed principle4, and devoid of a ruler, produced by union (of male and female) caused by lust5, and nothing else. Holding this view, (these) enemies of the world, of ruined ‘ selfs, of little knowledge, and of ferocious actions, are born for the destruction (of the world). Entertaining insatiable desire, full of vanity, ostentatiousness, and frenzy, they adopt false notions” through delusion, and engage in unholy observances. Indulging in boundless thoughts ending with death’, given up to the enjoyment of objects of desire, being resolved that that is all, bound down by nets of hopes in hundreds, given up to anger and desire, they wish to obtain heaps of wealth unfairly for enjoying objects of desire. ‘This have I obtained to-day ; this wish I will obtain ; this wealth is mine; and this also shall be mine; this foe I have killed; others too I will destroy; I am lord, I am the enjoyer, I am perfect 1, strong, happy; I have wealth; I am of noble birth; who else is like me? I will sacrifice?; I will make gifts ; I will rejoice.’ Thus deluded by ignorance, tossed about by numerous thoughts, surrounded by the net of delusion, and attached to the enjoyment of objects of desire, they fall down into impure hell. Honoured (only) by themselves, void of humility, and full of the pride and frenzy of wealth, these calumniators (of the virtuous) perform sacrifices, which are sacrifices only in name, with ostentatiousness and against prescribed rules*; indulging (their) vanity, brute force, arrogance, lust, and anger ; and hating me in their own bodies and in those of others‘. These enemies‘, ferocious, meanest of men, and unholy, I continually hurl down to these worlds*, only into demoniac wombs. Coming into demoniac wombs, deluded in every birth, they go down to the vilest state, O son of Kunti! without ever coming to me. Threefold is this way to hell,— ruinous to the self 1,—lust, anger, and likewise avarice; therefore one should abandon this triad. Released from these three ways to darkness, O son of Kunti! a man works out his own salvation, and then proceeds to the highest goal. He who abandoning scripture ordinances, acts under the impulse of desire, does not attain perfection, nor happiness, nor the highest goal. Therefore in discriminating between what should be done and what should not be done, your authority (must be) scripture. And knowing what is declared by the ordinances of scripture, you should perform action in this world.
* Scil. to birth and death in this world. * What should be done for the attainment of real good, and what should not be done as productive of mischief. See too p. 125.
* Le. contains nothing that is entitled to belief, as the Vedas, &c.
* No principle based on virtue and vice in the government of the world. ° They do not believe in any unseen cause, but say the lust of mankind is the cause of the universe. $ I.e. who have none of the means of reaching the next world.
7 Such as that by propitiating a certain divinity by a certain rite they may obtain treasure and so forth.
8 Till their last moments, thinking of making new acquisitions and preserving old ones. 102
CHAPTER XVI. "T2. Ils
final emancipation, demoniac for bondage. Grieve not, O descendant of Bharata! you are born to godlike endowments. There are two classes of created beings in this world, the godlike and the demoniac: the godlike class has been described at length; now hear from me, O son of Prîthâ! about the demoniac. Demoniac persons know not action or inaction; neither purity nor correct conduct nor veracity are in them. They say the universe is devoid of truth, devoid of fixed principle4, and devoid of a ruler, produced by union of male and female caused by lust5, and nothing else. Holding this view, these enemies of the world, of ruined selves, of little knowledge, and of ferocious actions, are born for the destruction of the world. Entertaining insatiable desire, full of vanity, ostentatiousness, and frenzy, they adopt false notions through delusion, and engage in unholy observances. Indulging in boundless thoughts ending with death, given up to the enjoyment of objects of desire, being resolved that that is all, bound down by nets of hopes in hundreds, given up to anger and desire, they wish to obtain heaps of wealth unfairly for enjoying objects of desire. 'This have I obtained to-day; this wish I will obtain; this wealth is mine, and this also shall be mine; this foe I have killed, others too I will destroy; I am lord, I am the enjoyer, I am perfect 1, strong, happy; I have wealth; I am of noble birth; who else is like me? I will sacrifice; I will make gifts; I will rejoice.' Thus deluded by ignorance, tossed about by numerous thoughts, surrounded by the net of delusion, and attached to the enjoyment of objects of desire, they fall down into impure hell. Honoured only by themselves, void of humility, and full of the pride and frenzy of wealth, these calumniators of the virtuous perform sacrifices — sacrifices only in name — with ostentatiousness and against prescribed rules; indulging their vanity, brute force, arrogance, lust, and anger, and hating me in their own bodies and in those of others. These enemies, ferocious, meanest of men, and unholy, I continually hurl down into these worlds, only into demoniac wombs. Coming into demoniac wombs, deluded in every birth, they go down to the vilest state, O son of Kunti! without ever coming to me. Threefold is this way to hell — ruinous to the self 1 — lust, anger, and likewise avarice; therefore one should abandon this triad. Released from these three ways to darkness, O son of Kunti! a man works out his own salvation, and then proceeds to the highest goal. He who abandons scripture ordinances and acts under the impulse of desire does not attain perfection, nor happiness, nor the highest goal. Therefore in discriminating between what should be done and what should not be done, your authority must be scripture. And knowing what is declared by the ordinances of scripture, you should perform action in this world.
* That is, to birth and death in this world. * What should be done to attain real good, and what should not be done because it leads to harm. See also p. 125.
* That is, contains nothing that is entitled to belief, as the Vedas, etc.
* No principle based on virtue and vice in the government of the world. ° They do not believe in any unseen cause, but say the lust of mankind is the cause of the universe. $ I.e. who have none of the means of reaching the next world.
7 Such as that by propitiating a certain divinity through a certain rite they may obtain treasure and so forth.
8 Till their last moments, thinking of making new acquisitions and preserving old ones. 102