Chapter 16

Krishna. Fearlessness, singleness of soul, the will Always to strive for wisdom; opened hand And governed appetites; and piety, And love of lonely study; humbleness, Uprightness, heed to injure nought which lives, Truthfulness, slowness unto wrath, a mind That lightly letteth go what others prize; And equanimity, and charity Which spieth no man's faults; and tenderness Towards all that suffer; a contented heart, Fluttered by no desires; a bearing mild, Modest, and grave, with manhood nobly mixed, With patience, fortitude, and purity; An unrevengeful spirit, never given To rate itself too high;--such be the signs, O Indian Prince! of him whose feet are set On that fair path which leads to heavenly birth!

Krishna. The signs are fearlessness, purity of heart, and the resolve to keep seeking wisdom. They include generosity, self-control, devotion, and a love of solitary study. They include humility, honesty, care not to harm any living thing, truthfulness, and being slow to anger. Such a person readily lets go of what others value. The signs also include calmness and a generous spirit that finds fault with no one. They include compassion for all who suffer, and a contented heart unsettled by no desires. Such a person is gentle, modest, and dignified, yet also shows noble courage, patience, inner strength, and purity. Such a person does not seek revenge or think too highly of himself. These are the signs, O Indian Prince, of someone whose feet are set on the beautiful path that leads to heavenly birth!

Deceitfulness, and arrogance, and pride, Quickness to anger, harsh and evil speech, And ignorance, to its own darkness blind,-- These be the signs, My Prince! of him whose birth Is fated for the regions of the vile.³²

Deceit, arrogance, and pride, A quick temper, harsh and evil speech, And ignorance blind to its own darkness. These are the signs, my Prince, of someone born To be destined for the realms of the wicked.³²

The Heavenly Birth brings to deliverance, So should'st thou know! The birth with Asuras Brings into bondage. Be thou joyous, Prince! Whose lot is set apart for heavenly Birth.

A heavenly birth leads to liberation. Know this! Birth among the Asuras leads to bondage. Be joyful, Prince! You are destined for a heavenly birth.

Two stamps there are marked on all living men, Divine and Undivine; I spake to thee By what marks thou shouldst know the Heavenly Man, Hear from me now of the Unheavenly!

Two kinds of traits mark all people, Divine and ungodly. I have told you How to recognize a divine person. Now listen as I describe an ungodly person!

They comprehend not, the Unheavenly, How Souls go forth from Me; nor how they come Back unto Me: nor is there Truth in these, Nor purity, nor rule of Life. "This world Hath not a Law, nor Order, nor a Lord," So say they: "nor hath risen up by Cause Following on Cause, in perfect purposing, But is none other than a House of Lust." And, this thing thinking, all those ruined ones-- Of little wit, dark-minded--give themselves To evil deeds, the curses of their kind. Surrendered to desires insatiable, Full of deceitfulness, folly, and pride, In blindness cleaving to their errors, caught Into the sinful course, they trust this lie As it were true--this lie which leads to death-- Finding in Pleasure all the good which is, And crying "Here it finisheth!"

The Unheavenly do not understand How souls come from me or how they return To me. They have no truth, No purity, and no rules for living. "This world Has no law, no order, and no Lord," They say. "Nor did it arise through causes, Each following another, with a perfect purpose. It is nothing but a house of lust." Thinking this way, all those ruined people, With little understanding and darkened minds, devote themselves To evil deeds. They are a curse on their own kind. They surrender to desires that can never be satisfied, Full of deceit, foolishness, and pride. They blindly cling to their errors and are caught In a sinful way of life. They believe this lie As if it were true, though the lie leads to death. They see pleasure as the only good, And cry, "Here it all ends!"

Ensnared In nooses of a hundred idle hopes, Slaves to their passion and their wrath, they buy Wealth with base deeds, to glut hot appetites; "Thus much, to-day," they say, "we gained! thereby Such and such wish of heart shall have its fill; And this is ours! and th' other shall be ours! To-day we slew a foe, and we will slay Our other enemy to-morrow! Look! Are we not lords? Make we not goodly cheer? Is not our fortune famous, brave, and great? Rich are we, proudly born! What other men Live like to us? Kill, then, for sacrifice! Cast largesse, and be merry!" So they speak Darkened by ignorance; and so they fall-- Tossed to and fro with projects, tricked, and bound In net of black delusion, lost in lusts-- Down to foul Naraka. Conceited, fond, Stubborn and proud, dead-drunken with the wine Of wealth, and reckless, all their offerings Have but a show of reverence, being not made In piety of ancient faith. Thus vowed To self-hood, force, insolence, feasting, wrath, These My blasphemers, in the forms they wear And in the forms they breed, my foemen are, Hateful and hating; cruel, evil, vile, Lowest and least of men, whom I cast down Again, and yet again, at end of lives, Into some devilish womb, whence--birth by birth-- The devilish wombs re-spawn them, all beguiled; And, till they find and worship Me, sweet Prince! Tread they that Nether Road.

Trapped In the snares of a hundred empty hopes, Enslaved by passion and anger, they gain Wealth through wicked deeds to satisfy their burning desires. "Today," they say, "we gained this much! With it, We will satisfy this or that desire. This is ours! And that will be ours! Today we killed one enemy. Tomorrow we will kill Our other enemy! Look! Aren't we masters? Don't we enjoy ourselves? Isn't our fortune famous, splendid, and great? We are rich and well-born! Who else Lives like us? Kill, then, for sacrifice! Give generously, and be merry!" So they speak, Their minds darkened by ignorance. And so they fall, Pulled between their plans, deceived, and trapped In a net of dark delusion, lost in lust, Down into foul Naraka. Vain, foolish, Stubborn and proud, utterly drunk on Wealth, and reckless, they make offerings That only appear reverent. Their offerings are not made With the devotion of the ancient faith. So devoted To selfishness, force, arrogance, feasting, and anger, These people insult me in their own bodies And in the bodies they bring into being. They are my enemies, Hateful and full of hate, cruel, evil, vile, The lowest and least of humanity. I cast them down Again and again, when their lives end, Into some demonic womb. From there, birth after birth, Demonic wombs give birth to them again, still utterly deceived. And until they find and worship me, dear Prince, They walk that road to the underworld.

The Doors of Hell Are threefold, whereby men to ruin pass,-- The door of Lust, the door of Wrath, the door Of Avarice. Let a man shun those three! He who shall turn aside from entering All those three gates of Narak, wendeth straight To find his peace, and comes to Swarga's gate.

There are three doors to hell Through which men pass to ruin: The door of lust, the door of anger, the door Of greed. Let a man avoid all three! Anyone who turns away from entering All three gates of Narak goes straight To find his peace and reaches Swarga's gate.

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HERE ENDETH CHAPTER XVI. OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, Entitled "Daivasarasaupadwibhagayog," Or "The Book of the Separateness of the Divine and Undivine."

Here ends Chapter XVI of the Bhagavad-Gita, Titled "Daivasarasaupadwibhagayog," Or "The Book of the Distinction Between the Divine and the Undivine."