BhagavadGita Part16

DIVINE AND DEMONIC QUALITIES

A list of major divine qualities that should be cultivated for salvation

The Supreme Lord said: Fearlessness, purity of the inner psyche, perseverance in the yog of Self-knowledge, charity, sense-restraint, sacrifice, study of the scriptures, austerity, honesty; nonviolence, truthfulness, absence of anger, renunciation, calmness, abstinence from malicious talk, compassion for all creatures, freedom from greed, gentleness, modesty, absence of fickleness, splendor, forgiveness, fortitude, cleanliness, absence of malice, and absence of pride --- these are the (twenty-six) qualities of those endowed with divine virtues, O Arjun. (16.01-03)

A list of demonic qualities that should be given up before spiritual journey can begin

O Arjun, the marks of those who are born with demonic qualities are: Hypocrisy, arrogance, pride, anger, harshness, and ignorance. (16.04) Divine qualities lead to salvation (Moksh); the demonic qualities are said to be for bondage. Do not grieve, O Arjun, you are born with divine qualities. (16.05) 

There are only two types of human beings, the wise and the ignorant

Basically, there are only two types or castes of human beings in this world: The divine, and the demonic. The divine has been described at length. Now hear from Me about the demonic, O Arjun. (16.06) Persons of demonic nature do not know what to do and what not to do. They have neither purity nor good conduct nor truthfulness. (16.07) They say that the world is unreal, without a substratum, without a God, and without an order. The world is caused by sexual union of man and woman alone and nothing else. (16.08) Adhering to this wrong, atheistic view, these degraded souls --- with small intellect and cruel deeds --- are born as enemies for the destruction of the world. (16.09) Filled with insatiable desires, hypocrisy, pride, and arrogance; holding wrong views due to delusion; they act with impure motives. (16.10) Obsessed with endless anxiety lasting until death, considering sense gratification their highest aim, and convinced that sense pleasure is everything; (16.11) 

Bound by hundreds of ties of desire and enslaved by lust and anger, they strive to obtain wealth by unlawful means to fulfill sensual pleasures. They think: (16.12) This has been gained by me today; I shall fulfill this desire; I have this much wealth and will have more wealth in the future; (16.13) that enemy has been slain by me, and I shall slay others also. I am the lord. I am the enjoyer. I am successful, powerful, and happy; (16.14)

I am rich and born in a noble family. Who is equal to me? I shall perform sacrifice, I shall give charity, and I shall rejoice. Thus deluded by ignorance, (16.15) bewildered by many fancies, entangled in the net of delusion, addicted to the enjoyment of sensual pleasures, they fall into a foul hell. (16.16) Self-conceited, stubborn, filled with pride and intoxication of wealth, they perform sacrifice (charity,Yajn) only in name, for show, and not according to scriptural injunction. (16.17) These malicious people cling to egoism, power, arrogance, lust, and anger; and hate Me who dwells in their own bodies and those of others. (16.18) 

Suffering is the destiny of the ignorant

I hurl these haters, cruel, sinful, and mean people into the cycles of rebirth in the womb of demons again and again. (16.19) O Arjun, entering the wombs of demons, birth after birth, the deluded ones sink to the lowest hell without ever attaining Me. (16.20)

Lust, anger, and greed are the three gates to hell

Lust, anger, and greed are the three gates of hell leading to the downfall (or bondage) of the individual. Therefore, one must (learn to) give up these three. (16.21) One who is liberated from these three gates of hell, O Arjun, does what is best and consequently attains the supreme abode. (16.22) 

One must follow the scriptural injunctions

One who acts under the influence of his or her desires, disobeying scriptural injunctions, neither attains perfection nor happiness nor the supreme abode. (16.23) Therefore, let the scripture be your authority in determining what should be done and what should not be done. You should perform your duty following the scriptural injunction. (16.24)