Chapter 16
Daiv-Āsur-Sampad-Vibhāg-Yoga
Shlok 16.1
Shrī Bhagwān said
अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिर्ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिः।
दानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्यायस्तप आर्जवम्॥
abhayam sattvasanshuddhirjnānayogavyavasthitihi;
dānam damashcha yajnashcha swādhyāyastapa ārjavam.
Fearlessness, purity in thought, steadfastness in wisdom and yoga, charity, self-control, partaking in yagna, scriptural study, practicing austerities, gentleness…
Shlok 16.2
अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्यागः शान्तिरपैशुनम्।
दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम्॥
ahinsā satyamakrodhastyāgah shāntirapaishunam;
dayā bhūteshwaloluptvam mārdavam hrīrachāpalam.
Non-violence, truthfulness, freedom from anger, asceticism, peacefulness, discretion,[104] compassion toward all, freedom from worldly desires, agreeability, modesty, unfrivolity…
Shlok 16.3
तेजः क्षमाधृतिः शौचमद्रोहो नाऽतिमानिता।
भवन्ति सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातस्य भारत॥
tejah kshamā dhrutih shauchamadroho nā’timānitā;
bhavanti sampadam daivīmabhijātasya bhārata.
Vitality, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, and being free of malice and false pride—O Arjun! These are the attributes of those born daivī.[105]
Shlok 16.4
दम्भो दर्पोऽभिमानश्च क्रोधः पारुष्यमेव च।
अज्ञानं चाऽभिजातस्य पार्थ सम्पदमासुरीम्॥
dambho darpo’bhimānashcha krodhah pārushyameva cha;
ajnānam chā’bhijātasya pārtha sampadamāsurīm.
O Arjun! Hypocrisy, arrogance, dehābhimān,[106] anger, indifference, and ignorance—these are the attributes of those who are born āsurī.[107]
Shlok 16.5
दैवी सम्पद्विमोक्षाय निबन्धायाऽऽसुरी मता।
मा शुचः सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातोऽसि पाण्डव॥
daivī sampadvimokshāya nibandhāyā’’surī matā;
māshuchah sampadam daivīmabhijāto’si pāṇḍava.
It is understood that daivī attributes lead toward liberation, whereas āsurī ones result in bondage. Arjun! You are born with daivī virtues; therefore, do not grieve.
Shlok 16.6
द्वौ भूतसर्गौ लोकेऽस्मिन्दैव आसुर एव च।
दैवो विस्तरशः प्रोक्त आसुरं पार्थ मे शृणु॥
dvau bhūtasargau loke’smindaiva āsura eva cha;
daivo vistarashah prokta āsuram pārtha me shruṇu.
O Arjun! There are two types of beings in this world: daivī and āsurī. I have described the virtues of the daivī in detail; now listen to me reveal the attributes of the āsurī.
Shlok 16.7
प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च जना न विदुरासुराः।
न शौचं नाऽपि चाऽऽचारो न सत्यं तेषु विद्यते॥
pravruttim cha nivruttim cha janā na vidurāsurāhā;
na shaucham nā’pi chā’’chāro na satyam teshu vidyate.
Those who are āsurī fail to understand what should and should not be done. They are also not pure, well-behaved, or truthful.
Shlok 16.8
असत्यमप्रतिष्ठं ते जगदाहुरनीश्वरम्।
अपरस्परसम्भूतं किमन्यत्कामहैतुकम्॥
asatyamapratishṭham te jagadāhuranīshwaram;
aparasparasambhūtam kimanyatkāmahaitukam.
They proclaim the world as unreal and without a supporter or controller. They say, “What else is there but that which is born from the union of male and female?” They believe fulfilling desire is the purpose of the world.
Shlok 16.9
एतां दृष्टिमवष्टभ्य नष्टात्मानोऽल्पबुद्धयः।
प्रभवन्त्युग्रकर्माणः क्षयाय जगतोऽहिताः॥
etām drushṭimavashṭabhya nashṭātmāno’lpabuddhayaha;
prabhavantyugrakarmāṇah kshayāya jagato’hitāhā.
These āsurīs, who (1) possess such demonic intellect, (2) have fallen from the path of liberation, and (3) are simple-minded, violent, and malevolent, are born to destroy the world.
Shlok 16.10
काममाश्रित्य दुष्पूरं दम्भमानमदान्विताः।
मोहाद् गृहीत्वाऽसद्ग्राहान् प्रवर्तन्तेऽशुचिव्रताः॥
kāmamāshritya dushpūram dambhamānamadānvitāhā;
mohād gruhītvā’sadgrāhān pravartante’shuchivratāhā.
Possessing insatiable desires, they are filled with hypocrisy, arrogance, and pride. They take impure vows[108] by clenching to false beliefs out of delusion.
Shlok 16.11
चिन्तामपरिमेयां च प्रलयान्तामुपाश्रिताः।
कामोपभोगपरमा एतावदिति निश्चिताः॥
chintāmaparimeyām cha pralayāntāmupāshritāhā;
kāmopabhogaparamā etāvaditi nishchitāhā.
They are filled with an immeasurable fear of death. For them, the gratification of desire is the highest achievement, and they are convinced that it is the entire purpose of life.
Shlok 16.12
आशापाशशतैर्बद्धाः कामक्रोधपरायणाः।
ईहन्ते कामभोगार्थमन्यायेनाऽर्थसञ्चयान्॥
āshāpāshashatairbaddhāh kāmakrodhaparāyaṇāhā;
īhante kāmabhogārthamanyāyenā’rthasanchayān.
Hundreds of ropes of desire bind them. Immersed in lust and anger, they endeavor to hoard wealth through unjust means to gratify their desires.
Shlok 16.13
इदमद्य मया लब्धमिदं प्राप्स्ये मनोरथम्।
इदमस्तीदमपि मे भविष्यति पुनर्धनम्॥
idamadya mayā labdhamidam prāpsye manoratham;
idamastīdamapi me bhavishyati punardhanam.
“I acquired these today, and I will attain these desired things in the future. This wealth is mine, and this will also be mine.”
Shlok 16.14
असौ मया हतः शत्रुर्हनिष्ये चाऽपरानपि।
ईश्वरोऽहमहं भोगी सिद्धोऽहं बलवान्सुखी॥
asau mayā hatah shatrurhanishye chā’parānapi;
īshwaro’hamaham bhogī siddho’ham balavānsukhī.
“I have killed this enemy, and I will kill this other enemy in the future. I am God. I indulge in pleasures. I am successful, strong, and happy.”
Shlok 16.15
आढ्योऽभिजनवानस्मि कोऽन्योऽस्ति सदृशो मया।
यक्ष्ये दास्यामि मोदिष्य इत्यज्ञानविमोहिताः॥
āḍhyo’bhijanavānasmi ko’nyo’sti sadrusho mayā;
yakshye dāsyāmi modishya ityajnānavimohitāhā.
“I am wealthy and highborn. Who else can equal me? I will perform yagnas; I will give; I will rejoice.”[109] They are deluded by ignorance in this way.
Shlok 16.16
अनेकचित्तविभ्रान्ता मोहजालसमावृताः।
प्रसक्ताः कामभोगेषु पतन्ति नरकेऽशुचौ॥
anekachittavibhrāntā mohajālasamāvrutāhā;
prasaktāh kāmabhogeshu patanti narake’shuchau.
Āsurīs, who are bewildered by infinite thoughts, bound by the mesh of ignorance, and infatuated by worldly pleasures, plummet into the vile narak.
Shlok 16.17
आत्मसम्भाविताः स्तब्धा धनमानमदान्विताः।
यजन्ते नामयज्ञैस्ते दम्भेनाऽविधिपूर्वकम्॥
ātmasambhāvitāh stabdhā dhanamānamadānvitāhā;
yajante nāmayajnaiste dambhenā’vidhipūrvakam.
They, who (1) have an inflated sense of self-importance, (2) are haughty, and (3) enveloped with pride because of wealth and arrogance, disregard scriptural ordinances and hypocritically perform sacrifices in name only.
Shlok 16.18
अहङ्कारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं च संश्रिताः।
मामात्मपरदेहेषु प्रद्विषन्तोऽभ्यसूयकाः॥
ahankāram balam darpam kāmam krodham cha sanshritāhā;
māmātmaparadeheshu pradvishanto’bhyasūyakāhā.
They who have sought refuge in arrogance, conceit, pride, lust, and anger are enveloped with resentment and malign me, who pervades their own and others’ bodies.[110]
Shlok 16.19
तानहं द्विषतः क्रूरान्संसारेषु नराधमान्।
क्षिपाम्यजस्रमशुभानासुरीष्वेव योनिषु॥
tānaham dvishatah krūrānsansāreshu narādhamān;
kshipāmyajasramashubhānāsurīshweva yonishu.
I repeatedly cast those contemptuous, cruel, unholy, lowly people into sansār[111] within the wombs of only the āsurīs.
Shlok 16.20
आसुरीं योनिमापन्ना मूढा जन्मनि जन्मनि।
मामप्राप्यैव कौन्तेय ततो यान्त्यधमां गतिम्॥
āsurīm yonimāpannā mūḍhā janmani janmani;
māmaprāpyaiva kaunteya tato yāntyadhamām gatim.
O Arjun! Having been repeatedly born among the āsurī and shrouded by ignorance, they fail to attain me but descend even lower.
Shlok 16.21
त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः।
कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतायं त्यजेत्॥
trividham narakasyedam dvāram nāshanamātmanaha;
kāmah krodhastathā lobhastasmādetattrayam tyajet.
Lust, anger, and greed—these three are the gateways to narak and the destroyers of the ātmā.[112] Therefore, these three should be renounced.
Shlok 16.22
एतैर्विमुक्तः कौन्तेय तमोद्वारैस्त्रिभिर्नरः।
आचरत्यात्मनः श्रेयस्ततो याति परां गतिम्॥
etairvimuktah kaunteya tamodvāraistribhirnaraha;
ācharatyātmanah shreyastato yāti parām gatim.
O Arjun! A person who is freed from these three gates of narak strives for their liberation and ultimately attains the supreme end.
Shlok 16.23
यः शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारतः।
न स सिद्धिमवाप्नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम्॥
yah shāstravidhimutsrujya vartate kāmakārataha;
na sa siddhimavāpnoti na sukham na parām gatim.
One who renounces scriptural injunctions and acts according to their own will does not attain success, happiness, or the supreme end.
Shlok 16.24
तस्माच्छास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्याऽकार्यव्यवस्थितौ।
ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रविधानोक्तं कर्म कर्तुमिहाऽर्हसि॥
tasmāchchhāstram pramāṇam te kāryā’kāryavyavasthitau;
jnātvā shāstravidhānoktam karma kartumihā’rhasi.
Therefore, for you, scriptures are the authority for determining what should and should not be done. Having understood the revealed scriptural injunctions, you are able to act accordingly here in this world.
॥इति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे
श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादे दैवासुरसम्पद्विभागयोगो नाम षोडशोऽध्यायः॥
iti shrīmadbhagavadgītāsūpanishatsu brahmavidyāyām yogashāstre shrīkrushṇārjunasamvāde daivāsurasampadvibhāgayogo nāma shoḍasho’dhyāyaha
In this way, within the Upanishad-like Shrīmad-Bhagavad-Gītā, which is brahmavidyā and a sacred text on yoga, and in the dialogue between Shrī Krishna and Arjun, this concludes the sixteenth chapter titled “Daiv-āsur-sampad-vibhāg-yoga.”