Here the Gita describes two tendencies among mankind. The higher tendency, the divine, leads to increasing equanimity by centering us in our own divine nature. This is the course of the soul’s evolution, which eventually leads to its liberation. But there is also a strong pull of downward tendencies that lead to suffering and enslavement of the spirit. Those qualities that liberate us are termed divine and those that trap mankind into a spiral of desire, anger and greed are called demonic. Throughout Sri Krishna’s discussion with Arjuna, Sri Krishna has been trying to help Arjuna deepen his understanding and develop faith in his own divine nature, untroubled by the reactions of his lower prakritic nature. Krishna goes on to describe what these qualities are:
Individuals with demonic personalities are arrogant, have insatiable selfish desires and do not hesitate to take any measures they need to satisfy their own objectives.
XVI.11 Clinging to immeasurable Anxiety, ending only in death, With gratifications of desire as their highest aim, Convinced that this is all;
XVI.12 Bound by a hundred snares of hope, Devoted to desire, and anger, They seek to obtain, by unjust means, Hoards of wealth solely for the gratification of their desires.
Even though they may relish in their wealth, power and enjoyment of constant sense pleasures, they accumulate negative karmas as a result of their actions, intentions and illusory stand. These bear fruit and create further bondage and suffering for an embodied being. The purely worldly individuals drift from their own inner discernment and spiritual wisdom and remain confined to cycles of birth and rebirth. This paints a bleak picture of the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. However, all is not lost. These souls cycle through enjoyable and miserable life existences until the soul in its own evolution changes direction. Often harsh circumstances in phenomenal births and life struggles can bring this about. Krishna calls desire, anger and greed the three gates to self-destructive hell, whether we visualize hell as on earth or in the afterlife, and warns those seekers of liberation to avoid these gates. Krishna ends the teaching with an exhortation for Arjuna to center himself yoked to the Absolute. He asks him to let the sacred scriptures guide his thoughts and actions so he can avoid the lower path which prevents the attainment of liberation.
XVI.24 Therefore, determining your standard by the scriptures, As to what is and what is not to be done, Knowing the scriptural injunction prescribed, You should perform action here in this world.
In other words, live your faith in what you see and understand to be the truth of your self and of existence.
excerpts from translations by Eknath Easwaran and Stephanie Rutt
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