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VEDIC
SCRIPTURES
A Song of Fortune
- A modern Gîtâ -
CHAPTER 16
About the
enlightened and the unenlightened
(1-3)
The fortunate one said: 'When one is fearless,
good of heart, persevering in the knowledge of unifying consciousness,
compassionate, of restraint, charitable, studious, austere and simple;
when one is nonviolent, truthful, free from anger, renounced, peaceful,
benevolent, merciful to all, non-possessive, gentle, modest and
determined; when one is arduous, forgiving, steadfast, clean,
non-envious and not striving for honor, one has the qualities of
someone who found his life in the divine. (4) Deceit, conceit,
insidiousness, anger and certainly violence and ignorance too, are the
qualities of the one who found his life in the unenlightened state, oh
son of Alice. (5) The divine characteristics are meant to liberate from
bondage, while the qualities of the unenlightened on the contrary are
the result of being bound. But do not worry, oh son of Gwen, for you
have found a life in the divine.
(6) There are two types of conditioned beings in
this world: the divine ones and the unenlightened. About the divine I
spoke at great length; just hear from me about the ones possessed by
the material interest, oh son of Alice. (7) The ones of darkness do not
know how to progress, nor where to stop; they miss the integrity and
purity, do not know how to behave and are full of lies. (8) Missing the
point they say that the universal manifestation has no controller or
foundation, that it rose without any cause and that there is no other
cause than with vaniy the cause of lust. (9) Adhering to this outlook
having lost
themselves, with the unintelligent the less beneficial activities flourish that lead to the destruction
of the world. (10) Confiding in lusts that are insatiable and fooling
themselves with boasting and prestige, they, led by illusion, take to
the impermanent of material things and thrive in dedication to the
impure. (11-12) There's no end to their fears and anxieties, and to the
point of death they confide in sense-gratification as the supreme goal
to settle for in life. Bound in a network of countless expectations
they, being lusty and angry to satisfy their senses and sexual
appetites, wish to accumulate wealth by unfair means with that
mentality. (13-15) 'Today I won this and that I'll get as well; this is
what I want, that is mine and tomorrow I'll even have more of it. That
enemy I defeated now and the other ones I'll also destroy. I am the
master and controller. I'm the one to enjoy, I'm perfect as I am and
the lucky one to be in power. I'm the wealthy one of good company, I'm
the one and only, who compares to me? I'll sacrifice and donate, I'm
the one to be happy'; this is how they are deluded in their ignorance.
(16) Thus perplexed by innumerable worries they are caught in a pool of
illusions and land, addicted to sense gratification, in a hell of
sorrow. (17) Arrogant and rigid about their wealth and status, they
engage, in the full of their delusion, in so-called sacrifices they
perform out of vanity, in disregard for the rules and regulations.
(18) Materially identified, vainglorious, manipulative, frantic and
lusty, they fell enviously into mocking me, I who reside in their
hearts as also in the hearts of others. (19) The lowest of mankind,
being that envious and deceptive, are time and again cast by me into
the material ocean to find an unfavorable new life in the wombs of
doubtful mothers. (20) The ones being that unintelligent will, birth
after birth achieving lives of darkness, in that way never reach me, oh
son of aunt Alice, and be heading for the worst destinations. (21)
Lust, anger and greed are in this self-destruction the three gates of
hell, and thus one must give up on these three. (22) Freed from these
gates of hell a person is of respect for the soul, oh son of Alice, and
heads, thus being blessed, for the supreme destination.
(23) Anyone who forsakes the regulative principles3 as laid down in the scriptures,
will be acting according to his own whims and never attain the
perfection, the happiness or the goal of transcendence. (24) Thus
seen it are the scriptures which set the standard for you to determine
what and what not would be your duty; with the regulations explained in
the scriptures you should know what type of work must be performed in
this world.'
2007 © Aadhar, Enschede
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