Bhagavadgita with the Sanatsugatiya and the Anugita (eBook)

CHAPTER XVII.

Arguna said: What is the state of those, O Krishna! who worship with faith, (but) abandoning  scripture ordinances--goodness, passion, or darkness? The Deity said: Faith is of three kinds in embodied (beings), it is produced from dispositions  4. It is of the quality of goodness, of the quality of passion, and of the  quality of darkness. Hear about it. The faith of all, O descendant of Bharata!  is conformable to the p. 118 heart 1. A being here is full of faith, and whatever is a man's faith, that is a  man himself 2. Those of the quality of goodness worship the gods; those of the  quality of passion the Yakshas and Rakshases 3; and the others, the people of  the quality of darkness, worship departed (spirits) and the multitudes of  Bhûtas. Know those to be of demoniac convictions, who practise fierce penance 4  not ordained by scripture; who are full of ostentatiousness and egoism, and of  desire, attachment, and stubbornness; who are without discernment; and who  torment the groups of organs in (their) bodies, and me also seated within  (those) bodies. The food also, which is liked by all, and likewise the  sacrifice, the penance, and gifts, are of three kinds. Listen to the  distinctions regarding them as follows. The kinds of food which increase life,  energy, strength, health, comfort, and relish, which are savoury, oleaginous,  full of nutrition, and agreeable, are liked by the good. The kinds of food which  are bitter, acid, saltish, too hot, sharp, rough, and. burning, and which cause  pain. grief, and disease, are desired by the passionate. And the food 5 which is  cold, tasteless, stinking, stale, impure, and even leavings, are liked by the  dark. That sacrifice is good which, being prescribed in (scripture) ordinances,  is performed by persons p. 119 not wishing for the fruit (of it), and after determining (in their) mind that  the sacrifice must needs be performed. But when a sacrifice is performed, O  highest of the descendants of Bharata! with an expectation of fruit (from it),  and for the purpose of ostentation, know that sacrifice (to be) passionate. They  call that sacrifice dark, which is against the ordinances (of scripture), in  which no food is dealt out (to Brâhmanas, &c.), which is devoid of Mantras 1,  devoid of Dakshinâ presents, and which is without faith. Paying reverence to  gods, Brâhmanas, preceptors, and men of knowledge; purity 2,  straightforwardness, life as Brahmakârin, and harmlessness, (this) is called the  penance bodily. The speech which causes no sorrow, which is true, agreeable, and  beneficial, and the study 3 of the Vedas, (this) is called the penance vocal.  Calmness of mind, mildness, taciturnity 4, self-restraint, and purity of heart,  this is called the penance mental. This threefold penance, practised with  perfect faith, by men who do not wish for the fruit, and who are possessed of  devotion is called good. The penance which is done for respect, honour, and  reverence 5, and with ostentatiousness, p. 120 and which is uncertain and transient 1, is here called passionate. And that  penance is described as dark, which is performed under a misguided conviction,  with pain to oneself, or for the destruction of another. That gift is said (to  be) good, which is given, because it ought to be given, to one who (can) do no  service (in return), at a (proper) place and time, an d to a (proper) person.  But that gift which is given with much difficulty, for a return of services, or  even with an expectation of fruit 2, is said to be passionate. And that gift, is  described as dark, which is given to unfit persons, at an unfit place and time,  without respect, and with contempt. Om, Tad, and Sat, this is said (to be) the  threefold designation of the Brahman. By that 3, the Brâhmanas and the Vedas and  sacrifices were created in olden times. Hence, the performance by those who  study the Brahman, of sacrifices, gifts, and penances, prescribed by the  ordinances (of scripture), always commence after saying 'Om 4.' Those who desire  final emancipation perform the various acts of sacrifice and penance, and the  various acts of gift, without expectation of fruit, after (saying) 'Tad 5.'  'Sat' is employed to express existence and goodness; and likewise, O son of  Prithâ! the word 'Sat' is used to express an auspicious act. Constancy in p. 121 (making) sacrifices. penances, and gifts, is called 'Sat;' and (all) action,  too, of which that 1 is the object, is also called 'Sat.' Whatever oblation is  offered, whatever is given, whatever penance is performed, and whatever is done,  without faith 2, that, O son of Prithâ! is called 'Asat,' and that is nought,  both after death and here 3.

Footnotes 117:4 I. e. the result of the actions in a former birth, cf. p. 56 supra. 118:1 The hearts of gods are said to be good, those of Yakshas &c. passionate,  those of men mixed, and so forth. 118:2 Faith is the dominant principle in man, and he is good, passionate, or  dark, as his faith is. 118:3 Goldstücker, Remains, I, 154. 118:4 Troublesome to oneself and others, as standing on heated stones, &c.  'Egoism' (Ahankâra) = the feeling that one is worthy of honour, Nîlakantha. 118:5 Cf. Sutta Nipâta, p. 109, and Âpastamba, p. 31 (p. 62 in this series). 119:1 Texts from the Vedas which ought to be recited on such occasions. Presents  (Dakshinâ) to Brâhmanas are insisted on in Brihad-âranyaka-upanishad, p. 661;  Âsvalâyana Grihya I, 23, 14. 119:2 Cleanliness of body; straightforwardness = not doing prohibited acts;  harmlessness = not injuring any living beings. These are 'bodily,' because the  body is the main instrument in these actions. 119:3 I. e. recitation of the Vedas. 119:4 This is part of the 'mental penance,' because the government of the tongue  is a consequence of mental restraint; the effect being, according to Sankara,  put here for the cause. 119:5 Respect = people rising to receive one, &c.; honour = people saying 'this  is a holy man,' &c.; reverence = people washing one's feet. &c. 120:1 The fruit of which is uncertain or perishable. 120:2 Heaven &c. as a reward for liberality. 120:3 I. e. the Brahman, according to Srîdhara. 120:4 Cf. Âpastamba, p. 21 (p. 49 in this series). Nîlakantha cites texts to  show that this and the other two words are used to designate the Brahman. The  texts are from the Taittirîya, Aitareya, and Khândogya-upanishads. 120:5 Nîlakantha says, 'after "Tad"' means considering the act and all are  Brahman, and cites p. 61 supra. 121:1 I. e. either the Brahman itself, or sacrifice, penance, and gift. 121:2 Cf. Sutta Nipâta, p. 69. 121:3 The meaning of this whole passage seems to be that these three words,  which designate the Brahman, have distinct uses, as specified. 'Om,' says  Nîlakantha, is employed whether the action is done with any special desire or  not. Those who study the Brahman there means 'study the Vedas.' 'Tad' is  employed in case of actions without desires only. 'Sat' is employed, according  to Sankara, in case of existence, such as the birth of a first son; I goodness,'  the reclamation of a bad man; 'auspicious acts,' marriage, &c. The intelligent  use of these terms as here specified is said to cure any defects in the actions,  the various classes of which are mentioned before.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Arguna said: O you of mighty arms! O Hrishîkesa! O destroyer of Kesin! I wish to know the  truth about renunciation and abandonment distinctly. The Deity said: By renunciation the sages understand the rejection of actions done with desires.  The wise call the abandonment of the fruit of all actions (by the name)  abandonment. Some wise men say, that action should be abandoned as being full of  evil; and others, that the actions of sacrifice, gift, and penance p. 122 should not be abandoned. As to that abandonment, O best of the descendants of  Bharata! listen to my decision; for abandonment, O bravest of men! is described  (to be) threefold. The actions of sacrifice, gift, and penance should not be  abandoned; they must needs be performed; for sacrifices, gifts, and penances are  means of sanctification to the wise. But even these actions, O son of Prithâ!  should be performed, abandoning attachment and fruit; such is my excellent and  decided opinion. The renunciation of prescribed action is not proper. Its  abandonment through delusion 1 is described as of the quality of darkness. When  a man abandons action, merely as being troublesome, through fear of bodily  affliction, he does not obtain the fruit 2 of abandonment by making (such)  passionate abandonment. When prescribed action is performed, O Arguna!  abandoning attachment and fruit also, merely because it ought to be performed,  that is deemed (to be) a good abandonment. He who is possessed of abandonment 3,  being full of goodness, and talented, and having, his doubts destroyed, is not  averse from unpleasant actions, is not attached to pleasant 4 (ones). Since no  embodied (being) can abandon actions without exception 5, he is said to be  possessed of abandonment, who abandons the fruit of action. The threefold fruit  of action, agreeable, disagreeable, and mixed, accrues after death to those who  are not possessed of abandonment, but never to p. 123 renouncers 1. Learn from me, O you of mighty arms! these five causes of...