Daiva and Asura Natures

Each one of us represents several possibilities, which can be termed as daiva (divine) and asura (demonic). ‘Daiva’ is the internal journey towards Paramatma and ‘asura’ is away from Him.

Divine Qualities

Krishna mentions ‘abhayam’ as the first daiva quality (16.1). Though abhayam is interpreted as fearless, it is beyond that.

To understand the Bhagavad Gita, we should always keep in mind the third alternative. It is neither raag (fondness) nor viraag (aversion) but transcending both to be veet-raag which is the third stage. Similarly, it is neither aasakti (attachment) nor virakti (detachment) but it is anaasakti. We are quite aware of the polarities of aasakti/raag or virakti/viraag, but transcending to the third stage is the challenge. Similar is ‘abhayam’, which is beyond both fear and fearlessness. While fear is an expression of an inner feeling, fearlessness could be the suppression of that feeling, however, abhayam is beyond both. It is not identification with the process of expression or suppression of anger but witnessing that process.

Firstly, not getting the desired results leads to fear and anger. Abhayam is shedding the fruits of action (karma-phal) to accept any outcome we face as His blessings (2.47) while maintaining the inner balance between pleasure-pain; gain-losses; and victory-defeat (2.38).

Secondly, death is our fundamental fear which also includes the death of our beliefs, paradigms, end (death) of good times and loss (death) of our possessions. Abhayam is embracing the ‘opposite of our beliefs’, as they are also a part of Him. In fact, some cultures encourage the use of death as a tool to attain abhayam.

Krishna keeps abhayam as the first requirement on the journey toward the Paramatma, for abhayam is essential to dissolve oneself like a salt doll in the ocean - to face His fearful Vishwaroop.

Daan cannot be a Business

Krishna mentions antah-karan suddhi (inner purity), steadfastness in the yoga of wisdom, daan (donation), subjugation of senses, yajna, swa-adhyay (study of self) and uprightness as some of the divine qualities (16.1). One common thread in the Bhagavad Gita is the control of the senses. While senses are essential for our survival, they bind us by generating desires resulting in deviation from the divine path of liberation.

Inner purity was earlier referred to as Adhyatma (spirituality) and defined as swabhaav (intrinsic nature) (8.3). Although everyone is born pure, impurities in the form of divisions are later imposed by society and family. As a result, for some consumption of non-vegetarian food is not acceptable, but for others it is acceptable; marrying a cousin is accepted in some cultures and prohibited in others; Prayers to the same Paramatma are quite different and sometimes appear contradictory; the list is endless. Attaining purity is nothing but shedding these divisions. Krishna mentions swa-adhyay as a tool to attain this. Earlier He advised us to perform swa-adhyay like a yajna (4.28) - yajna being selfless action. The study of the self can also be used for another divine quality of steadfastness in the yoga of wisdom where, like a good student, we keep questioning ourselves.

Krishna spoke about daan (donation or giving) as another divine quality. Firstly, any accumulation is a part of demonic nature and emptying ourselves is a part of divine nature. Secondly, it is about developing the quality of giving, but not about the quantity of donations. The giving can be a word, time, assurance or something material. It is the habit of giving -whatever we have or are capable of. Thirdly, it’s pure love without expecting anything in return as expectation will make daan a business.

Non-Violence

Krishna says, “Ahimsa (non-violence), Satyam (truthfulness), Akrodh (freedom from anger), Renunciation, Peacefulness, Non-slanderousness, Compassion for all creatures, Absence of greed, Gentleness, Modesty, Lack of restlessness” (16.2) - are divine qualities. While ahimsa is a divine quality, the violent Kurukshetra battle presents a major barrier that one needs to cross to understand the Bhagavad Gita.

Firstly, the answer to this paradox was given by Krishna earlier when he told Arjuna that he would incur no sin if he fought the battle by maintaining the inner balance between pleasure-pain; gain-losses; and victory-defeat (2.38). While defining yoga, Krishna clarified that samatva or inner balance is nothing but yoga. This inner balance or samatva is nothing but ahimsa. Akrodh (freedom from anger), is another divine quality which is also a result of this inner balance. On the other hand, any action that comes out of imbalance is violence and anger.

Secondly, Krishna says that the best yogi is he who feels for others, whether in grief or pleasure, even as he feels for himself (6.32). It is sharing others’ happiness as our happiness without jealousy; it is feeling others’ pain as our pain without sadism or sarcasm. This feeling for others is ahimsa. Slander is also a kind of violence we inflict on others by making false and defamatory statements and that’s why Krishna included non-slanderousness as a divine quality. Another divine quality of renunciation is nothing but dropping hatred (5.3).

Krishna earlier gave the path of seeing others in ourselves and ourselves in others (6.29-6.30). This indicates that we too possess those qualities that we criticise in others and that others too have good qualities admired by us. Realising this is nothing but attaining divine qualities of compassion for all creatures and gentleness.

Satyam (truthfulness) is about being unconditionally truthful in both favourable and adverse situations. Once again, this stems from our inner balance.

Bondage to Liberation

Krishna says, “Tej (radiance of character), forgiveness, patience, purity, freedom from hate, absence of conceit -are the wealth of a divinely inclined person (16.3). Vainglorious pride, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness and ignorance mark the man who is born with a demonic nature (16.4). Two types of men exist in the world - the divine and the demonic (16.6). The divine nature bestows liberation (vi-mokshaya); the demonic nature leads to bondage” (16.5). Since liberation and bondage are experiential, any explanation about them is likely to lead to confusion rather than provide clarity.

The story of the trapped monkey will help us understand the dichotomy between bondage and liberation. Some nuts are kept in an earthen pot with a narrow mouth (surahi) in which the monkey’s hand barely fits. The monkey inserts its empty hand by squeezing through the mouth of the pot and grabs a fistful of nuts. As the fist is full, its size increases thus, it can’t come out of the pot and the monkey is bound to the pot. Though the monkey makes all sorts of efforts to get the closed fist out of the pot, till the realisation dawns on it that the trap is set by itself, it won’t get liberated

The divisions and resulting comparisons; living in the past or expectations from the future; attachment to money, luxury, power, friends, enemies, work, alcohol or even daily routines are like the proverbial nuts in the monkey’s fist which bind us. While the desire to become something else or grab something is bondage, dissolving ourselves and finding resonance with existence is liberation.

While life throws various situations at us, absorbing them like an ocean absorbs rivers (2.70) where our reactions are independent of these situations is nothing but liberation. The milestones provided in this chapter by Krishna can serve as a means to assess how far we have progressed on the path of liberation.

Beyond Logic

Krishna deciphered existence and said that it is the combination of prakriti (nature) and purush (spirit) both of which are beginningless. Gunas (qualities) and vikar (evolution or change) are born of prakriti (13.20). While prakriti is also responsible for cause and effect, purush experiences them as polarities of sukh (pleasure) and dukh (pain) (13.21). Krishna further clarified that He is beyond perishable prakriti and even higher than imperishable purush, thus proclaimed as Purushottama (Supreme Being) (15.18). This recapitulation will help us understand the following verses.

Krishna says, “Those possessing a demonic nature do not distinguish action from inaction. They neither possess purity nor proper conduct nor truthfulness (16.7). They say that the world is without absolute truth, without any foundation, without a Lord. It is nothing but born of mutual union (of male and female) caused by lustful desire” (16.8). Essentially, this is living a life at the level of prakriti where cause and effect dominate; where logic defines everything that we experience.

The next question that arises is what would be the behaviour of someone who is operating at the level of perishable prakriti. In this context, Krishna says, “Holding on to such views, these misdirected souls, with small intellect and cruel actions, arise as enemies of the world threatening its destruction (16.9). Harboring insatiable desire, full of hypocrisy, pride and arrogance, possessing evil ideas through delusion, they work with impure resolve” (16.10).

In a nutshell, demonic natured people live at the level of cause and effect of prakriti without realising the Purushottama behind this. The metaphor of male-female union for creation is logical. Similarly, many actions and thoughts we observe around us fall in this logical category. A point to be noted is that a mother’s pure joy of unconditional love is beyond logic. It represents the journey from bondage of logic to liberation of unconditional love.

Ends Shouldn’t Justify Means

Krishna continues about the demonic natured and says, “Believing that all this world is about fulfillment of bodily desires, such persons are engrossed till the moment of death in earthly anxieties (16.11). Held in bondage by hundreds of desires, lust and anger, they strive to accumulate wealth by unjust means, all for the gratification of their senses” (16.12). Anger is natural when desires are not fulfilled, thus they go hand in hand. That is why reigning in senses is one of the central preachings of the Bhagavad Gita.

When one sets accumulation as the goal, there is a tendency to direct all their energy toward achieving it. On this path, one tends to justify all the means to achieve the said target irrespective of the justness of the means. This process entails grabbing from someone else - it could be a property or credit for good work; it could be grabbing market share or grabbing the space in mind which is called ‘influencing others’ for selfish motives as is done on social media. Krishna discourages hoarding and calls those who hoard thieves (3.12). He encourages us to be a part of natural cycles of give and take. He gave the example of the water cycle which involves the selfless actions (yajna) of rain and evaporation.

Certainly, it’s not about dropping our professions or renouncing our karmas. Krishna earlier asked us not to drop karmas but to renounce hatred (5.3). Once hatred is dropped, its polar opposite of clinging or grabbing would automatically disappear.

Evolution and improvements are a part of prakriti (nature). In that process, better species evolve; the quality of life keeps improving with time. The essence is to move with the flow rather than indulging in accumulation. This attachment to accumulation is nothing but the bondage which Krishna mentioned as a hallmark of the demonic person.

Might may not be Right

Krishna says that the demonic person thinks, “I have acquired this today and I shall now fulfill this desire of mine. This is mine, and tomorrow I shall have even more (16.13). I have killed this enemy and will slay other enemies too. I am the ruler among men; I am the enjoyer, I am perfect, powerful and happy (16.14). I am wealthy and well-born; Who else is equal to me? I will sacrifice, I will give, I will rejoice.” In this way, demonic persons are deluded by ignorance (16.15). In today’s world, this is often confused with ‘success’.

This is the language of ahankaar (sense of doership) which thrives on comparison with others. A demonic person is gripped by ahankaar which gets a boost when success is attained in terms of acquiring more wealth when compared with others; when enemies are defeated or when one feels like a ruler after reaching the peak of the ladder.

Comparisons can be used to improve ourselves by learning from people and situations. On the flipside, comparison drives desire, including the desire for accumulation and sensual gratification. But there is no end to sensual gratification and Krishna calls this the delusion born of ignorance. Krishna earlier referred to the sword of wisdom to destroy ignorance (4.41) and said that nothing in this world is as sanctifying as wisdom. In due course of time, he who has perfected yoga finds it in the self (4.38). The key is shraddha (trust) with saburi (patience).

Whatever may be our current condition, by working towards the yoga of wisdom we can attain wisdom in due course of time. The essence is to observe ourselves when we make comparisons; question these tendencies, like a good student (4.34), to improve ourselves. Krishna earlier assured that even small steps in the practice of yoga give results (2.40).

Demon finds a Match

Krishna further describes the demonic natured and says, “With multiple minds, entangled in the web of delusion, addicted to the gratification of sensuous pleasures, they sink into a foul hell (16.16). Such self-conceited, stubborn people, intoxicated by pride and arrogance in wealth, perform the sacrifices hypocritically and without following the scriptural injunctions (16.17). Blinded by ahankaar (I am a doer), power, arrogance, desire, and anger, these malicious men despise Me who dwells within themselves and also in all beings (16.18). These cruel haters, perpetrators of evil and worst among men, I hurl again and again into demonic wombs in the spheres of transmigration (16.19). These ignorant souls take birth again and again in demonic wombs. Failing to reach Me, O Arjuna, they gradually sink to the most abominable type of existence” (16.20).

Krishna earlier declared that He is equally disposed to all living beings. None is dweshya (hateful) and none is priya (dear) to Him (9.29). But the above verses indicate that He hates demonic persons and hence, keeps them in an abominable type of existence.

The apparent contradiction arises from our assumption that Krishna (the name of the Almighty could vary based on one’s belief systems) to be a person whereas He is actually existence itself. He is simply describing the rules that govern existence. It’s like the law of gravity where a fall is inevitable when we jump from a height. Krishna earlier described the same as, “In whatever way people approach Me, in that measure, I manifest Myself to them” (4.11). When one takes the demonic path, the existence automatically reacts in a demonic way - may be in due course of time.

Our physical body is the best example of the never-ending benevolence of existence in terms of evolution, master crafting and coherence. It’s being grateful for whatever is bestowed upon us rather than grabbing from existence for sensual gratification.

Three Gates of Hell

In an ethics class, the teacher gives a lesson on being truthful and respecting elders. The next day, all the students memorize the lesson and repeat it in class. However, one student, who otherwise is brilliant, says he couldn’t learn the lesson and the teacher gets angry at that student as it was an easy lesson. The student explains that he lied on the previous day to protect his brother from the anger of elders, hence he couldn’t learn the lesson. This story illustrates the difference between ‘Knowing’ and ‘Being’. The following verses are one such example, they are very easy to understand but difficult to realise when we go through them.

Krishna says, “Lust, anger and greed (kaam, krodh and lobh) are three gates of hell leading to the destruction of self. Therefore, one should abandon all three (16.21). By turning away from these entrances to the realm of darkness, man does shreya (welfare of all) and thereby attains the supreme goal” (16.22).

To understand something, it is important to understand its contrast - like day and night. On many occasions, Krishna gives a contrast to what he said. In the present context he says, “Those who act under the impulse of desire, discarding the scriptural ordinance, attain neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme goal in life (16.23). Therefore, take the scriptures as your guide in determining what should be done and what should be avoided. Understand the scriptural injunctions and then perform your actions in this world accordingly” (16.24). Scriptures are like maps to guide us.

A cancerous tumor is the best example to understand these verses. Though it is a part of the human body, its greed to grow faster by excessive drawing of energy (sugars) becomes a hell for the human body. It follows neither the rhythm and harmony of the body nor that of existence.

Scriptures are the texts by various enlightened souls at various points in time that describe this harmony which can be used like maps for a spiritual journey.