Adhyāya 38

Swami SivanandaThe Blessed Lord said: Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in knowledge and yoga, almsgiving, control of the senses, sacrifice, study of scriptures, austerity, and straightforwardness.

Swami GambiranandaThe Blessed Lord said: Fearlessness, purity of mind, persistence in knowledge and yoga, charity, control of the external organs, sacrifice, scriptural study, austerity, and rectitude.

Swami AdidevanandaThe Lord said, "Fearlessness, purity of mind, devotion to meditation on the knowledge of the self, alms-giving, self-control, worship, study of the Vedas, austerity, and uprightness—

Dr. S. SankaranarayanThe Bhagavat said: Fearlessness, complete purity of the Sattva, steadfastness in knowledge-Yoga, charity, self-restraint, Vedic sacrifice, recitation of scriptures, austerity, and uprightness.

Shri Purohit SwamiLord Shri Krishna continued: Fearlessness, clean living, unceasing concentration on wisdom, readiness to give, self-control, a spirit of sacrifice, regular study of the scriptures, austerity, candor,

Swami SivanandaHarmlessness, truth, absence of anger, renunciation, peacefulness, absence of crookedness, compassion for beings, non-covetousness, gentleness, modesty, and absence of fickleness.

Swami GambiranandaNon-injury, truthfulness, absence of anger, renunciation, control of the inner self, absence of vilification, kindness to creatures, non-covetousness, gentleness, modesty, and freedom from restlessness;

Swami AdidevanandaNon-injury, truth, freedom from anger, renunciation, tranquility, non-slandering of others, compassion for all beings, freedom from desire, gentleness, a sense of shame, and freedom from fickleness;

Dr. S. SankaranarayanHarmlessness, truth, absence of anger, renunciation, absence of attachment, absence of slander, compassion for living beings, and absence of greed, gentleness, modesty, and absence of thoughtlessness;

Shri Purohit SwamiHarmlessness, truth, absence of wrath, renunciation, contentment, straightforwardness, compassion towards all, uncovetousness, courtesy, modesty, and constancy.

Swami SivanandaVigor, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence of hatred, absence of pride—these belong to one born for a divine state, O Arjuna.

Swami GambiranandaVigour, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, freedom from malice, absence of haughtiness—these, O scion of the Bharata dynasty, are the qualities of one born destined to have the divine nature.

Swami AdidevanandaGrandeur, patience, fortitude, purity, freedom from hatred and over-pride—these, O Arjuna, belong to one who is born to a divine destiny.

Dr. S. SankaranarayanVital power, forgiveness, fortitude, contentment, absence of treachery, and absence of excessive pride—these are in the person who is born for divine wealth, O Descendant of Bharata!

Shri Purohit SwamiValor, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, freedom from hate and vanity—these are the qualities of one who possesses the divine, O Arjuna!

Swami SivanandaHypocrisy, arrogance, and self-conceit, anger, harshness, and ignorance—these belong to one who is born for a demoniacal state, O Partha.

Swami GambiranandaO son of Prtha, the attributes of one destined to have the demoniacal nature are religious ostentation, pride, haughtiness, self-conceit, anger, rudeness, and ignorance.

Swami AdidevanandaPompousness, arrogance, self-conceit, wrath, rudeness, and ignorance—these, O Arjuna, belong to one who is born with a demonic destiny.

Dr. S. SankaranarayanOstentation, arrogance, pride, anger, and harshness, as well as ignorance, are characteristics of a person born of demoniac wealth, O son of Prtha!

Shri Purohit SwamiHypocrisy, pride, insolence, cruelty, and ignorance belong to those born of godless qualities.

Swami SivanandaThe divine nature is deemed conducive to liberation, and the demonic to bondage. Grieve not, O Arjuna, for you are born with divine endowments.

Swami GambiranandaThe divine nature is Liberation, while the demoniacal is considered to be an inevitable bondage. Do not grieve, O son of Pandu! You are destined to possess the divine nature.

Swami AdidevanandaThe divine destiny is said to lead to liberation, while the demoniac to bondage. Do not grieve, O Arjuna, for you are born with a divine destiny.

Dr. S. SankaranarayanThe divine wealth is meant for total emancipation, and the demoniac one for complete bondage. Grieve not, O son of Pandu, for the divine wealth you are born.

Shri Purohit SwamiGodly qualities lead to liberation; godless ones lead to bondage. Do not be anxious, Prince! You have the Godly qualities.

Swami SivanandaThere are two types of beings in this world: the divine and the demoniacal. The divine has been described at length; hear from Me, O Arjuna, about the demoniacal.

Swami GambiranandaIn this world, there are two kinds of creation of beings: the divine and the demoniacal. The divine has been spoken of elaborately. Hear about the demoniacal from Me, O son of Prtha.

Swami AdidevanandaThere are two types of beings in this world: the divine and the demoniac. The divine have been described at length. Hear from Me, O Arjuna, about the demoniac.

Dr. S. SankaranarayanThere are two types of creations of beings in this world: the divine and the demoniac. The divine one has been described in detail; hear now the demoniac one from Me, O son of Prtha!

Shri Purohit SwamiNo changes needed.

Swami SivanandaThe demoniacal do not know what to do and what to refrain from; they have neither purity, nor right conduct, nor truth.

Swami GambiranandaNeither do the demoniacal persons understand what should be done and what should not be done; nor do they possess purity, good conduct, or truthfulness.

Swami AdidevanandaThe demoniacal men neither know action nor renunciation. They have no cleanliness, nor right conduct, nor truth.

Dr. S. SankaranarayanThe demoniac do not know the origin and the dissolution; neither purity, nor good conduct, nor truth exists in them.

Shri Purohit SwamiThe godless do not know how to act or renounce; they lack both purity and truth. They do not understand the right principles of conduct.

Swami SivanandaThey say, "This universe is without truth, without a moral basis, without a God, brought about by mutual union, with lust as its cause; what else?"

Swami GambiranandaThey say that the world is unreal, having no basis, and without a God. It is born of mutual union brought about by passion! What other cause could there be?

Swami AdidevanandaThey maintain: 'The universe is without truth, with no foundation, and without a Lord (Isvara). What else could exist without mutual causation? It has lust as its cause.'

Dr. S. SankaranarayanThey say that this world is without truth; has no basis; and has no Lord; this is not born on the basis of the mutual cause-and-effect-relation [of the things]; it has nothing [beyond] and has no cause.

Shri Purohit SwamiThey say the universe is an accident with no purpose and no God. Life is created through sexual union, a product of lust and nothing else.

Swami SivanandaHolding this view, these ruined souls of small intellect and fierce deeds come forth as enemies of the world, intent on its destruction.

Swami GambiranandaHolding onto this view, those of depraved character, poor intellect, and given to fearful and harmful actions, wax strong and bring ruin to the world.

Swami AdidevanandaHolding this view, these men of lost souls and feeble understanding do cruel deeds, leading to the destruction of the world.

Dr. S. SankaranarayanClinging to this view, the inauspicious men of ruined souls, poor intellect, and cruel deeds strive to destroy the world.

Shri Purohit SwamiThinking thus, these degraded souls, these enemies of mankind—whose intelligence is negligible and whose deeds are monstrous—come into the world only to destroy.

Swami SivanandaFilled with insatiable desires, full of hypocrisy, pride, and arrogance, holding evil ideas due to delusion, they work with impure intentions.

Swami GambiranandaGiving themselves up to insatiable passion, filled with vanity, pride, and arrogance, adopting bad adjectives due to delusion, and having impure resolves, they engage in actions.

Swami AdidevanandaTurning to insatiable desires, seizing through delusion unjustly acquired wealth, and following impious vows, they act, full of ostentation, pride, and arrogance.

Dr. S. SankaranarayanHolding to their insatiable desires, being possessed by hypocrisy, avarice, and pride, and holding evil intentions, these cruel men wander with impure resolves.

Shri Purohit SwamiGiving themselves up to insatiable passions, hypocritically, self-sufficiently, and arrogantly, cherishing false conceptions founded on delusion, they work only to carry out their own unholy purposes.

Swami SivanandaGiving themselves over to immeasurable cares that end only with death, regarding the gratification of lust as their highest aim, and feeling sure that that is all.

Swami GambiranandaBeset with innumerable cares that end only with death, holding that the enjoyment of desirable objects is the highest goal, they feel sure that this is all.

Swami AdidevanandaObsessed by unlimited cares that end with dissolution, looking upon the enjoyment of desires as their highest aim, and convinced that this is all;

Dr. S. SankaranarayanAdhering to their ultimate and unending anxiety; viewing the gratification of their desires as their highest goal; believing that this is all that exists;

Shri Purohit SwamiPoring anxiously over evil resolutions that only end in death, seeking only the gratification of desire as the highest goal, and seeing nothing beyond—

Swami SivanandaBound by a hundred ties of hope, given over to lust and anger, they strive to obtain hoards of wealth by unlawful means for sensual enjoyment.

Swami GambiranandaBound by hundreds of shackles in the form of hope, giving themselves wholly to passion and anger, they endeavor to amass wealth through foul means for the enjoyment of desirable objects.

Swami AdidevanandaBound by hundreds of fetters of hopes, given over to desire and anger, they strive unjustly to gather wealth for the gratification of their desires.

Dr. S. SankaranarayanBound by hundreds of ropes of longing, devoted to their desire and anger, they seek, by unjust means, hoards of wealth for the gratification of their desires.

Shri Purohit SwamiCaught in the toils of a hundred vain hopes, enslaved by passion and wrath, they accumulate hoards of unjust wealth, only to indulge their sensual desires.

Swami Sivananda"I have gained this today; I will fulfill this desire of mine; this is mine, and this wealth will be mine in the future."

Swami Gambirananda'I have gained this today; I will acquire this desired object. This is in hand; and this wealth will also come to me.'

Swami Adidevananda'This I have gained today, and this desire I shall attain. This wealth is mine, and this will also be mine hereafter.

Dr. S. Sankaranarayan'I have gained this today; I will attain this object of my desire in the future; this is mine now; and this wealth will also be mine soon.'

Shri Purohit SwamiToday I have gained this; tomorrow I will fulfill another desire; this wealth is mine now, and the rest will soon be mine.

Swami Sivananda"I have slain that enemy, and I shall slay others too. I am the Lord; I enjoy, I am perfect, powerful, and happy."

Swami Gambirananda'I have slain that enemy, and I shall slay others too. I am the Lord, the Enjoyer, firmly established, powerful and joyous.'

Swami Adidevananda'I have slain this enemy, and I shall slay others too. I am the Lord, the enjoyer, the successful one, the strong one, and the happy one.'

Dr. S. Sankaranarayan'I have slain that enemy; and I shall slay others too; I am the Lord; I am a man of pleasure; I am victorious, powerful, and content.'

Shri Purohit SwamiI have slain one enemy; I will slay the others too. I am worthy of enjoying; I am the Almighty, perfect, powerful, and happy.

Swami Sivananda"I am wealthy and born into a noble family. Who is my equal? I shall perform sacrifices, give charity, and rejoice," thus deluded by ignorance.

Swami Gambirananda'I am wealthy and of noble birth; who else is like me? I shall perform sacrifices; I shall give, I shall rejoice'- thus, they are deluded by a lack of discernment in diverse ways.

Swami Adidevananda'I am wealthy and high-born; who else is equal to me? I shall sacrifice, I shall give alms, I shall rejoice.' Thus they think, deluded by ignorance.

Dr. S. Sankaranarayan'I am wealthy; I am of noble birth; who else is equal to me? I shall perform sacrifices; I shall give gifts; and I shall rejoice' - deluded by these wrong ideas;

Shri Purohit SwamiI am wealthy, I am of noble birth; who can compare with me? I will sacrifice, I will give, I will pay—and I will enjoy. Thus blinded by ignorance,

Swami SivanandaBewildered by many fancies, entangled in the snare of delusion, addicted to the gratification of lust, they fall into a foul hell.

Swami GambiranandaBewildered by numerous thoughts, ensnared in the net of delusion, and engrossed in the enjoyment of desirable objects, they fall into a foul hell.

Swami AdidevanandaBewildered by numerous thoughts, ensnared in the net of delusion, addicted to sensual pleasures, they fall into a wretched Naraka.

Dr. S. SankaranarayanEndowed with many thoughts, highly confused, enslaved by their delusion, and addicted to the gratification of desires, they fall into the hellish and foul.

Shri Purohit SwamiPerplexed by discordant thoughts, entangled in the snares of desire, infatuated by passion, they sink into the depths of hell.

Swami SivanandaSelf-conceited, stubborn, filled with pride and intoxication of wealth, they perform sacrifices in name only for ostentation, contrary to scriptural ordinances.

Swami GambiranandaSelf-conceited, haughty, filled with pride and intoxicated by wealth, they perform sacrifices that are only in name, ostentatiously and without regard for the injunctions.

Swami AdidevanandaSelf-conceited, self-sufficient, intoxicated by wealth and pride, they perform sacrifices in name only, ostentatiously and not according to the injunctions of the scriptures.

Dr. S. SankaranarayanSelf-conceited, stubborn, filled with pride and arrogance of wealth, they pretend to perform sacrifices hypocritically, not following the injunctions of the Vedas.

Shri Purohit SwamiSelf-conceited, stubborn, wealthy, proud, and insolent, they make a show of their patronage, disregarding the norms of propriety.

Swami SivanandaGiven over to egoism, power, haughtiness, lust, and anger, these malicious people hate Me in their own bodies and in the bodies of others.

Swami GambiranandaResorting to egotism, power, arrogance, passion, and anger, hating Me in their own and others' bodies, they become envious by nature.

Swami AdidevanandaDepending on their egoism, power, and pride, as well as their desires and wrath, these malicious men hate Me in their own bodies and in those of others.

Dr. S. SankaranarayanClinging fast to egotism, force, pride, craving, and anger, these envious people hate Me in the bodies of their own and of others.

Shri Purohit SwamiPuffed up by power and inordinate conceit, swayed by lust and wrath, these wicked people hate Me, Who am within them as I am within all.

Swami SivanandaThose cruel haters, the worst among men in the world, I hurl those evil-doers into the wombs of demons only.

Swami GambiranandaI cast forever those hateful, cruel, evil-doers in the worlds, the vilest of human beings, verily into the demonic classes.

Swami AdidevanandaThose who are hateful, cruel, the vilest and most inauspicious of mankind, I hurl forever into the cycles of births and deaths, into the wombs of demons.

Dr. S. SankaranarayanThese hateful, cruel, and base men, I hurl incessantly into the inauspicious, demoniac wombs, alone in the cycle of birth and death.

Shri Purohit SwamiThose who thus hate Me, who are cruel, the dregs of mankind, I condemn them to a continuous, miserable, and godless rebirth.

Swami SivanandaEntering into demoniacal wombs and deluded, birth after birth, they do not attain Me, thus falling, O Arjuna, into a condition still lower than that.

Swami GambiranandaBeing born among the demoniacal species in birth after birth, the souls, without ever reaching Me, O son of Kunti, attain conditions lower than that.

Swami AdidevanandaFallen into demoniac wombs in birth after birth, these deluded men, not attaining Me, further sink down to the lowest level, O Arjuna.

Dr. S. SankaranarayanHaving come to the demoniac womb, birth after birth, and not attaining Me at all, these deluded persons, therefore, pass to the lowest state, O son of Kunti!

Shri Purohit SwamiSo, reborn, they spend life after life enveloped in delusion, and they never reach Me, O Prince, but degenerate into even lower forms of life.

Swami SivanandaThere are three gates to this hell, destructive of the self: lust, anger, and greed; therefore, one should abandon these three.

Swami GambiranandaThis door to hell, which destroys the soul, is of three kinds—passion, anger, and greed. Therefore, one should forsake these three.

Swami AdidevanandaDesire, wrath, and greed—these are the three gateways to Naraka, ruinous to the self. Therefore, one should abandon these three.

Dr. S. SankaranarayanTo the hell, there are three gates that ruin the Self: desire, anger, and greed. Hence, one should avoid these three.

Shri Purohit SwamiThe gates of hell are three: lust, wrath, and avarice; they destroy the Self, so avoid them.

Swami SivanandaA person who is liberated from these three gates of darkness, O Arjuna, practices what is beneficial for them and thus goes to the Supreme Goal.

Swami GambiranandaO son of Kunti, a person who is free from these three doors to darkness strives for the good of the soul; thereby, they attain the highest Goal.

Swami AdidevanandaOne who has been released from these three gates of darkness, O Arjuna, works for the benefit of the self; thus, they reach the supreme state.

Dr. S. SankaranarayanO son of Kunti! A man who has deserted these three gates of darkness does what is good for his Self and thereby reaches the highest goal.

Shri Purohit SwamiThese are the gates that lead to darkness; if one avoids them, they will ensure their own welfare and eventually attain liberation.

Swami SivanandaHe who, having cast aside the ordinances of the scriptures, acts under the impulse of desire, does not attain perfection, nor happiness, nor the Supreme Goal.

Swami GambiranandaIgnoring the precepts of the scriptures, he who acts under the impulse of passion does not attain perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme goal.

Swami AdidevanandaHe who, abandoning the injunctions of the Sastras, acts under the influence of desire, attains neither perfection nor pleasure, nor the supreme state.

Dr. S. SankaranarayanHe who neglects the injunctions of the scriptures and acts according to his own will, attains neither success nor happiness nor the highest goal of emancipation.

Shri Purohit SwamiBut he who neglects the commands of the scriptures and follows the promptings of passion does not attain perfection, happiness, or the final goal.

Swami SivanandaTherefore, let the scripture be thy authority in determining what ought to be done and what ought not to be done. Having known what is said in the ordinance of the scriptures, thou shouldst act in this world.

Swami GambiranandaTherefore, the scripture is your authority as regards determining what should be done and what should not be done. After understanding your duty as presented by scriptural injunction, you ought to perform it here.

Swami AdidevanandaTherefore, let the Sastra be your authority for determining what should be done and what should not be done. Knowing what is enjoined in the injunctions of the Sastra, you should perform work here.

Dr. S. SankaranarayanTherefore, by considering the scripture as your authority in determining what should be done and what should not be done, you should perform actions laid down by the regulations of the scriptures.

Shri Purohit SwamiTherefore, whenever there is doubt as to whether you should do something or not, let the scriptures guide your conduct. In the light of the scriptures, you should labor your whole life.