16. Discerning between Divine and Demoniac
    
17. Faith Divided
    
18. Renouncing Well

16

Study the [most benevolent] scriptures. [16.1]

Non-violence, truth, aversion to slander, absence of fickleness [and some others] all belong to him who is born with divine treasures. [16.2-3]

Arrogance and self-conceit belong to him who is born to the heritage of the demons. [16.4]

The divine treasures are for the purpose of liberation. [cf 16.4]

There are two types of beings: the divine and the demoniac. [16.6]

Demoniac natures know not what to do and what to refrain from doing. Purity, good conduct, and truth are not in them. [16.7]

Demoniac natures, lost souls of little understanding, say: "The world is devoid of a moral basis." [cf 16.8]

Lost souls of little understanding rise as the enemies of the world for its destruction.[16.9]

With insatiable desires, full of hypocrisy, pride and arrogance, demoniac natures hold false views through delusions and act with impure resolve. [16.10]

Beset with innumerable cares and bound by hopes, they strive by unjust means to amass wealth to satisfy their passions. [16.11-12]

Evil-doers I hurl into demon wombs. [cf 16.19]

Good practiced leads to the Supreme Goal. [cf 16.22]

Let [some] scriptures be your authority. [cf 16.24]

17

The faith of men is of three kinds, marked by sattva, rajas, or tamas. [17.32]

What a man's faith is, that he verily is. [cf 17.3]

Gods are worshipped according to men's nature. [cf 17.4]

Vain and conceited people with lust and attachment, subject themselves to severe, unordained austerities. [cf 17.5]

Fools torture Me too, and their bodily organs. [cf 17.6 ]

Fools are fiendish at bottom. [cf 17.6]

Longevity is promoted by food that is pleasant, appetizing, succulent, oleaginous, substantial (nourishing the whole body), and agreeable (pleasant to look at). [cf 17.8]

Food that causes pain and burning tends to give mental distress too. [cf 17.9]

Gross people may favour stale food and left-overs. [cf 17.10]

Reward for the sake of ostentation (showing-off) is of rajas. [cf 17.12]

To be devoid of faith is tamas. [cf 17.13]

Go for cleanliness and non-violence [benevolence] - they are part of "body austerity". [cf 17.14]

Truthful words that give no offence are beneficial, and they can be "speech austerity" too. [cf 17.15]

Silence and purity of heart constitute austerity of mind. [cf 17.17]

Truthfulness and purity of heart and mind are to be practiced steadfastly. [cf 17.17]

Reverence is of rajas. [cf 17.18]

Foolishness and ruining others is of tamas. [cf 17.19]

A gift given at the right place to a worthy person at a fit time is called sattvic. [cf 17.20]

What is given grudgingly for recompense or with an expectation of fruit (rewards etc), is rajasic. [cf 17.21]

What is given without respect or at an improper place and time to someone unworthy, is of tamas. "22]

"Om Tat Sat" designates Brahman. [cf 17.23]

"Sat" is used to denote reality. [cf 17.26]

Futile faith seems to be of no account. [cf 17. 28, 28n]

18

It seems impossible to work without injuring someone. [cf 18.3n]

Relinquishment is of three kinds. [cf 18.4]

Sacrifices and austerities should be performed. [cf 18.5]

To abandon one's duty from fear of bodily suffering, is of rajas. [cf 18.8]

Do what ought to be done, that is by sattva. [cf 18.9]

Agreeable is disagreeable if attachments creep into it. [cf 18.10]

Note the Avadhut Gita, 4,21: "Renounce, renounce the world, and also renounce renunciation, and even give up the absence of renunciation." - Thus tackle the renunciation rallies. [cf 18.10]

A man of perverted mind, of impure understanding, he does not see [enough]. [cf 18.18]

Remaining free from [even Gita] attachment is sattvic. [cf 18.23]

Action and being moved by joys and sorrows is rajasic. [cf 18.27]

Rajas diverts man's understanding [cf 18.31n]

Unswerving concentration is of sattva. [cf 18.33]

Firmness is of rajas. [cf 18.34]

Clear knowledge is of sattva. [cf 18.37]

No creature is free from gunas. [cf 18.40]

Firmness is one of the kshatriya duties. [cf 18.43]

Better is one's own duty (dharma) than the duty (dharma) of another. [cf 18.47]

Undertakings are beset with imperfections. [18.48]

One who has reached perfection eats but little, and properly abandons love for Self-knowledge. [cf 18.50-53 passim]

Fix your heart and overcome that you shall perish. You must not speak about it. * [cf 18.57-61, 67]

The Lord dwells in the hearts [of innocent ones]. [cf 18.61]

Abg: Jens Braarvig, tr.: Bhagavadgita. Oslo: Gyldendal, 1982. (A "dolphin" rendition of Makara(h).)

Gra: Jagadananda, sw. tr: Sri Ramakrishna: The Great Master. 4th ed. Mylapore: Ramakrishna Math, 1970.

Hib: Romain, Rolland: The Gospel of Ramakrishna. 8th ed. Calcutta: Advaita Asram, 1970.

Lrr: Advaita Asram: Life of Sri Ramakrishna. Calcutta: Advaita Asram, 1971.

Rap: Gupta, M.: The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda, 1942.

Si: Shastri, J. ed. Siva Purana, Vols 1-4. Delhi: Banarsidass, 1969.

Wa: Nikhilananda, sw. tr: The Bhagavad Gita. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda, 1952.

Wy: Tuxen, Poul tr: Bhagavadgita. Herrens Ord. Copenhagen: Gyldendal, 1962.