October 28, 2026
CHAPTER XVI
THE YOGA OF THE DIVISION BETWEEN
THE DIVINE AND THE DEMONIACAL
śrībhagavān uvāca
abhayaṁ sattvasaṁśuddhir jñānayogavyavasthitiḥ
dānaṁ damaś ca yajñaś ca svādhyāyas tapa ārjavaṁ (XVI-1)
ahiṁsā satyam akrodhas tyāgaḥ śāntir apaiśunaṁ
dayā bhūteṣv aloluptvaṁ mārdavaṁ hrīr acāpalaṁ (XVI-2)
tejaḥ kṣamā dhṛtiḥ śaucam adroho nā ’timānitā
bhavanti saṁpadaṁ daivīm abhijātasya bhārata (XVI-3)
XVI/1. The blessed Lord said: Fearlessness, purity of heart,
in knowledge and yoga, alms giving, control of the senses,
sacrifice, study of scriptures, austerity and straightforwardness,
XVI/2. Harmlessness, truth, absence of anger, renunciation,
peacefulness, absence of crookedness, compassion towards
beings, uncovetousness, gentleness, modesty, absence of
fickleness,
XVI/3. Vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence of hatred,
absence of pride – these belong to the one born for a divine
state, O Arjuna.
Swamiji's Commentary
All these qualities belong to the daivī-prakṛti or divine nature. ‘One born for a divine state’ seems to imply a fatalistic slant or determinism. Either one is born good or wicked! To some extent perhaps this is true. Those who have attempted to alter their 'nature’ would testify that they are carried away by the hidden vāsanā (tendencies) in spite of themselves. Yet, on the other hand, the born-good people formed their good tendencies by self-effort in a past birth; otherwise, if one’s tendencies unalterably governed one’s life, there could be no way out at all.
The Yoga Vāsiṣṭha gives us abundant hope. ‘Our previous and present efforts, in case they are in contrary directions, are like two arms fighting against each other. The more powerful of the two always overcomes the other’. Again, ‘One should, therefore, overcome one’s unfavorable destiny by greater effort in the present, gnashing one’s teeth’! The last phrase recognizes the difficulty of the task, but the optimist treats difficulties as steps to achievement.
Our Master was very fond of these verses; he quoted them often. He recommended that we should systematically cultivate these virtues, selecting them one by one and deliberately tending them in ourselves.