Chapter 16
Frailty of Thought
This chapter of 24 slokas, known as daivãsura sampad vibhãga yoga, The Characteristics of Virtuous and the Vile, deals with all aspects of virtue and evil including how they affect human life.
S19 which implies that the Supreme Spirit condemns to hell those who hate Him is an obvious interpolation that contravenes Lord's affirmative statement in s29 ch.9, ‘None I favour; slight I none / But devout Mine all gain Me true’ and other such averred in many a context in this text.
Be that as it may, when He is the indweller in all beings as postulated by the Lord himself, won’t the interpolative proposition of s19 amount to self-condemnation!
1
Thus spoke the Lord:
Pure in heart ’n courage to boot
Even mind with helping hand
Works who hard ’n tries to grasp
Austere, upright, and well-read –
2
Even tempered, loves he peace
Liberal minded with kind heart
Calm ’n truthful, well mannered
Fickle he not or calumnious
Modest natured covets he not –
3
Free of bias he’s fair-minded
Strong in will, he stalls envy
Humble, and he forgives too
He’s virtuous thus earmarked.
4
Make all vile, rude guys all
Vainglorious ’n haughty too,
Besides being indignant
No less are they indulgent.
5
Gives as virtue man freedom
Keeps him vileness ever constrained.
6
World is as of good ’n bad
Serves thee to know latter too.
7
Conduct of theirs lacks virtue
Bear they demeanour that’s impure.
8
Branding beings sexual products
Reckon not such in God ’n truth.
9
These small minds, of ruined souls
Wreck they world with acts of wrath.
10
Pride ’n lust, long wish list
Vile in conceit live impure.
11
Seeing life as one to gloat
Vile by impulse go to lengths.
12
Seek vile creatures ever shortcuts
On way to wants, they ill-get wealth.
13
Think all vile, in like terms -
This is mine so let me keep
Why not have I more of it.
14
Foe this mine I’ve truly floored
Won’t I tackle the rest of them
Sure I’m Lord of mine own world.
15
Note all vile, gloat as such -
Besides wealthy, I’m well-born
Won’t I give and enjoy too.
16
To their hurt in illusion vile
End up slaves of joys of flesh.
17
In vainglory live all vile
And for show-off spend they well.
18
Blinded by pride, lustful lot
Me they ill-treat lay in them.
20
Live all deluded far from Me
Depraved ladder they go down.
21
Detours, lust, wrath ’n greed
Self-destruct to go hell-ward.
22
Steer if clear, perils these men
See they then the path perfect.
23
In their impulse vile impinge
Upon the scriptures that hold good
And thus keep ever from Supreme.
24
Ordain scriptures rights ’n wrongs
It’s now left to choose thy course.
Ends thus:
Frailty of Thought,
The Sixteenth Chapter
Of Bhagavad-Gita, Treatise of self-help.
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Bhagavad-Gita is the most beautiful, perhaps the only true philosophical song existing in any known tongue’ – so opined William von Humboldt, who wrote seven-hundred verses in its praise.
