A Song of Fortune - A Classical Gita: Chapter 16

(1-3) The fortunate one said: 'When one is fearless, good of heart, persevering in the knowledge of unifying consciousness, compassionate, of restraint, charitable, studious, austere and simple; when one is nonviolent, truthful, free from anger, renounced, peaceful, benevolent, merciful to all, non-possessive, gentle, modest and determined; when one is arduous, forgiving, steadfast, clean, non-envious and not striving for honor, one has the qualities of someone who found his life in the divine. (4) Deceit, conceit, insidiousness, anger and certainly violence and ignorance too, are the qualities of the one who found his life in the unenlightened state, oh son of Prithâ. (5) The divine characteristics are meant to liberate from bondage, while the qualities of the unenlightened on the contrary are the result of being bound. But do not worry, oh son of Pându, for you have found a life in the divine.

(6) There are two types of conditioned beings in this world: the divine ones and the unenlightened. About the divine I spoke at great length; just hear from me about the ones possessed by the material interest, oh son of Prithâ. (7) The ones of darkness do not know how to progress, nor where to stop; they miss the integrity and purity, do not know how to behave and are full of lies. (8) Missing the point they say that the universal manifestation has no controller or foundation, that it rose without any cause and that there is no other cause than the cause of lust. (9) Adhering to this outlook having lost themselves, with the unintelligent the less beneficial activities flourish that lead to the destruction of the world. (10) Confiding in lusts that are insatiable and fooling themselves with boasting and prestige, they, led by illusion, take to the impermanent of material things and thrive in dedication to the impure. (11-12) There's no end to their fears and anxieties, and to the point of death they confide in sense-gratification as the supreme goal to settle for in life. Bound in a network of countless expectations they, being lusty and angry to satisfy their senses and sexual appetites, wish to accumulate wealth by unfair means with that mentality. (13-15) 'Today I won this and that I'll get as well; this is what I want, that is mine and tomorrow I'll even have more of it. That enemy I defeated now and the other ones I'll also destroy. I am the master and controller. I'm the one to enjoy, I'm perfect as I am and the lucky one to be in power. I'm the wealthy one of good company, I'm the one and only, who compares to me? I'll sacrifice and donate, I'm the one to be happy'; this is how they are deluded in their ignorance. (16) Thus perplexed by innumerable worries they are caught in a pool of illusions and land, addicted to sense gratification, in a hell of sorrow. (17) Arrogant and rigid about their wealth and status, they engage, in the full of their delusion, in so-called sacrifices they perform out of vanity, with disregard for the rules and regulations. (18) Materially identified, vainglorious, manipulative, frantic and lusty, they fell enviously into mocking me, I who reside in their hearts as also in the hearts of others. (19) The lowest of mankind, being that envious and deceptive, are time and again cast by me into the material ocean to find an unfavorable new life in the wombs of doubtful mothers. (20) The ones being that unintelligent will, birth after birth achieving lives of darkness, in that way never reach me oh son of aunt Kunti, and be heading for the worst destinations. (21) Lust, anger and greed are in this self-destruction the three gates of hell, and thus one must give up on these three. (22) Freed from these gates of hell a person is of respect for the soul, oh son of Kuntî, and heads thus being blessed, for the supreme destination.

(23) Anyone who forsakes the regulative principles³ as laid down in the scriptures, will be acting according to his own whims and never attain the perfection, the happiness or the goal of transcendence. (24) Thus seen it are the scriptures which set the standard for you to determine what and what not would be your duty; with the regulations explained in the scriptures you should know what type of work must be performed in this world.'