Abhinav Khare deep dives into the 16th chapter of the Bhagvad Geeta where Krishna speaks about how one can differentiate between people with potential to achieve true knowledge and people who are stuck in the cycle of death and rebirth owing to their own desires
Krishna tells Arjun the difference between the characteristics of a wise man and a man who has demonic traits in him. An enlightened person has divine traits which makes him a potential sage. The traits which differentiate him from others are: purity of heart, integrity, compassion, courage and an ever so loving heart. According to Krishna, the traits of ignorance, anger, hypocrisy and conceit make a person demonic. Krishna then tells Arjun that he sees divine traits in him. People who have demonic traits in them think that the world has no morals, no order, no truth and is also devoid of God. These are the people who go to hell because they allow themselves to be governed with their never-ending desires. These are the men who are endlessly reborn as demons and repeatedly get trapped in hell.
Favourite Shlok
अहङ्कारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं च संश्रिता: |
मामात्मपरदेहेषु प्रद्विषन्तोऽभ्यसूयका: || - Shlok 18
The people with demonic traits are blinded by ego, strength, arrogance, desire and anger. The even disregard and disrespect Krishna, the Supreme Soul who is also in their heart and the hearts of other people.
Analysis
In this chapter, Krishna teaches Arjun how to differentiate between people who have the potential to achieve true knowledge and the people who get stuck in the cycle of death and rebirth owing to their own desires. According to Krishna, the divine traits are when a person understands the true nature of God and the Self whereas, the traits which keep a person bound to his body and his wants are demonic traits. People who have demonic traits in them are never satisfied or happy. These people also lack faith: both for God and for the universe. These people are born into these demonic incarnations repeatedly. Thus, they have no hope to be released from these incarnations and be in union with God. They can never gain the divine qualities which can help them be freed from this cycle and are forever pulled down by their own desires.
About Abhinav Khare:
Abhinav Khare is the CEO of AsiaNetNews Network and also the host of a daily show named Deep Dive with AK. He has a lifetime collection of books and gadgets and has already pinged more than hundred cities around the globe.
He is a tech entrepreneur, who is passionate about policy, technology, economy and philosophy from ancient India. He earned an MS Engineering from the ETH Zurich and an MBA Finance from the London Business School.
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