- 16.1श्री भगवानुवाचLord Shri Krishna continued: Fearlessness, clean living, unceasing concentration on wisdom, readiness to give, self-control, a spirit of sacrifice, regular study of the scriptures, austerity, candor,
- 16.2अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्यागः शान्तिरपैशुनम्।दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम्Harmlessness, truth, absence of wrath, renunciation, contentment, straightforwardness, compassion towards all, uncovetousness, courtesy, modesty, and constancy.
- 16.3तेजः क्षमा धृतिः शौचमद्रोहो नातिमानिता।Valor, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, freedom from hate and vanity—these are the qualities of one who possesses the divine, O Arjuna!
- 16.4दम्भो दर्पोऽभिमानश्च क्रोधः पारुष्यमेव च।अज्ञानं चाभिजातस्य पार्थ सम्पदमासुरीम्Hypocrisy, pride, insolence, cruelty, and ignorance belong to those born of godless qualities.
- 16.5दैवी सम्पद्विमोक्षाय निबन्धायासुरी मता।मा शुचः सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातोऽसि पाण्डवGodly qualities lead to liberation; godless ones lead to bondage. Do not be anxious, Prince! You have the Godly qualities.
- 16.6द्वौ भूतसर्गौ लोकेऽस्मिन् दैव आसुर एव च।दैवो विस्तरशः प्रोक्त आसुरं पार्थ मे श्रृणुNo changes needed.
- 16.7प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च जना न विदुरासुराः।न शौचं नापि चाचारो न सत्यं तेषु विद्यतेThe godless do not know how to act or renounce; they lack both purity and truth. They do not understand the right principles of conduct.
- 16.8असत्यमप्रतिष्ठं ते जगदाहुरनीश्वरम्।अपरस्परसम्भूतं किमन्यत्कामहैतुकम्They say the universe is an accident with no purpose and no God. Life is created through sexual union, a product of lust and nothing else.
- 16.9एतां दृष्टिमवष्टभ्य नष्टात्मानोऽल्पबुद्धयः।प्रभवन्त्युग्रकर्माणः क्षयाय जगतोऽहिताःThinking thus, these degraded souls, these enemies of mankind—whose intelligence is negligible and whose deeds are monstrous—come into the world only to destroy.
- 16.10काममाश्रित्य दुष्पूरं दम्भमानमदान्विताः।मोहाद्गृहीत्वासद्ग्राहान्प्रवर्तन्तेऽशुचिव्रताःGiving themselves up to insatiable passions, hypocritically, self-sufficiently, and arrogantly, cherishing false conceptions founded on delusion, they work only to carry out their own unholy purposes.
- 16.11चिन्तामपरिमेयां च प्रलयान्तामुपाश्रिताः।कामोपभोगपरमा एतावदिति निश्िचताःPoring anxiously over evil resolutions that only end in death, seeking only the gratification of desire as the highest goal, and seeing nothing beyond—
- 16.12आशापाशशतैर्बद्धाः कामक्रोधपरायणाः।ईहन्ते कामभोगार्थमन्यायेनार्थसञ्चयान्Caught in the toils of a hundred vain hopes, enslaved by passion and wrath, they accumulate hoards of unjust wealth, only to indulge their sensual desires.
- 16.13इदमद्य मया लब्धमिमं प्राप्स्ये मनोरथम्।इदमस्तीदमपि मे भविष्यति पुनर्धनम्Today I have gained this; tomorrow I will fulfill another desire; this wealth is mine now, and the rest will soon be mine.
- 16.14असौ मया हतः शत्रुर्हनिष्ये चापरानपि।ईश्वरोऽहमहं भोगी सिद्धोऽहं बलवान्सुखीI have slain one enemy; I will slay the others too. I am worthy of enjoying; I am the Almighty, perfect, powerful, and happy.
- 16.15आढ्योऽभिजनवानस्मि कोऽन्योऽस्ति सदृशो मया।यक्ष्ये दास्यामि मोदिष्य इत्यज्ञानविमोहिताःI am wealthy, I am of noble birth; who can compare with me? I will sacrifice, I will give, I will pay—and I will enjoy. Thus blinded by ignorance,
- 16.16अनेकचित्तविभ्रान्ता मोहजालसमावृताः।प्रसक्ताः कामभोगेषु पतन्ति नरकेऽशुचौPerplexed by discordant thoughts, entangled in the snares of desire, infatuated by passion, they sink into the depths of hell.
- 16.17आत्मसम्भाविताः स्तब्धा धनमानमदान्विताः।यजन्ते नामयज्ञैस्ते दम्भेनाविधिपूर्वकम्Self-conceited, stubborn, wealthy, proud, and insolent, they make a show of their patronage, disregarding the norms of propriety.
- 16.18अहङ्कारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं च संश्रिताः।मामात्मपरदेहेषु प्रद्विषन्तोऽभ्यसूयकाःPuffed up by power and inordinate conceit, swayed by lust and wrath, these wicked people hate Me, Who am within them as I am within all.
- 16.19तानहं द्विषतः क्रूरान्संसारेषु नराधमान्।क्षिपाम्यजस्रमशुभानासुरीष्वेव योनिषुThose who thus hate Me, who are cruel, the dregs of mankind, I condemn them to a continuous, miserable, and godless rebirth.
- 16.20असुरीं योनिमापन्ना मूढा जन्मनि जन्मनि।मामप्राप्यैव कौन्तेय ततो यान्त्यधमां गतिम्So, reborn, they spend life after life enveloped in delusion, and they never reach Me, O Prince, but degenerate into even lower forms of life.
- 16.21त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः।कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत्The gates of hell are three: lust, wrath, and avarice; they destroy the Self, so avoid them.
- 16.22एतैर्विमुक्तः कौन्तेय तमोद्वारैस्त्रिभिर्नरः।आचरत्यात्मनः श्रेयस्ततो याति परां गतिम्These are the gates that lead to darkness; if one avoids them, they will ensure their own welfare and eventually attain liberation.
- 16.23यः शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारतः।न स सिद्धिमवाप्नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम्But he who neglects the commands of the scriptures and follows the promptings of passion does not attain perfection, happiness, or the final goal.
- 16.24तस्माच्छास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ।ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रविधानोक्तं कर्म कर्तुमिहार्हसिTherefore, whenever there is doubt as to whether you should do something or not, let the scriptures guide your conduct. In the light of the scriptures, you should labor your whole life.