Verse 16.4

Verse 16.4: “Hypocrisy, Arrogance, excessive Self-conceit, Wrath, Harshness, and (above all) Nescience, belong, O Son of Pandu, to one born to the Demoniac Estate. (217)

Commentary called Jnaneshwari by Jnaneshwar:

Of the demerits of the Demoniacal Estate the one that is most notorious for its power is ‘hypocrisy’ (dambha), which I describe first. One’s mother although as sacred as holy waters, becomes the cause of taking one to hell if displayed in public in a naked condition; the preceptor’s (esoteric) teaching even though leading to good results, produces evil consequences if proclaimed publicly. Just as a boat rescues a drowning person caught in a great flood and quickly carries him safe to the (other) bank; but the same boat, if (it is) fastened to his head, drowns him. Or it is like food, which although known as the means of subsistence (of life) becomes poison, if taken in excess because it is good and palatable. Therefore, religion (religious acts) which is a friend, in this as also in the next world, if made the subject of tom-toming by a person (blowing his own trumpet), becomes the cause of blame (sin) even though religion by itself is protective. If the religious acts performed by one, are given wide publicity by means of copious and eloquent words, they become impious, Oh Warrior, and that is what is called hypocrisy (dabha [dambha?]).

(Now hear about arrogance—darpa). A fool whose tongue has hardly learnt the very ABC (of general education) treats with contempt the conference of persons knowing the Brahmic Lore. The horse of an expert horseman scoffs at the very “Airavata” (Indra’s elephant); or the chameleon over the thorny hedge considers the very Heaven as too low (in height). The fire (flames) of burning grass reach even the sky or a fish in a small pond does not count much even the sea. One (of arrogance) is intoxicated with the possession of women, riches, education, praise and great honour, in the way a mendicant thinks himself very great being possessed of (surplus) food given by others, that would suffice for one day. (It is as if) an unfortunate one should dismantle his own house because of the cool shade of clouds, or a fool should destroy a cistem of water after looking at and depending upon the water of a mirage. In short to be stiff and overweening at the acquisition of riches, is arrogance (darpa), and make no exception to this.

(Now hear about excessive Self-conceit—abhimāna). The world has got full faith in the Vedas and in this faith God is held in high reverence: and that God is the Sun who gives light to the universe. The world aspires for the sovereignty over the entire universe: the world (also) likes that it should not meet death, what wonder is there then if the world (with these motives) begins to sing zealously the praises of God and worships Him. But even the hearing of such praise creates jealousy in one of the demoniacal tendencies and that feeling of jealousy goes on increasing. He says he would swallow and digest God, and poison the Vedas; he tries to annihilate His protection (which people secure) through laudation. He does not tolerate (to hear) even the name of God, through illusion or conceit in the way the moth dislikes the lampflame or a glow-worm hates the Sun, or the lapwing bears enmity towards the Sea. He considers even his own father a rival (co-wife—savata) (because he would be a sharer in the estate). One stiff with self-sufficiency, self-conceited and overbearing should be known as the trodden (royal) road leading to Hell.

(Now hear about wrath—krodha). The mind of a Demoniac person is saturated with the fiery poison of anger simply because he happens to see others enjoying happiness. Adding a drop of water to boiling oil, makes the oil burst into flames; or the jackal suffers from heart-burning at seeing the Moon; or the sinful owl loses its vision at the rise of the Sun; or the morning time which is so very cool and refreshing to the ordinary world, is more painful than death to a thief; or the milk is turned into subtle poison in the stomach of a serpent; or the submarine fire gets more wild with the drink of sea water and does not cool down. In that way, when one’s wrath (inward burning) is greatly increased at seeing the learning, good humour and prosperity (happiness) of others that emotion is called ‘Wrath’ (krodha).

(Now hear about harishness—pāruṣa [paruṣa/parūṣa?]) One whose mind is just like the hidden hole of serpents, whose vision is fiery as sharp-pointed arrows, whose speech is like a shower of live coal, while all other actions of his are like a rugged saw possessing sharp teeth—one with such fierce temperament is the most heinous of all the human beings, and is also harshness incarnate.

(Now hear the signs of Nescience—ajñāna). A rock knows no sense of touch such as cold or heat, or a person born blind knows no distinction such as day or night. The fire while it rages wild, makes no distinction between things consumable or otherwise, or the Paris (an imaginary thing, the touch of which converts iron into gold) knows no distinction between iron and gold: or a ladle although immersed into dishes of diverse tastes, itself knows not their taste: or the wind cannot distinguish between a fine road or a crooked one. In that way utter ignorance (blindness) in regard to choice of actions, from among the mass of right and wrong ones, or the putting into its mouth, on the part of a child, anything that it sees, (lays its hands on), without knowing if such a thing is clean or unclean, or the state of the mind in which it cannot, while consuming, taste the sweetness or the bitterness of the mixture made up of merits and sins-that state is called ‘Nescience’ and there is no doubt about it. Thus I have explained to you the signs of all the six demerits.

Even though only six in number, these add great strength to the ‘Demoniacal Estate’, in the way the cobra although he has a small body, has very subtle poison in it, or in the way the three kinds of fire. 1) the one at the time of world dissolution, 2) the lightning and 3) the (fabulous) submarine fire, although constituting a small row (of figures) find that even the whole universe is not sufficient to form the tiny morsel (taken at the commencement of a meal as a ritual offering to Prana-one of the five deities) i.e. the universe barely satisfies an infintesimal requirement of their—(fires’)—hunger when they get into full play. When the three (deranged) humours in the body (Phlegm-windbile) combine in one, he cannot escape death, even were he to surrender himself completely to God Brahmadev [Brahmadeva] and seek protection.

These six (constituting the Demoniacal Estate) are twice in number of that triad. The Demoniacal Estate is founded on these six demerits and consequently, it never in any way gets weak. The evil-fierce-planets (at times) should cluster together in some single sign of the Zodiac (rāśī), or all the sins should come to the slanderer, or all sorts of diseases should occupy the body of a dying person, or all the inauspicious astrological combinations (yoga) should concentrate at some ill-omened time, or one reposing full trust should be delivered up to the thieves, or an exhausted person should be pushed into high flood—in all these ways, these six demerits put a person into evil situations.

All these six amass themselves in a human being in the way a seven-stinged scorpion should sting a dying sheep. These six combine together and add to the strength of such as sink into worldly affairs, and say that they would not take to the path of liberation (even though inclined a bit in that direction); and such persons are ultimately forced to occupy a position on a plane lower than that of immovables (such as stones and trees), descending (meanwhile) gradually step by step and taking births in heinous orders one after another. Thus we have made clear to you distinctly the different signs of the two Estates.