Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 7 - Shloka (Verse) 15

व्याख्या--'न मां दुष्कृतिनो मूढाः प्रपद्यन्ते नराधमाः'--जो दुष्कृती और मूढ़ होते हैं, वे भगवान्के शरण नहीं होते। दुष्कृती वे ही होते हैं, जो नाशवान् परिवर्तनशील प्राप्त पदार्थोंमें 'ममता' रखते हैं और अप्राप्त पदार्थोंकी 'कामना' रखते हैं। कामना पूरी होनेपर 'लोभ' और कामनाकी पूर्तिमें बाधा लगनेपर 'क्रोध' पैदा होता है। इस तरह जो 'कामना' में फँसकर व्यभिचार आदि शास्त्र-निषिद्ध विषयोंका सेवन करते हैं, 'लोभ' में फँसकर झूठ, कपट, विश्वासघात, बेईमानी आदि पाप करते हैं और 'क्रोध' के वशीभूत होकर द्वेष, वैर आदि दुर्भावपूर्वक हिंसा आदि पाप करते, हैं वे 'दुष्कृती' हैं।जब मनुष्य भगवान्के सिवाय दूसरी सत्ता मानकर उसको महत्त्व देते हैं, तभी कामना पैदा होती है। कामनापैदा होनेसे मनुष्य मायासे मोहित हो जाते हैं और 'हम जीते रहें तथा भोग भोगते रहें'--यह बात उनको जँच जाती है। इसलिये वे भगवान्के शरण नहीं होते, प्रत्युत विनाशी वस्तु, पदार्थ आदिके शरण हो जाते हैं।तमोगुणकी अधिकता होनेसे सार-असार, नित्य-अनित्य, सत्-असत् ,ग्राह्य-त्याज्य, कर्तव्य-अकर्तव्य आदिकी तरफ ध्यान न देनेवाले भगवद्विमुख मनुष्य 'मूढ़' हैं। दुष्कृती और मूढ़ पुरुष परमात्माकी तरफ चलनेका निश्चय ही नहीं कर सकते, फिर वे परमात्माकी शरण तो हो ही कैसे सकते हैं?
'नराधमाः'कहनेका मतलब है कि वे दुष्कृती और मूढ़ मनुष्य पशुओंसे भी नीचे हैं। पशु तो फिर भी अपनी मर्यादामें रहते हैं, पर ये मनुष्य होकर भी अपनी मर्यादामें नहीं रहते हैं। पशु तो अपनी योनि भोगकर मनुष्ययोनिकी तरफ आ रहे हैं और ये मनुष्य होकर (जिनको कि परमात्माकी प्राप्ति करनेके लिये मनुष्यशरीर दिया), पाप, अन्याय आदि करके नरकों और पशुयोनियोंकी तरफ जा रहे हैं। ऐसे मूढ़तापूर्वक पाप करनेवाले प्राणी नरकोंके अधिकारी होते हैं। ऐसे प्राणियोंके लिये भगवान्ने (गीता 16। 19 20 में) कहा है कि द्वेष रखनेवाले, मूढ़, क्रूर और संसारमें नराधम पुरुषोंको मैं बार-बार आसुरी योनियोंमें गिराता हूँ।' वे आसुरी योनियोंको प्राप्त होकर फिर घोर नरकोंमें जाते हैं।

यदि आपके शरण हुए मनुष्य इस मायासे तर जाते हैं तो फिर सभी आपकी शरण क्यों नहीं लेते इसपर कहते हैं जो कोई पापकर्म करनेवाले मूढ़ और नराधम हैं अर्थात् मनुष्योंमें अधम नीच हैं एवं मायाद्वारा जिनका ज्ञान छीन लिया गया है वे हिंसा मिथ्याभाषण आदि आसुरी भावोंके आश्रित हुए मनुष्य मुझ परमेश्वरकी शरणमें नहीं आते।

If devotion to the Lord is the cause for crossing Maya, then it implies that single-minded devotion is proper for everyone; thus he asks—'Yadi' (If) etc.

Due to being evildoers, due to the preponderance of non-discrimination, and due to the abundance of violence, falsehood, etc., devotion to the Lord is not attained by many beings; this He states with 'Uchyate' (It is said) etc.

Delusion is the cause for committing sin, and therefore there is degradation.

'Sammushitam iva' (as if stolen)—meaning those whose knowledge, i.e., intrinsic consciousness, has been obscured, they are such (apahritajnana).

If those who surrender to You cross this Maya, then why do not all surrender to You, the Supreme Lord alone? In response to this query, He says 'Na' etc.

'Dushkritinah' means evildoers; therefore they are 'vimudhah', meaning deluded; and therefore 'naradhamah', meaning the lowest/vile among men who are devoted to their duties. Because, those whose discriminative knowledge has been 'apahrita' (stolen/taken away) by Maya,

and who have resorted to 'asuram bhavam'—the nature characterized by violence, untruth, etc.—they do not surrender to Me, the Supreme Lord.

Then why did not everyone cross over? To this, He says 'Na mam' etc. Due to being evildoers, they are 'mudha' (deluded), and therefore 'naradhama' (lowest of men).

And due to being 'apahritajnana' (bereft of knowledge), they are deluded, and therefore they have resorted to 'asura bhava' (demoniac nature). And that will be described later by 'pravrittim cha nivrittim cha' (16.7) etc.

'Apahara' (stealing) means suppression/overpowering. And this is stated in Vyasayoga: 'Knowledge, which is the nature of Jivas, is indeed overpowered by Maya.'

Those who delight in 'asus' (vital breaths/senses) are Asuras. And this is stated in the Naradiya: 'The Devas are predominant in knowledge, while the Asuras delight in the asu (vital force/sensual life).'

Why then do not all surrender to You and cross Maya? Anticipating this doubt, He says 'Na mam' etc. Since they are 'dushkritinah' (evildoers), therefore, due to the lack of purity of mind, they are 'mudhah' (deluded)—devoid of discrimination between Self and non-Self. Therefore, being 'naradhamah' (lowest of men), they do not surrender to Me.

Why are they evildoers? Because they are 'apahritajnanah'—those whose knowledge, i.e., Brahman in the form of Undivided Consciousness, has been 'apahrita' (veiled/obscured) by Maya. By this, the Avarana Shakti (veiling power) of Maya is stated.

Furthermore, they have resorted to 'asura bhava'—the mental attitude of Asuras like Virochana, heard in scriptures like 'the self alone is to be worshipped here' (referring to the body), meaning 'the aggregate of body and senses alone is to be fully gratified'. By this, the Vikshepa Shakti (projecting power) of Maya is stated.

Thus, when the Bliss of the Self is veiled by Maya and the delusion of identifying the body with the Self is generated, due to that identification, they commit sins for the nourishment of the body etc.; and becoming deluded by that, these lowest of men do not surrender to Me. The meaning is that Maya alone is the root of all evil.

'Dushkritinah'—evildoers—do not surrender to Me. They are of four kinds based on the gradation of their bad deeds: Mudhas, Naradhamas, those with knowledge stolen by Maya, and those resorting to Asuric nature.

'Mudhas' (the deluded) are those with contrary knowledge; due to ignorance of My nature in the manner previously described, they are attached only to material objects, and they consider the Self—whose sole essence is being subservient (Shesha) to the Lord as previously described—and the objects of enjoyment as subservient to themselves.

'Naradhamas' (the lowest of men) are those who, even though having a general knowledge of My nature, are unworthy of turning towards Me.

'Mayaya apahritajnanah' (those whose knowledge is stolen by Maya) are those whose presented knowledge regarding Me and My glories is stolen by fallacious arguments (kuta-yukti) that propose the impossibility of such things.

'Asuram bhavam ashritah' (those resorting to Demoniac nature) are those for whom the well-established knowledge regarding Me and My glories leads only to hatred.

Each succeeding category is more sinful than the preceding one.

Then why do not all worship You alone? To this, He says 'Na mam' etc. Among men, those who are 'adhamas' (lowest) do not surrender to Me, do not worship Me.

The cause for being lowest is being 'mudhah'—devoid of discrimination. Why is that? Because they are 'dushkritinah'—of sinful character.

Therefore, they are those whose knowledge, even though born from the instructions of scriptures and teachers, has been 'apahrita' (stolen/negated) by Maya.

Consequently, attaining the 'asura bhava' (demoniac nature)—which will be described later as 'hypocrisy, arrogance, pride, anger, and harshness' (16.4)—they do not worship Me.

With the intention of objecting to the restrictive specification in 'Ye prapadyante' (7.14), a doubt is raised—'Kimiti' (Why) etc. The distinction between the doers of good and evil is the direct answer to the doubt; stating their gradation is for the purpose of making known the distinction between forms that are extremely rejectable and extremely acceptable—with this intent, 'Dushkritinah' is spoken.

The word 'chaturvidha' (fourfold) situated in the next verse is dragged here as well due to the mention of four types of persons. To dispel the doubt 'why can't attributes like delusion all be combined in a single person?', the four terms are explained separately. The state between 'mudha' (deluded) and 'apahritajnana' (stolen knowledge) is intended by the word 'naradhama'; with this intent, 'samanyena' (generally) is said. Meaning, even in the absence of firm conviction in Upanishadic meaning, there is general knowledge through well-known history (Itihasa) and Puranas. Their unworthiness to turn towards Him is due to not knowing His easy accessibility, like [not knowing the accessibility of gold in] Sumeru etc.

Only knowledge that has arisen can be stolen; that happens through 'kuta-yukti' (fallacious arguments) born of bad philosophies and heterodox views, which are denoted by the word 'Maya' because they generate strange delusions—with this intent, 'mad-vishayam' is said.

'Resorting to Asuric nature' refers to those whose knowledge is NOT stolen; thus he says 'sudridham upapannam' (firmly established). Meaning, ascertained as uncontradicted by proofs and logic through the most skillful expository processes. The nature related to Asuras is 'Asura Bhava'; indeed, Asuras, even while knowing the Lord to possess surpassing power, practice hatred. The nature of Asuric types will be described in the sixteenth chapter. 'This creation of beings is twofold: Divine and Demoniac. The one devoted to Vishnu-bhakti is Deva, and the opposite is Asura' (Vishnu Dharma 109.74)—according to this maxim, this Asuric nature is indeed hatred towards the Lord; with this intent, it is said 'dveshayaiva bhavati' (leads only to hatred).

Since there is an excess of the knowledge portion in the succeeding categories, there might be a delusion that they are superior; to refute this, he says 'uttarottarah' (the succeeding ones are worse). By the maxim 'Upon transgression by a learned person, the punishment is greater' (Gautama Dharmasutra 2.12.6), the excellence of knowledge itself is the cause for being the greatest sinner here; and the turning away (aversion) despite excess knowledge is indeed due to the excess of past sins; this is the purport.

पूर्व श्लोक में कहा गया है कि मेरे भक्त माया को तर जाते हैं तो इस श्लोक में बता रहे हैं कि कौन से लोग हैं जो मेरी भक्ति नहीं करते हैं। इन दो प्रकार के लोगों का भेद स्पष्ट किये बिना जिज्ञासु साधक सम्यक् प्रकार से यह नहीं जान सकता कि मन की कौन सी प्रवृत्तियां मोह के लक्षण हैं।दुष्कृत्य करने वाले मूढ नराधम लोग ईश्वर की भक्ति नहीं करते हैं जिसका कारण यह है कि उनके विवेक का माया द्वारा हरण कर लिया जाता है। यह एक सर्वविदित तथ्य है कि मनुष्य के उच्च विकास का लक्षण उसकी विवेकवती बुद्धि है। इस बुद्धि के द्वारा वह अच्छाबुरा उच्चनीच नैतिकअनैतिक का विवेक कर पाता है। बुद्धि ही वह माध्यम है जिसके द्वारा मनुष्य अज्ञानजनित जीवभाव के स्वप्न से जागकर अपने शुद्ध चैतन्य स्वरूप का साक्षात् अनुभव कर सकता है।विषयों के द्वारा जो व्यक्ति क्षुब्ध नहीं होता उसमें ही यह विवेकशक्ति प्रभावशाली ढंग से कार्य कर पाती है। मनुष्य में देहात्मभाव जितना अधिक दृढ़ होगा उतनी ही अधिक विषयाभिमुखी उसकी प्रवृत्ति होगी। अत विषयभोग की कामना को पूर्ण करने हेतु वह निंद्य कर्म में भी प्रवृत्त होगा। इस दृष्टि से पाप कर्म का अर्थ है मनुष्यत्व की उच्च स्थिति को पाकर भी स्वस्वरूप के प्रतिकूल किये गये कर्म। स्थूल देह को अपना स्वरूप समझकर मोहित हुए पुरुष ही पापकर्म करते हैं। ऐसे लोगों को यहाँ मूढ़ और आसुरी भाव का मनुष्य कहा गया है। गीता के सोलहवें अध्याय में दैवी और आसुरीभाव का विस्तारपूर्वक वर्णन किया गया है।परन्तु जो पुण्यकर्मी लोग हैं वे चार प्रकार से मेरी भक्ति करते हैं। भगवान् कहते हैं

'Na mam' etc. And those who, despite having a qualified body (human birth), do not respect Me, they are evildoers, lowest of men, deluded, Asuric, and Tamasic

—this is indeed the glory (power) of Maya.

Thinking the subsequent sentence implies something unsuitable to the context, he says 'Tarhi' etc. Meaning: If attaining You is the means to cross Maya, then... 'Tvam prapadya' (having surrendered to You) is implied/remaining. And thus, the statement 'Mam eva' (7.14) would be invalid, this is the idea (if implied that none surrender).

Since terms like 'dushkriti' have no other purpose, their connection as causes is established; but do all five directly cause non-attainment of the Lord, or is there a cause-effect relationship among them? To this expectation, he explains 'dushkrititvat' etc.

'Mudhah' means possessors of false knowledge, because misconception (viparyaya) is well-known to be the effect of unrighteousness (adharma). 'Ata eva'—precisely because they are deluded [they are lowest of men]. Because merely false knowledge does not exist in Devas and superior/middling humans. Since ignorance of the true nature of the substratum is known to be the cause of misconception, they are 'mudha' because they are 'apahritajnana' (those whose knowledge is stolen). 'Ata eva'—precisely because they are lowest of men. In the discussion of the threefold classification of Jivas, since the inclusion of 'naradhamas' within 'asuras' is well-known, it means they do not surrender to Me because they resort to 'asura bhava'.

Objection: Others (Shankara) have explained 'asura bhava' as characterized by violence, lies, etc.; but those devoid of these, like Kshapanakas (heterodox ascetics), also do not surrender to the Lord, so how is this a cause? Answer: 'Sa cha'—Meaning, one or the other of these attributes exists in all of them.

Objection: These attributes should describe those who do not attain the Lord, both eligible and ineligible for liberation; but since those eligible for liberation (Mukti-yogyas) have right knowledge as their nature, how can they be 'apahritajnana'? Answer: 'Apahara' means overpowering. The scriptural statement is also regarding good souls (saj-jivas); it is said regarding the Mukti-yogyas due to ignorance of their resorting to Asuric nature, activities, etc.

To explain it in another way, he says 'Asushu' etc. Those who delight in 'asus'—meaning in the senses, i.e., in gratifying them. 'Asau' (in that) is singular denoting the class/species. Sandhi of words depends on the speaker's intention, so lack of sandhi is not a fault.

In 'Tribhih' (7.13), the cause for the knowledge of the Lord's form being secondary/illusory was stated. But here, they do not surrender to Me due to their own faults, not because My surrender is not the means to cross Maya—thus there is a great difference.

If this is so, then why do not all surrender to You, the Lord alone, to uproot Maya which is the root of all evil? Due to the obstacle of sins accumulated over a long time; thus the Lord says

'Dushkritinah'—those eternally conjoined with dushkrita (sin). Therefore, they are 'naradhamas'—lowest among men, blameworthy by the virtuous here and partakers of thousands of evils in the hereafter. Why do they always commit sins which are the cause of evil? Because they are 'mudhah'—devoid of the discrimination that 'this is the means to good' and 'this is the means to evil'.

When proof (scripture) exists, why do they not discriminate? Because they are 'mayaya apahritajnanah'—those whose knowledge, i.e., capacity for discrimination, has been stolen (blocked) by the aforementioned Maya which has transformed into the delusion of identity with the aggregate of body and senses.

Therefore, resorting to 'asura bhava'—the nature of violence, untruth, etc., which will be described later as 'hypocrisy, arrogance, pride, anger, and harshness' (16.4)—and being unfit to attain Me, they do not surrender to (worship) Me, the Lord of all. Oh, what misfortune is theirs—this is the purport.

Objection: If it is so, why does everyone not become surrendered? To this, He says 'Na mam' etc. 'Dushkritinah'—sinners performing evil deeds; 'Mudhah'—devoid of discrimination like animals; 'Naradhamah'—lowest among men, created only for variety and to fill the world; they do not surrender to Me.

Objection: Why do they not surrender by abandoning sinful deeds etc. through instruction? Answer: 'Mayaya'—Those whose knowledge generated by guru's instruction etc. has been stolen by Maya. By the word 'Maya', the capacity to destroy knowledge is stated. Therefore, it is said in the Devi Purana (Durga Saptashati 1.55): 'That Bhagavati Mahamaya forcibly drags the minds of even the wise and throws them into delusion.'

Objection: Why does the Lord not protect those who desire surrender to the Lord? Answer: 'Asuram bhavam ashritah'—They have attained that state through association with Asuras who are opposed to Me; therefore, they are not protected by Me, this is the idea. By this, it is instructed that surrender should be practiced being free from bad association. Therefore, the prohibition of bad association is stated in Srimad Bhagavatam in verses like 'Na tathasya bhaven mohah' (3.31.35) and 'Sangasteshvapi te prarthyah' (3.25.24) etc.

'Dushkritinah'—evildoers—do not surrender to Me, the Supreme Lord Narayana. They are 'mudhah' (deluded); 'naradhamah'—lowest/vile among men.

And they are 'mayaya apahritajnanah'—those whose knowledge has been stolen by Maya; and they have resorted to 'asura bhava'—characterised by violence, untruth, etc.

(On the other hand) those who are the best of men and performers of good deeds...

Since You are the deliverer from Maya, why then do not all surrender to You alone? To this, He says 'Na mam dushkritinah' etc. True, their 'dushkriti' (evil deed) itself is the obstacle.

By 'resorting to Asuric nature', defects of body and mind are stated. Or, due to deep adherence to the path of Mayavada (doctrine of illusionism), they have resorted to the Asuric nature which will be described later.

Therefore, they are those whose discrimination—meaning ascertainment of Truth—has been stolen by Maya. This is due to the deluding statement 'One becomes averted from the Truth'.

And therefore, these 'naradhamas' (lowest of men) do not surrender to Me; on the contrary, they become haters of the Lord's Form—this the Lord will state later.

न not? माम् to Me? दुष्कृतिनः evildoers? मूढाः the deluded? प्रपद्यन्ते seek? नराधमाः the lowest of men?,मायया by Maya? अपहृतज्ञानाः deprived of knowledge? आसुरम् belonging to demons? भावम् nature? आश्रिताः having taken to.Commentary These three kinds of people have no discrimination between right and wrong? the Real and the unreal. They commit murder? robbery? theft and other kinds of atrocious actions. They speak untruth and injure others in a variety of ways. Those who follow the ways of the demons take the body as the Self like Vivochana and worship it with flowers? scents? unguents? nice clothes and palatable foods of various sorts. They are deluded souls. They try to nourish their body and do various sorts of evil actions to attain this end. Therefore they do not worship Me. Ignorance is the root cause of all these evils. (Cf.XVI.16and20)

Mudhah, the foolish; duskrtinah, evildoers, sinners; who are nara-adhamah, the most depraved among men; who are also apa-hrta-jnanah, deprived of, despoiled of (their) wisdom; mayaya, by Maya; and asritah, who resort to; asuram bhavam, demoniacal, ways, such as cruelty, untruthfulness, etc.; na, do not; prapadyante, take refuge; man, in Me, the supreme God.

'Evil-doers', those who commit evil deeds, do not resort to Me. They are of four types, according to the degree of their evil deeds: (i) the foolish, (ii) the lowest of men, (iii) those persons deprived of knowledge by Maya, and (iv) those given to demoniac nature. 'The foolish' are those who have misconceived knowledge. True knowledge consists in understanding that the self is dependent on the Lord and exists for Him. But 'the foolish' think they are independent and also that all enjoyable things of the world are their own and for their enjoyment. 'The lowest of men' are those who are incapable of turning towards Me, even though My essential nature is known to them generally. 'Persons who are deprived of knowledge by Maya' are those who, though possessing knowledge about Me and My manifestations, are moved by deceitful reasonings to contend that such knowledge is inconsistent and impossible. 'Those of demoniac nature' are those who have positive knowledge about Myself and My manifestation but hate Me. The intensity of sinfulness in these types in the order in which they are successively placed.