Scientific evidence
suggests that the closest relatives of modern human beings should have been
evolved around 4.6 to 6.2 million year ago and anatomically modern human would
have been evolved about 200,000 years ago. During the process of the evolution
of the human beings, they have undergone huge progressions from the point of
development at anatomical to mental level. There was a time when man used to
eat raw animal meat and eating even human meat was considered as normal need.
There was little difference between the animals and human. However, as the time
passed and mind developed more and more, the man started cooking food and
changed habits to forbid eating human flesh. The man also started to give rise
to feelings, emotions and sensitivity for fellow human beings and to respect
others rights to live. The idea of live and let live was accepted. The ancient
India decaled that the world is a family by saying; “Vasudhev Kutumbakam (the
world is a family).” As the mind progressed, the idea of good and bad act was
subjected to scrutiny and punishment. This process was part of development of
human minds and inner self which lead to rise of the internal voice of the
human being for judging an act as good or bad. The concept of good and bad too
differed from place to place and region to region. Few hundred years ago,
Europe had a tradition of having only one wife as a part of good act whereas in
India, having more than one wife was not considered bad. The society is still
evolving and what one considers good today, might be termed as a bad act tomorrow.
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| PIC: purefreedom.org |
It would be
pertinent to note that the idea of good or bad has been evolving from the inner
voices of human beings and when it finds acceptance by majority in the society,
the same become the societal norms. Working against the societal norms is
prohibited by law and draw punishment from the governing authorities. This leads
to the division of the society in two categories of the people: the good and
the bad; moral and immoral. Ancient India called the knowledge to discriminate
between the good and bad as the real wealth. The good qualities fall under the domain
of daivi sampati (divine or Godly wealth or virtues) and the bad qualities fall
under the domain aasuri sampati (demonic wealth or vitues).
The daivi sampati
and aasuri sampati have evolved from the belief system of the people. The
people who believed that the human system consists of only the physical sensory
system, will try to find pleasure through the sensory system only. Naturally
such people will always be in a situation of conflicts with other as everybody
will act to please their own senses disrespecting others rights. Such a society
will certain face violence, greed and other evils giving rise to more and more aasuri
sampati. There are other set of people who believe that there is something
beyond the sensory system which is the real self, a pure spark of the Divine. Though
such people consider the physical sensory system as aids to maintain and
operate the physical body system in the world, they strive to go beyond the
sensory system and sensory pleasures to reach something higher. Such people who
strive for the higher powers beyond sense perceptions are considered to be endowed
with daivi sampati.
This age old
division of the people with aasuri sampati and daivi sampati is found in every
religion. The people who are endowed with the daivy sampati found the heaven
here itself on this earth and they are the real devas (the Gods). Similarly,
the people possessing aasuri sampati live in the hell, here itself on this
earth and they are the aasuras, the demons. The heaven and hell exists here itself
and similarly the devas and asuras too exist on this earth simultaneously. The
percentage in the two categories may differ from time to time but the humanity
as a whole is striving to increase the daivi sampati. The people though always
face dilemma and switching over from one quality to other but at the end realize
the futility of possessing aasuri sampati and try to reform at some point of
time in life.
Lord Krishna in
Shrimadbhagwad Gita explains the nature of the two kinds of people with the
daivi sampati and aasuri sampati in few verses under chapter 16. Here, we will
discuss the daivi sampati which leads human beings to liberation from the
bondage of in the worldly influences.
अभयं सत्वसंशुद्धिर्ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थिति: |
दानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्यायस्तप आर्जवम् || 1||
अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्याग: शान्तिरपैशुनम् |
दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम् || 2||
तेज: क्षमा धृति: शौचमद्रोहोनातिमानिता |
भवन्ति सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातस्य भारत || 3||
दानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्यायस्तप आर्जवम् || 1||
अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्याग: शान्तिरपैशुनम् |
दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम् || 2||
तेज: क्षमा धृति: शौचमद्रोहोनातिमानिता |
भवन्ति सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातस्य भारत || 3||
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha
abhayaṁ sattva-sanśhuddhir jñāna-yoga-vyavasthitiḥ
dānaṁ damaśh cha yajñaśh cha svādhyāyas tapa ārjavam
ahinsā satyam akrodhas tyāgaḥ śhāntir apaiśhunam
dayā bhūteṣhv aloluptvaṁ mārdavaṁ hrīr achāpalam
tejaḥ kṣhamā dhṛitiḥ śhaucham adroho nāti-mānitā
bhavanti sampadaṁ daivīm abhijātasya bhārata
abhayaṁ sattva-sanśhuddhir jñāna-yoga-vyavasthitiḥ
dānaṁ damaśh cha yajñaśh cha svādhyāyas tapa ārjavam
ahinsā satyam akrodhas tyāgaḥ śhāntir apaiśhunam
dayā bhūteṣhv aloluptvaṁ mārdavaṁ hrīr achāpalam
tejaḥ kṣhamā dhṛitiḥ śhaucham adroho nāti-mānitā
bhavanti sampadaṁ daivīm abhijātasya bhārata
Meaning:
The Supreme Divine Personality said: O scion of Bharat, these are the
saintly virtues of those endowed with a divine nature—fearlessness, purity of
mind, steadfastness in spiritual knowledge, charity, control of the senses,
performance of sacrifice, study of the sacred books, austerity, and
straightforwardness; non-violence, truthfulness, absence of anger,
renunciation, peacefulness, restraint from fault-finding, compassion toward all
living beings, absence of covetousness, gentleness, modesty, and lack of
fickleness; vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, cleanliness, bearing enmity toward
none, and absence of vanity.
In the
above three shlokas (verses), Lord Krishna describes the twenty six virtues of daivi
sampati. These virtues are required to be cultivated by constant practice in
the spiritual journey by the mankind and to achieve emancipation from the
bondage.
1. Fearlessness: Lord Krishna advocates fearlessness from the ups and downs
of life. With fear, man cannot face the challenges of life and uplift self. The
fearful person cannot conduct him/herself with morality and can fall prey to
evil. Surrendering the self to almighty lead one to a state of fearlessness.
2. Purity of mind: The purity of mind is achieving inner cleanliness; the
purity of thoughts leads to purity of speech and purity in actions. The message
is simple; allow only the pure thoughts to dwell in the mind, speak the truth
and do the right things.
3. Steadfastness in spiritual knowledge: One has to constantly remind to the
self that come what may, the path to the spiritual knowledge is foremost and is
earnestly adopted in life as a part of daily living. This will help one to be
always on the right path avoiding the pitfalls in the journey of life.
4. Charity: Charity means giving alms and helping the needy for good cause.
This way one is contributing to the society in uplifting the needy and removing
their cause of suffering. Charity should not be done with selfish motive or
with a feeling of superiority. You are only playing a small role in God’s plan
by way of charity and nothing else. Never expect anything in return.
5. Control of the senses: The physical senses must be kept in check and lure
for sensory pleasures should be avoided as they are the part of aasuri sampati
and gateways to the hell. Remember that they may give short term pleasure but
will lead you to long term pain. The restraining of senses is essential on the
path of spiritual journey.
6. Performance of sacrifice: Sacrificing for the cause of society and truth
is essential in the spiritual journey to accumulate daivi sampati and to please
the God.
7. Study of the sacred books: The knowledge is the truth and the knowledge
is the power. In the divine journey, the knowledge acquired through the study
of sacred scriptures illuminates the path of spiritual journey and helps in
maintaining the pace of the journey.
8. Austerity: The austerity signifies avoiding unnecessary sensory pleasures
and voluntary acceptance of hardship of life if one has to face it. This helps
us in maintaining purity of body and mind.
9. Straightforwardness: Straightforwardness in speech and action is essential
in spiritual journey. Manipulative thoughts and action leads one to aasuri sampati
and takes one away from the right path.
10. Non-violence: Non violence is non-injury to others in true sense through
the thoughts and deeds. None has right to curtail other’s right to live and
killing others are the gateways to the hell and aasuri sampati. The world today
is full of crimes and murders and is gravely inflicted with the heinous acts of
terrors. Therefore, it is the principle of non-violence (Ahimsa) which can only
save the humanity from disaster.
11. Truthfulness: Truthfulness is Godliness. One should desist from untruth
and follow the path of truthfulness to achieve the daivi sampati and overall
good of the society.
12. Absence of anger: When anger takes over a person, he/she loses the powers
to think rationally and truthfully and leads one to degradation. Avoid the
anger, remain calm and take the right action to reach the God.
13. Renunciation: The materialistic opulence is not bad but excessive
possessiveness and attachment to it is the cause of worry and degradation of
daivi sampati. The wealth and opulence should be utilized for the service of
the society and the God.
14. Peacefulness: Peace is the joy and peacefulness is the constant state of
joy within. It helps in maintaining inner equilibrium despite worldly setbacks
and hazards in life.
15. Restraint from fault-finding: The world is full of good and bad
qualities. Do not focus on the bad qualities of the people and get diverted
from the path of truth. Seeing the bad in people leads us to downfall and
seeing the virtues has a purifying effect on us.
16. Compassion toward all living beings: See the self in others and treat
them the way you like to be treated by others. Compassion is virtue which helps
us in rising above the self and helping in eliminating the suffering of the
society.
17. Absence of covetousness: Greed is the hunger to accumulate more and more than
what one actually needs. People adopt unfair means too to accumulate wealth
illegitimately in spite of the fact that they do not know when the time will
snatch them from this earth. One should free oneself from this covetousness and
lead a life of joy and contentment.
18. Gentleness: The crudeness in thoughts and behavior is to be avoided on
the spiritual path. The gentleness is a sign of spiritual progress and enlightenment.
19. Modesty: One must perform himself/herself as prescribed by the scripture.
Arrogance and false pride leads nowhere. History remembers that the mighty
British Empire where it is said that there was no sun set ever, collapsed at the
hands of time.
20. Lack of fickleness: This is avoiding diversions and digressions from the
path of spiritual journey. Avoiding the temptation and remaining always on the
prescribed path is daivi sampati, a divine virtue.
21. Vigor: Purity of mind and determination to remain on the path gives the
body and mind the much needed vitality in the spiritual journey. This brings
power and ultimate success.
22. Forgiveness: Forgiveness is not weakness but a strength and ability to
tolerate the mistakes of others without a feeling of retaliation. Else, the
mistakes of others will continue to haunt one and inflict greater injuries to
the body and mind.
23. Fortitude: The inner determination makes one to make the impossible
possible. Never lose the hope and continue to walk on the prescribed path. Goal
will be constantly coming nearer and nearer to you leading to success may not
be today but certainly tomorrow.
24. Cleanliness: Cleanliness is Godliness. The inner and outer cleanliness is
equally important. Your external purity reflects the internal purity too.
Purity and cleanliness is a great virtue, the daivi sampati.
25. Bearing enmity toward none: No one is your friend and no one is your
enemy in this world. You have come alone and will go alone. Everybody is on his/her
own journey pre-decided by the individual karmic account. Don’t accumulate hurt
and hatred in your heart. If harbored, it becomes big impediments in your
journey. Be free from it and achieve spiritual progress.
26. Absence of vanity: Arrogance, self pride, boastfulness, ostentation are
the enemies on the spiritual path. What you possess is the gif of God and
therefore, it is your duty to be grateful to Him for it. Remember, even the God
does not glorifies Himself in spite of being the creator, the sustainer and the
dissolver of the universe.
In the
next article we will discuss the aasuri sampati which leads humanity to the demonic
state, degradation, destruction and bondage.
Readers may also like to my other blog: Learning from Bhagwad Geeta, the Song Divine, Song of God at URL:
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