अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिर्ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिः ।दानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्यायस्तप आर्जवम् ॥
Abhayam sattvasanshuddhirjnanayogavyavasthitihDanam damashcha yajnashcha svadhyayastapa arjavam
Krishna speaks. He begins a list of the qualities of one born to the divine endowment (daivī sampad), which runs to verse 3: fearlessness, purity of mind (sattva-saṃśuddhi), steadiness in the path of knowledge (jñāna-yoga), giving, self-control, sacrifice (yajña), study of the scriptures (svādhyāya), austerity (tapas) and straightness.
Explanation written for this site and checked against the cited edition. Free to quote with credit.
अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्यागः शान्तिरपैशुनम् ।दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम् ॥
Ahinsa satyamakrodhastyagah shantirapaishunamDaya bhuteshvaloluptvam mardavam hrirachapalam
The list goes on: non-harming (ahiṃsā), truthfulness, freedom from anger, renunciation, calm, not speaking ill of others, kindness to all beings, freedom from greed, gentleness, a sense of shame at wrong (hrī) and freedom from restless, pointless action.
तेजः क्षमा धृतिः शौचमद्रोहो नातिमानिता ।भवन्ति सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातस्य भारत ॥
Tejah kshama dhritih shauchamadroho natimanitaBhavanti sampadam daivimabhijatasya bharata
Krishna ends the list: vigour (tejas), forgiveness, firmness, cleanness, not wishing harm to anyone, and no excess of pride. These, he tells Arjuna (Bharata), belong to one born to the divine endowment. The schools explain what this endowment is (see the views).
दम्भो दर्पोऽभिमानश्च क्रोधः पारुष्यमेव च ।अज्ञानं चाभिजातस्य पार्थ सम्पदमासुरीम् ॥
Dambho darpobhimanashcha krodhah parushyameva chaAjnanam chabhijatasya partha sampadamasurim
Krishna now names the asura endowment (āsurī sampad). In the old stories the asuras are the opponents of the devas, and Besant's note explains the word so. Hypocrisy, arrogance, excess of pride, anger, harshness and ignorance, he tells Arjuna (Partha), belong to one born to this endowment.
दैवी सम्पद्विमोक्षाय निबन्धायासुरी मता ।मा शुचः सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातोऽसि पाण्डव ॥
Daivi sampadvimokshaya nibandhayasuri mataMa shuchah sampadam daivimabhijatosi pandava
Krishna says the divine endowment is held to lead to freedom (vimokṣa), and the asura endowment to bondage. Then he tells Arjuna (Pandava) not to grieve: Arjuna, he says, is born to the divine endowment. The schools explain why Krishna adds this (see the views).
द्वौ भूतसर्गौ लोकेऽस्मिन्दैव आसुर एव च ।दैवो विस्तरशः प्रोक्त आसुरं पार्थ मे शृणु ॥
Dvau bhutasargau lokesmindaiva asura eva chaDaivo vistarashah prokta asuram partha me shrinu
Krishna says there are two kinds of created beings in this world, the divine (daiva) and the asura. He has spoken of the divine at length; now he asks Arjuna (Partha) to hear about the asura. The commentators read what follows as a nature found in people, not as a people (see the views). Readings of these verses differ between schools and teachers, and the wording is the text's, not the view of this library.
प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च जना न विदुरासुराः ।न शौचं नापि चाचारो न सत्यं तेषु विद्यते ॥
Pravrittim cha nivrittim cha jana na vidurasurahNa shaucham napi chacharo na satyam teshu vidyate
Krishna says that people of the asura nature do not know pravṛtti and nivṛtti: what to take up and what to turn away from. In them there is no cleanness, no right conduct and no truth. The commentators explain the two words differently (see the views).
असत्यमप्रतिष्ठं ते जगदाहुरनीश्वरम् ।अपरस्परसंभूतं किमन्यत्कामहैतुकम् ॥
Asatyamapratishtham te jagadahuranishvaramAparasparasambhutam kimanyatkamahaitukam
Krishna tells what such people say of the world: that it is "without truth, without a foundation, without a Lord (anīśvara)", that it comes from union, one with another, and that desire alone is its cause. The schools read this verse differently (see the views).
एतां दृष्टिमवष्टभ्य नष्टात्मानोऽल्पबुद्धयः ।प्रभवन्त्युग्रकर्माणः क्षयाय जगतोऽहिताः ॥
Etam drishtimavashtabhya nashtatmanolpabuddhayahPrabhavantyugrakarmanah kshayaya jagatohitah
Krishna says that, holding to this view, these people, whose selves are ruined (naṣṭātman) and whose understanding is small, do fierce deeds; they rise as enemies of the world, for its ruin.
काममाश्रित्य दुष्पूरं दम्भमानमदान्विताः ।मोहाद्गृहीत्वाऽसद्ग्राहान्प्रवर्तन्तेऽशुचिव्रताः ॥
Kamamashritya dushpuram dambhamanamadanvitahMohadgrihitvasadgrahanpravartanteshuchivratah
Krishna goes on. Such people give themselves to desire that can never be filled. They are full of hypocrisy, pride and arrogance. Out of delusion they take up false ideas, and they act with impure vows (aśuci-vrata).
चिन्तामपरिमेयां च प्रलयान्तामुपाश्रिताः ।कामोपभोगपरमा एतावदिति निश्चिताः ॥
Chintamaparimeyam cha pralayantamupashritahKamopabhogaparama etavaditi nishchitah
Krishna says they take on endless cares that end only at death. They hold the enjoyment of desires as the highest aim, sure that this is all there is. The sentence goes on into verse 12.
आशापाशशतैर्बद्धाः कामक्रोधपरायणाः ।ईहन्ते कामभोगार्थमन्यायेनार्थसञ्चयान् ॥
Ashapashashatairbaddhah kamakrodhaparayanahIhante kamabhogarthamanyayenarthasanchayan
Bound by hundreds of ropes of hope, given over to desire and anger, they try, Krishna says, to pile up wealth by unjust means, for the enjoyment of their desires.
इदमद्य मया लब्धमिमं प्राप्स्ये मनोरथम् ।इदमस्तीदमपि मे भविष्यति पुनर्धनम् ॥
Idamadya maya labdhamimam prapsye manorathamIdamastidamapi me bhavishyati punardhanam
Krishna now gives their thoughts in their own words: "This I have gained today; this wish I shall fulfil. This wealth is mine, and this too shall be mine." Their words go on to verse 15.
असौ मया हतः शत्रुर्हनिष्ये चापरानपि ।ईश्वरोऽहमहं भोगी सिद्धोऽहं बलवान्सुखी ॥
Asau maya hatah shatrurhanishye chaparanapiIshvarohamaham bhogi siddhoham balavansukhi
Their thoughts go on: "That enemy I have killed, and I shall kill others too. I am the lord, I am the enjoyer; I am successful, strong and happy."
आढ्योऽभिजनवानस्मि कोऽन्योऽस्ति सदृशो मया ।यक्ष्ये दास्यामि मोदिष्य इत्यज्ञानविमोहिताः ॥
Adhyobhijanavanasmi konyosti sadrisho mayaYakshye dasyami modishya ityajnanavimohitah
And: "I am rich and of high birth; who else is like me? I shall perform sacrifice, I shall give, I shall enjoy." So, Krishna says, they are deluded by ignorance. The sentence goes on into verse 16.
अनेकचित्तविभ्रान्ता मोहजालसमावृताः ।प्रसक्ताः कामभोगेषु पतन्ति नरकेऽशुचौ ॥
Anekachittavibhranta mohajalasamavritahPrasaktah kamabhogeshu patanti narakeshuchau
Krishna says that such people, confused by many thoughts, caught in the net of delusion and attached to the enjoyment of desires, fall into an unclean hell (naraka).
आत्मसंभाविताः स्तब्धा धनमानमदान्विताः ।यजन्ते नामयज्ञैस्ते दम्भेनाविधिपूर्वकम् ॥
Atmasambhavitah stabdha dhanamanamadanvitahYajante namayajnaiste dambhenavidhipurvakam
Krishna says they think highly of themselves and are stubborn, full of the pride and intoxication of wealth. They perform sacrifices in name only, for show, without the rules the scriptures give.
अहङ्कारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं च संश्रिताः ।मामात्मपरदेहेषु प्रद्विषन्तोऽभ्यसूयकाः ॥
Ahankaram balam darpam kamam krodham cha sanshritahMamatmaparadeheshu pradvishantobhyasuyakah
Given to ego, force, arrogance, desire and anger, Krishna says, such people find fault with others, and they hate him, who is present in their own bodies and in the bodies of others.
तानहं द्विषतः क्रूरान्संसारेषु नराधमान् ।क्षिपाम्यजस्रमशुभानासुरीष्वेव योनिषु ॥
Tanaham dvishatah kruransansareshu naradhamanKshipamyajasramashubhanasurishveva yonishu
Krishna says that these people, hating and cruel, the lowest among humans, unholy (aśubha), he casts again and again into asura births (āsurī yoni) in the round of birth and death (saṃsāra). The verse speaks of qualities, those listed in verses 4 and 7–18, and names no group of people. The schools explain 'asura births' differently (see the views). Readings of these verses differ between schools and teachers, and the wording is the text's, not the view of this library.
आसुरीं योनिमापन्ना मूढा जन्मनि जन्मनि ।मामप्राप्यैव कौन्तेय ततो यान्त्यधमां गतिम् ॥
Asurim yonimapanna mudha janmani janmaniMamaprapyaiva kaunteya tato yantyadhamam gatim
Krishna says that, having come into asura births, deluded birth after birth and never reaching him, they go, Kaunteya, to a still lower state. The schools explain 'never reaching him' differently (see the views). Readings of these verses differ between schools and teachers, and the wording is the text's, not the view of this library.
त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः ।कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत् ॥
Trividham narakasyedam dvaram nashanamatmanahKamah krodhastatha lobhastasmadetattrayam tyajet
Krishna names three gates to hell (naraka) that ruin the self: desire (kāma), anger (krodha) and greed (lobha). So, he says, one should give up these three.
एतैर्विमुक्तः कौन्तेय तमोद्वारैस्त्रिभिर्नरः ।आचरत्यात्मनः श्रेयस्ततो याति परां गतिम् ॥
Etairvimuktah kaunteya tamodvaraistribhirnarahAcharatyatmanah shreyastato yati param gatim
Krishna tells Arjuna (Kaunteya) that a person freed from these three gates of darkness (tamas) does what is good for the self, and then goes to the highest goal.
यः शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारतः ।न स सिद्धिमवाप्नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम् ॥
Yah shastravidhimutsrijya vartate kamakaratahNa sa siddhimavapnoti na sukham na param gatim
Krishna says that one who sets aside the rule of the scriptures (śāstra-vidhi) and acts as desire leads reaches neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the highest goal.
तस्माच्छास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ ।ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रविधानोक्तं कर्म कर्तुमिहार्हसि ॥
Tasmachchhastram pramanam te karyakaryavyavasthitauJnatva shastravidhanoktam karma kartumiharhasi
Krishna closes the chapter. So, he tells Arjuna, let the scriptures be his measure in deciding what should be done and what should not. Knowing what the rule of the scriptures says, he should do his work here. The schools explain which scriptures are meant and what 'here' points to (see the views).