THE HOLY GITA
CHAPTER NUMBER 09
RAJAVIDYA RAJAGUHYA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF THE SOVEREIGN SCIENCE AND SOVEREIGN SECRET:
VERSE NUMBER 12
Text in Transliteration:
moghaasaa moghakarmaano moghajnaanaa vicetasah
raksaseem aasureem chai ‘va prakrtim mohimneem sritaah
Text in English:
Of vain hopes, of vain actions, of vain knowledge, devoid of discrimination, partaking verily of the delusive nature of Rakshasas and Asuras.
COMMENTARY BY SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:
Mohini prakriti is the delusive nature which makes men believe that bodily existence is the be-all and end-all of life. The transitoriness of the mundane existence does not occur to them. Sense indulgence is the one thing that appeals to them. Their hopes, activities and understanding are all directed to this one end. It is impossible for them to discern between the real and the unreal, between the permanent and the impermanent. Among the men of this base make up, Rakshasas are they in whom rajasic nature predominates and those others are Asuras in whom tamasic element predominates.
COMMENTARY BY DR.S.RADHAKRISHNAN:
rakshasim: fiendish; those who are dominated by tamas and who indulge in acts of cruelty.
asurim; demoniac; those dominated by rajas and qualities of ambition, greed and the like. Sridhara.
They cling to the world of transient forms and are victims of the deceitful nature (mohini prakriti) and disregard the underlying Reality.
COMMENTARY BY SWAMI SIVANANDA:
They entertain vain hopes, for there can be no hope in perishable forms. It is vain hope because they run after transient objects and miss the Eternal. It is vain action, because it is not performed by them as sacrifice unto the Lord. The Agnihotra (a ritual) and other actions performed by them are senseless. They have no discrimination. They have no idea of the eternal Self. They worship their body only. They behold no self beyond the body. They neglect their own Self. They do atrocious crimes and cruel actions. They rob others’ property and murder people. They partake of the nature of the demons and the undivine beings.
The Rakshasas are Tamasic; and the Asuras are Rajasic.
Prakriti means here Svabhava (one’s own nature).
They see the external human body only. They have no knowledge of the Self that dwells within the body. They do not behold God in the universe. They live for eating and drinking only.
He who entertains hope of getting the rewards of actions through mere Karma alone, without the grace of the Lord is one of empty hope and empty deed. Karmas are insentient. They cannot give rewards independently. The omniscient Lord Who knows the relationship between Karmas and their fruits can dispense them. He who has obtained knowledge from books which do not admit of the existence of the Self and which do not speak of the Self is one of empty knowledge. This will not give any reward. That knowledge obtained through the study of spiritual books which treat of Brahman alone can give the reward. (Cf. VII.15; XVI.6, 20)
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