They are bound by hundreds of aspirations - āśāpāśaśatairbaddhāḥ. Once one is fulfilled, another arises, and thus, there is no hope of fulfilling these hopes. And they are committed to desire and anger - kāmakrodhaparāyaṇāḥ. Everybody has desire and anger but they are paramount for these people. Usually we try to find a way to be free from our anger, but anger is value for them. It is the means of controlling people and getting what they want.
They engage themselves - ihante, for the purpose of enjoying desired objects - kāmabhogārtham, by accumulation of wealth even with illegitimate means - anyāyenārthasañcayān.
idamadya mayā labdham imaṁ prāpsye manoratham | idamastīdamapi me bhaviṣyati punardhanam ||16.13|
Today, this is gained by me. I will gain this (also) which is pleasing to the mind. This (much) wealth I have; this wealth also I will have later. (So they think).
From this way of thinking we can see there is no sense of contentment for them. Their aim is to accumulate wealth since they think only wealth can buy pleasure for their senses. However, to get wealth is not easy because there are also other asura out there who aim the same thing. Therefore they have to destroy other to get what they want.
asau mayā hataḥ śatrurhaniṣye cāparānapi |
īśvaro’hamahaṁ bhogī siddho’haṁ balavān sukhī ||16.14||
This enemy is destroyed by me and I will destroy others also; I am the ruler; I am the enjoyer; I am successful, powerful and happy.
These people destroy those who are in their ways, and also will destroy more those who will be in their ways in the future. Their opinion of themselves is that “I am the Lord” - īśvaro’ham and all the enjoyments should be at their feet - bhogī. Only with all these, they would consider they are successful - siddha, happy - sukhī and powerful - balavān.
āḍhyo’bhijanavānasmi ko’nyo’sti sadṛśo mayā | yakṣye dāsyāmi modiṣya ityajñānavimohitāḥ ||16.15||
Those who are totally deluded due to lack of discrimination say, “I have wealth. I was born in a very good family. Who else is there who is equal to me? I will perform rituals. I will give. I will enjoy.”
There is no one equal to me - ko’nyo’sti sadṛśo mayā, this is their attitude. Therefore they brag about their wealth - āḍhya, and born from a very good family - bhijanavān. At that time good family means that has very well-informed scholars of Veda. But even if one is behaving like an asura, his family background is meaningless. Such claims are made by these people just to establish their refinement and respect. Therefore they also brag that they perform rituals - yakṣye.
They also give - dāsyāmi, but for their own enjoyment - modiṣya, even if they give for charity they also give to make them look good. Such people are totally deluded due to lack of discrimination - ajñānavimohitāḥ.
anekacittavibhrāntā mohajālasamāvṛtāḥ | prasaktāḥ kāmabhogeṣu patanti narake’śucau ||16.16||
Those who are completely deluded by many types of thoughts, covered by the net of delusion (lack of discrimination), and totally committed to the enjoyment of desirable objects, (they) fall into the unclean places of pain.
anekacittavibhrāntā - they are completely deluded by varieties of thoughts in the form of concerns, anxieties, desires, angers, and so on. They are caught and covered by the net of delusion caused by lack of discrimination - mohajālasamāvṛtāḥ. Just like animals get caught in a net and couldn’t come out, people get caught in the spell of ignorance. That being the case, they are totally committed - prasaktāh to the enjoyment of objects of their desires - kāmabhogeṣu. They are deeply entrenched in the experience of these desirable objects. Since the commitment is fulfilling desires, they will compromise the means, and thus accumulate a lot of pāpa. As the result they fall into naraka the place of pain - patanti narake’śucau.
Comments