The Divine, Demonic, and Devilish Natures
1. Shri Ganesha spoke - There are three types of human
nature: divine, demonic, and devilish. Now I will describe in brief their
fruits and signs for you.
2. The divine nature leads to liberation, while the next two
bring about bondage. First, I will tell you the signs of the divine nature,
listen to them.
3. Backbiting not, compassion, patience, lack of anger,
steadiness, courage, simplicity, vigor, fearlessness, non-violence,
forgiveness, cleanliness, humility, etc., are to be understood as signs of
divine nature. Now hear the signs of demonic nature.
4-8. O King! Excessive argument, pride, arrogance,
ignorance, and anger - these are the signs of demonic nature. The signs of
devilish nature are - Cruelty, intoxication, delusion, ego, pride, envy,
violence, harshness, wrath, arrogance, lack of modesty, engaging in black magic
to harm others, fondness for cruel deeds. Disbelief in the words of great men,
impurity, not performing duties, criticizing the Vedas, devotees, deities,
sages, Vedic Brahmins, Smritis, and Puranas, belief in hypocrisy, associating
with wicked and impure individuals.
9-10. Performing actions with hypocrisy, desiring others'
possessions, having many desires, always lying, not tolerating others'
prosperity, and destroying others' works, etc., are many other qualities of the
devilish nature.
11-12. All these qualities exist in the earth and heaven
realms. Those who are devoid of my devotion attain the devilish nature. O King!
Those who take refuge in this tamasic nature go to the Raurava hell and suffer
unspeakable misery there.
13. O King! Those tamasic individuals, under divine
influence, after emerging from hell, are born on earth in lower castes, blind,
crippled, hunchbacked, and wretched.
14. Those who engage in sinful deeds and those who do not
have devotion to me fall into degradation, but my devotees, even if born in any
species, do not perish; they are redeemed.
15. O King! Through sacrifices or other actions, heaven is
attained, which is easily accessible to men with desires, but devotion to me is
rare.
16-17. Foolish people get entangled in the web of delusion
and their own actions; they say, 'I am the slayer, I am the doer, I am the
enjoyer.' Thinking 'I am the lord, I am the ruler, I am the knower, I am the
happy one' - such thinking leads humans to hell.
18. Therefore, abandon this (tamasic nature) and take refuge
in the divine nature, and with a firm mind, practice my devotion incessantly.
19-20. O King! That devotion is also of three types:
sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic. The devotion with which deities are worshipped
is known as beneficial sattvic devotion. The devotion that causes birth and
death is called rajasic, where all kinds of yakshas and demons are solely
worshipped.
21-22. T hose people who, devoid of Vedic injunctions, with
cruelty, ego, and arrogance, worship ghosts and spirits, engage in lustful
acts, and with stubbornness torment their bodies and me residing within, their
devotion is tamasic and leads to hell.
23. Lust, greed, anger, pride - these are the four great gates to hell, therefore, one should abandon them.
Thus, in the Krida Khanda of the Ganesha Purana, the chapter
named "The Description of Yoga Instructions" is completed.