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GĪTĀ, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. XVII 1161
अशास्त्रविहितं घोरं तप्यन्ते ये तपो जनाः। दम्भाहंकारसंयुक्ता. कामरागबलान्विताः॥५॥ कर्षयन्तः शरीरस्थं भूतग्राममचेतसः। मां चैवान्तःशरीरस्थं तान्विद्धयासुरनिश्चयान् ॥ ६ ॥ आहारस्त्वपि सर्वस्य त्रिविधो भवति प्रियः।
यज्ञस्तपस्तथा दानं तेषां भेदमिमं शृणु ॥७॥ (godlike) and 'ūsuri' (demoniac); and these evil-minded persons are put into the 'ūsuri' class; the same idea has
been conveyed in the two following stanzas. ] 15) But, those persons who, being imbued with hypocrisy and egoism, perform intense austerities contrary to the Sāstras, on the strength of Desire and Attachment, (6) and oppress not only the group of the five primordial elements etc., in their body, but also Me, Who saturate that body, such undiscriminating (persons ) may be understood to possess a demoniac tempcrament.
(All the questions of Arjuna have now been answered The faith of different persons may be süttvika, rājasa or rāmasa according to their nature; and there being a consequent difference in their Actions, they will attain various goals according to their respective Actions; but, from that alone it cannot be said that a particular person will fall into the demoniac class. It is the duty of everybody to gradually improve his nature by making use - Freedom of Will (ātmasvāta mirija) and acting according ti the Scriptures ( šūstru-s). These stanzas mean that those, who, instead of doing so, pride themselves on their own evil inherent nature, and flout the Sāstras are to be called *ūsuri' (demoniac). The Blessed Lord now explains the different kinds of food (ūhāra), sacrifice (yajña), religious austerity (tapas) and charitable gifts (dūna), which are the result of the sattua, ramas and tamas constituents of Prakrti, just as there are different kinds of Faith; and He also explains how in consequence of diversity in nature. there
is also diversity in Actions(7) Now, the food which cach person likes is also div:ded into three classes; and the same is the case with Sacrifice,
