If scriptures are to be taken as the guideline in deciding our way of life consisting of what should be done or not done, what is the state of the faith and worship of such people who either wilfully or unknowingly ignore the sastras? Arjuna poses this question since many are sincere in attaining their goals in life and may or may not have access to scriptures, though born in a culture rich in spiritual thought and fervour, said Swami Paramartananda in a discourse.
Either because one is not well versed in the language of the scriptures, or because of peculiar circumstances, one may be spiritually illiterate. Krishna explains that none is outside the sway of the three gunas and an individual’s nature is responsible for his natural faith. This in turn is the result of his past karma. For instance, those with Satva Guna propitiate the gods, those with Rajas the yakshas and rakshasas, and those with Tamas the spirits and the ghosts.
Krishna had already described the distinctive qualities of those who seek divine perfection and those who desire to attain worldly goals such as power, glory and easy life as being endowed with ‘Daivi sampath’ and ‘Aasuri Sampath’ respectively. Desire is the longing to possess something not in one’s possession. Attachment is love towards one’s possessions. Those with demonic tendencies are vain and conceited by nature and full of worldly attractions. They are prompted by desire for power and perform austerities which are self mortifying and violent and not ordained by scriptures. Such acts are contradictory to the true discipline of the body which is attained by the practice of cleanliness, etc. Desire, anger and greed prompt one to go further down and unless one learns to avoid these there is no hope for redemption.
