CHAPTER XXI
Brahman said:
That unperceived (principle), all-pervading, everlasting, and immutable, which is in a state of equilibrium, should be understood (to become) the city of nine portals, consisting of three qualities, and five constituent principles, encircled by the, eleven, consisting of mind as the distinguishing power, and of the understanding as ruler, this is (an aggregate made up of) eleven. The three currents which are within this (city) support (it) again and again, and those three channels run on, being constituted by the three qualities. Darkness, passion, and goodness, these are called the three qualities, which are all coupled with one another, and likewise serve one another, which depend on one another, and attend on one another, and are joined to one another. And the five constituent principles (are made up of) the three qualities. Goodness is the match of darkness, and passion is the match of goodness; and goodness is also the match of passion, and darkness the match of goodness. Where darkness is restrained, passion there prevails.
Where passion is restrained, goodness there prevails. Darkness should be understood to consist in obscurity. It has three qualities, and is called delusion. Its characteristic is also impiety, and it is constant in sinful actions. This is the nature of darkness; it also appears combined (with others). Passion is said to consist in activity, and is the cause of successive (acts). When it prevails, its characteristic, among all beings, appears to be production. Light, lightness, faith, such is stated to be the nature of goodness (prevailing) among all beings, as accepted by good men. The true nature of their characteristics, in aggregation and separation, will now be stated together with the reasons; learn those accurately. Delusion, ignorance, want of liberality, indecision about actions, sleep, haughtiness, fear, avarice, grief, finding fault with good acts, want of memory, immaturity (of intellect), nihilism, violation of (the rules of) conduct, want of discrimination, blindness, behavior of the lowest quality, pride of performance without (actual) performance, pride of knowledge without (actual) knowledge, unfriendliness, evil disposition, want of faith, deluded convictions, want of straightforwardness, want of knowledge, sinful action, want of knowledge (of the subtle principle), stolidity, lassitude, want of self-restraint, going into inferior ways; all these qualities, O Brâhmanas! are celebrated as being dark. And whatever other states of mind, connected with delusion, are found in various places in this world, all these are dark qualities.
Constant talk in disparagement of gods Brâhmanas and Vedas, want of liberality, vanity, delusion, anger, want of forgiveness likewise, and also animosity towards people, this is considered to be dark conduct. Whatever vain actions (there are), and whatever vain gifts, and vain eating, that is considered to be dark conduct. Reviling, and want of forgiveness, animosity, vanity, want of faith also, this is considered to be dark conduct. And whatever such people there are in this world, doers of sinful acts. who break through (all) regulations, they are all held to be dark. I will state the wombs appointed for these (men) of sinful actions. They go to the hell, (namely) the brute (species), to be born in the lower hell; (or become) the immovable entities, animals, beasts of burden, demons, and serpents, and worms, insects, birds, and also creatures born from eggs, and all quadrupeds, and idiots, deaf and dumb men, and whatever others are attacked by diseases generated by sin. These dark, evil-conducted men, who are sunk in darkness, who bear the marks of their own actions, the current of whose (thoughts) is downwards, sink into darkness. I will now proceed to state their improvement and ascent; how, becoming men of meritorious actions, they attain to the worlds of those who perform good acts. Resorting to a contrary (course of life), and growing old in (good) actions, they exert themselves, and through the ceremonies (performed for them) by benevolent Brâhmanas devoted to their own duties, they go upwards to the same world (as the Brâhmanas)–the heaven of the gods. Such is the Vedic text. Resorting to a contrary (course of life), and growing old in their own duties, they become men in this world whose nature is to return. Coming to a sinful womb, as Chândâlas, or deaf, or lisping men, they attain to higher and higher castes in order; going beyond the Sûdra womb, and (beyond) whatever other dark qualities there are which abide in the quality of darkness in the current (of this world). Attachment to objects of desire is laid down to be the great delusion. There, sages and saints and gods become deluded, wishing for pleasure. Darkness, delusion, the great delusion, the great obscurity called anger, and death the blinding obscurity; anger is called the great obscurity. I have now duly described to you, O Brâhmanas! this quality of darkness, in full and accurately with reference to its nature, and also its qualities, and also its source. Who, indeed, understands this properly; who, indeed, perceives this properly? The definition of the essence of darkness is, that one sees the real in what is unreal. The qualities of darkness have been described to you in many ways. And darkness in its higher and lower (forms) has been accurately stated. The man who always understands these qualities gets rid of all dark qualities.
