16:1-3: Sri Krishna [the Blessed One] said: Fearlessness, purification of one’s existence, determination in acquiring spiritual knowledge, charity, self-restraint, sacrifice, scriptural exegesis, austerity and straight-forwardness, Non-violence, truthfulness, freedom from anger, renunciation, peacefulness, an aversion to backbiting, compassion towards all beings, freedom from ardent desires, gentleness, modesty, and freedom from unsteadiness, vigor, forgiveness, resoluteness, purity, freedom from malice, avoidance of excessive honor - these are the qualities of those in whom godliness is born, Arjuna [descendent of Bharata].
16:4: Deceit, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness, and ignorance - these are the qualities of those in whom a demonic nature is born, Arjuna [Son of Partha].
16:5: Godly qualities promote liberation, whereas demonic qualities result in continued bondage. Do not grieve, Arjuna [Child of Pandu], you are born of godly qualities.
16:6: There are two types of beings in this world: one godly, the other is demonic. The godly have been described in depth, now hear from Me about the demonic, O Arjuna [Son of Partha].
16:7-9: Demonic people do not distinguish between activity and inactivity. There is no purity, proper behavior, or truth in them. They say the universe is devoid of truth and has no foundation, that it is without God and only arises because of mutual union — that desire is its only causative.
Maintaining this misunderstanding, these less intelligent endangered souls arise to perform wicked and detrimental activities for the destruction of the universe.
16:10-12: Taking refuge in insatiable desire, wickedness, and pride, possessed by delusion-wrought madness, seizing and believing in the non-eternal, they function with impure resolve.
Having taken refuge in unlimited anxieties even to the point of death, holding sense-gratification to be the highest goal of life, being convinced that materialism is all there is; fettered by hundreds of chains of hope, yet bound by a consciousness absorbed in the desire for sense-enjoyment, they employ improper means for accumulating worldly prosperity.
16:13-16: They say: ‘This has been acquired by me today.’ ‘I obtained this by my own efforts.’ ‘This is mine,’ and again, ‘this wealth will be mine.’ ‘My enemy has been slain by me and I will slay my other enemies as well.’ ‘I am the master of all I survey;’ ‘I am the Enjoyer,’ ‘I am perfect, powerful, and happy.’ ‘I am wealthy, the crème de la crème.’ ‘Who is equal to me?’ ‘I will perform sacrifices;’ ‘I will give liberally;’ ‘I will rejoice.’ Thus, deluded by ignorance and confused by the multi-formed diversity they behold, encompassed in a snare of delusion and addicted to sense gratification, such fools descend into the vile infernal regions of Naraka [the ‘hells,’ Naraka is often described as being beneath the earth, between the seven realms of the underworld (Patala) and the Garbhodaka Ocean, the lowest, most southerly region of the universe.].
16:17: Self-centered, obstinate, and maddened by wealth and pride, they hypocritically perform sacrifices in name only, without knowledge of the ancient customs.
16:18-20: Having taken refuge in false ego, personal strength, arrogance, desire, and anger, these malicious people detest Me even within their bodies or within others. I dispatch these cruel enemies of Mine, the lowest among mankind, into material existence where they perpetually enter inauspicious demonic wombs.
Arjuna [O Son of Kunti], after entering demonic wombs through repeated births without achieving Me, the foolish eventually go to the vilest destination.
16:21, 22: Lust, anger, and greed are the three gateways to the infernal regions and the destruction of the soul. These three must be abandoned.
Arjuna [O Son of Kunti], liberated from these three gateways of ignorance, a person should practice what is beneficial to the Self and thus attain the supreme destination.
16:23, 24: One who abandons the scriptural ordinances and indulges in worldly desires obtains neither perfection, happiness, nor the supreme destination. Therefore, the scriptures are the standard for determining what ought to be done and what ought not to be done. Knowing the scriptural precepts as revealed, perform your activities in this world.
Here Ends Chapter Sixteen