23. yah sastravidhim utsriya
vartate kamakaratah
na sa siddhim avapnoti
na sukham na param gatim
(23) But he who discards the scriptural law and acts as his desires prompt him, he does not attain either rrcrfection or happiness or the highest goal
24. Iasmac chastram pramanam te
karyakaryavyavasthitau
jnatva sãstravidhanoktam
karma kartum iha 'rhasi
(24) Therefore let the scripture be thy authority for deter-mining what should be done and what should not be done. Knowing what is declared by the rules of the scripture, thou shouldst do thy work in this world sastra: scripture.[1] The drive of desire must be displaced by the knowledge of right action, but when the supreme end of the freedom of spirit is attained, the individual acts not from instinct, not from law but from a deep insight into the spirit of all life. We generally act according to our personal desire, then regulate the course of our conduct by reference to prescribed social codes and ultimately attain a deeper intention of life's meaning and act according to its guidance. The prompting of desire (XVIII, 59), the guidance of law (XVI, 24) and the spontaneity of spirit (XVIII, 64; XI, 33) are the three stages ita .. daivasurasathadvibhagayogo nama sodaso 'dhyayah
This is the sixteenth chapter entitled The Yoga of the Distinction between the Divine and the Demoniac Endowments.
