Gyaneshwari -Sant Gyaneshwar
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Chapter-16
The Divine and Demoniacal Natures
4. Hypocrisy, arrogance and conceit, wrath as also harshness and ignorance - these, O Partha, belong to one born to the demoniacal endowment. That which is well-known as the foremost fault in the demoniacal endowment is hypocrisy. If the mother, even though sacred, is brought naked before the public, it leads one to perdition. The esoteric knowledge received from the preceptor leads to good results, but it causes harm, if it is proclaimed publicly. A boat rescues persons caught in a great flood and takes them safe to the other shore; but a person who carries it on his head is drowned (216-220). O Son of Pandu, food ordinarily sustains life; but if one stuffs himself with it because it is tasty, it acts like poison. Therefore, if a religious act which is a friend in this and the next world, is proclaimed publicly, it causes more harm than good. O warrior, if religious acts performed by one are given wide publicity, they become impious. Know that this is hypocrisy. (Now to talk about arrogance) just as a foolish person who has just learnt his alphabets is not satisfied by a conference of persons well-versed in Vedic lore or the insolent horse of an expert horseman scoffs at Airavata (elephant of god Indra), or a chameleon, who has climbed a thorny tree, considers the heaven as too low (221-225), or the flames of fire fed on grass reach even the sky, or the fish in a pond holds the sea in contempt, in the same way a person becomes intoxicated with the possession of a wife, riches, education, praise and great honour, like a beggar who becomes intoxicated by eating food given by others. It is as though an unlucky person, after seeing the shade of clouds, should pull down his house or a foolish person, after seeing the mirage, should fill up his well. In the same way, know that being puffed up with pride on account of one’s riches is arrogance. |
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