1. STANDARD
10
CHAPTER 16
GOOD, BAD AND UGLY
Wise delight in Krishna, ordinary doubt Krishna and
fools deride Krishna
Lesson-01
Krishna explains to Arjuna in this chapterthe divine and
demoniac qualities and the peoplewho possess them
HOW DO WE IDENTIFY DEMONIAC (DEMON-LIKE)
NATURE?
Krishna says: Pride, arrogance, anger, harshness and
ignorance—thesequalities belong to those of demoniac
nature, O Arjuna.Those who are demoniac do not know
what is to be done and what is not to be done. They are
neither clean nor truthful nor of properbehavior.
The demoniaccharacterof Karna
The demoniac want to make a show of religion without
following the principles. Karna was a typical example of
such quality. He thought he was very charitableand
religious but when situations demanded, he always
favored the demoniac party of Duryodhana.
2. Later, while fighting with Arjuna,Karna’s chariot gets
stuck to the ground.At that moment, Krishna orders
Arjuna to take that as opportunityand kill Karna. Seeing
Arjuna picking up the bow for shooting an arrow at him,
Karna appeals to Arjuna that he should be righteous.
Karna says that it is not religious on the part of Arjuna to
attack him who is without any weapons standing
helplesslyon the ground.
Arjuna starts thinking on Karna’s words and questions
Krishna: “Dear Krishna, You said You have descended on
the earth to establish religion. But now Youare onlyasking
me to act irreligiously against the codes of war. How is
that?”
Hearing this, Krishna first chastises Karna by saying,
“Now you remember religion? When all of you together
killed Abhimanyu, where was your religion that time?
When Duryodhanamade demoniac plans of killing
Pandavas and Kunti, you were present there. Where was
your religion that time? When Draupadi was being
insulted in the assembly, where was your religion? And
now you are talking of religion?”
Then turning toward Arjuna, Krishnasays: “Listen Arjuna.
Now I will give you the final definition of religion.
Whatever I like is religion and whatever I don’t like is
3. irreligion. Now shoot your arrow and kill this demon at
once.”
MORAL: People of demoniac characterpose themselves
as holy and cheat others, but they are just hypocrites and
one should be cautiousdealing with them.
enjoy separately from Krishna. When we turn toward
Krishna, again we are happy.