Guna and Dosha or Right and Wrong
Skandha XI. Chap. 21
Those who do not follow the Paths of Bhakti, Jnâna and Karma, but who only seek paltry desires become subject to rebirths [For those that are matured in Jnâna and Bhakti, there is neither Guna (right) nor Dosha (wrong). For those that practise Disinclination, the performance of Nitya and Naimittika Karma is Guna, for it leads to the purification of the mind. The non-performance of such Karma and the performance of prohibited Karma are Dosha, for they give rise to impurities of the mind. Prâyaschitta counteracts such Dosha, and therefore it is Guna. For those pure men that are fixed in the Path of Jnâna, the practice of Jnâna is Guna; Bhakti is Guna to them that are fixed in the path of Bhakti. What is opposed to Jnâna and Bhakti is Dosha to the followers of those two Paths. All this has been said before. Now Guna and Dosha are detailed for those that do not follow the Paths, but seek their selfish ends. Śridhara]. Devotion to the path of one’s following is Guna. The reverse is Dōsha. This is the proper definition of Guna and Dosha (Guna and Dosha are relative terms. They do not appertain to the thing itself. Śridhara).
Purity (Sûddhi) or Impurity (Asûddhi), Right (Guna) or Wrong (Dōsha), Auspicious (Sûbha) or Inauspicious (Asûbha) are terms applied to the same objects, in relation to religion (Dharma), Society (Vyavahara) and living (Yâtrâ), respectively.
I have explained Âchâra (rules of life) for those that want to be guided by Dharma (Sanctional religion). (Shri Krishna refers here to the works of Manu and other Smriti writers).
The body of all beings is composed of the five elements (earth, water &c). They are all ensouled by Âtmâ. Though men are all equal, the Vedas give different names and forms to their bodies (saying this is Brâhmana, this is Sudra, this is Grihasthâ, this is Sanyâsî) with a view to do good to them. (The object is to put a limit to the natural inclinations and thereby to secure Dharma, Artha, Kâma and Moksha. Śridhara). Similarly classification is made of time, space and other things, solely with the object of regulating actions (Karma.) Thus those lands are impure where the black deer do not roam (Details are not given for which read the original).
“Those that perform Yajna attain Svarga.” Sayings like these do not speak of final bliss. They are only tempting words really meant for the attainment of Moksha, just like words said to a child to induce him to take medicine (The father says; “Eat this Nimba — a bitter drug. I shall give you this sweet meat.” The child takes the medicine. But the sweet meat is not what he really gets, for his real gain is recovery from disease).
From their very birth, mortals are attached to some objects of desire, to their lives and powers and to their own people. But these are only sources of misery in the future. Why should the Vedas then teach attachment to such things? Some wrong-minded people say so without knowing the purport of the Vedas. They are deluded by the performance of fire sacrifices, and they resort to Pitri Yâna (i.e. they are drawn to rebirths on the Earth after temporary enjoyment of Svarga). They do not know their own abode, which am I as seated in their heart, from whom the universe proceeds. Not knowing the real meaning of the Vedas, they worship Indra and other Devas and perform Yajnas at which animals are sacrificed. Parâ, Pasyanti and Madhyamâ remain deep and unfathomable like the ocean and only Vaikhari becomes manifest in the Vedas originating in Pranava and appearing through the letters of the alphabet and the Metres. Even that Vaikhari is not properly understood by men. (The Vedas form the sound manifestation of Íshvara. That sound has four divisions. Parâ, which finds manifestation only in Prâna, Pasyanti, which finds manifestation in the mind, Madhyamâ which finds manifestation in the Indriyas, and Vaikhari which finds manifestation in articulate expression. Those who have mental vision can only find out the first three. But the Vedas as expressed in language are also difficult to understand.) Further details are given, which are not reproduced.