Inane Interpolations in Bhagavad-Gita – 17

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This chapter of 24 verses deals with all aspects of virtue and evil including how they affect human life. However, V19 which implies that the Lord condemns to hell those who hate Him reads thus:

V19

taan aham dvishatah kruraan sansaareshu naraadhamaan
kshipaamy ajasram ashubhaan aasurishv eva yonishu

These cruel and hateful persons, the vile and vicious of humankind, I constantly hurl into the wombs of those with similar demoniac natures in the cycle of rebirth in the material world.

But it may be appreciated that this characteristic of the Semitic God that’s alien to the forgiving-natured Hindu deities (barring Satyanarayana Swamy, a relatively recent addition to the pantheon, who punishes those that slight him but yet prone to recompense after repentance) is an innovative interpolation that contravenes Krishna’s affirmative averments to the contrary thus-

Ch4, V14

Detached Am from what happens
It's this knowledge that frees man.

na maam karmaani limpanti na me karma-phale sprihaa
iti maam yo bhijaanaati karmabhir na sa badhyate

Ch5, V15

Takes not Supreme credit or fault
Grasp none have of this uncouth.

naadatte kasyachit paapam na chaiva sukritam vibhuh
ajnaanenaavritam jnaanam tena muhyanti jantavah

Ch6, V31

Me who sees in all beings
He’s the one that dwells in Me.

sarva-bhuta-sthitam yo maam bhajatyekatvam aasthitah
sarvathaa vartamaano pi sa yogimayi vartate

Ch7, V12

Virtue, passion so too delusion
Send I forth though all of them
Come to dwell in none of them.

ye chaiva saattvikaa bhaavaa raajasaas taamasaash cha ye
matta eveti taan viddhi na tvaham teshu te mayi

Ch9, V29

None I favour; slight I none
But devout Mine all gain Me true

samo ham sarva-bhuteshu na me dveshyo sti na priyaah
ye bhajanti tu maam bhaktyaa mayi te teshu chaapyaham

and other such averred in many a context in the Gita makes this interpolation the odd thing out therein.

Be that as it may, since He is the indweller in all beings, as postulated by Him, won’t the interpolative proposition of v19 amount to self-condemnation!

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