The Godless Man

By

Sri Swami Sivananda

This article is a chapter from the book Ethics of the Bhagavad Gita.

The man who sees God in all beings is God-man; the man who denies the very existence of God is a Godless man! It is very difficult often to recognise the God-man because by nature he is extremely humble, simple and unostentatious. Nor is it always easy to detect, the Godless man for he will masquerade in many garbs. That is why the Lord has extensively quoted the very words that these people would often use in their conversations. Watch for these expressions of the diabolical nature. Whatever the man appears to be, if these expressions come out of him, he is a Godless man, shun him; for his company is more fatal than the poison of a cobra.

“I have gained this today,”he would say, “I shall fulfil my other desire also.”What a deluded idea he has of the Power behind his senses, mind and the limbs! Yet, God is all-merciful and allows him to feel that he is powerful enough to fulfil his desires. “All this wealth is mine,”he says, “I shall get more in future.” It is not as though God, the Dispenser of the fruits of previous actions, has granted him material prosperity; he feels that he has acquired the wealth by his own striving! And, of course, he can acquire more by exerting a little more. “That enemy of mine has been slain by me; others, too, I shall destroy.” Such ideas will not rise in the mind of even an ordinary Sadhaka. Now comes the crowning feature. The diabolical, Godless man says: “I am the Lord (Isvara); I am the real enjoyer; I am perfect, powerful and happy.” It is well to mark these expressions and meditate over them. Is it not true that the individual soul is in fact the Lord of the Universe, perfect, powerful and blissful? Yes. Then, why does the Lord include these expressions, too, in the devil’s dictionary? There is great reason for it. The Sage might realise that he is one with the Lord, that he is perfect, omnipotent and blissful. But he will not advertise it. Because he will see that self-same Atman in all, he will not find in the world anything to which he is superior, anything less perfect, powerful and blissful, than himself. Therefore, he will not boast; he will be the very embodiment of natural humility. He who boasts has no justification to do so. Even though he might pose to be a Godless man, Asuric in nature. Of course this expression of the Lord also includes Asuras like Hiranyakasipu and men of Asuric nature. Equally interesting are the next few sentences quoted by the Lord. “I am rich and am born in a good family. Who is equal to me? I will perform sacrifices. I will give in charity. And, I will rejoice.” This is petty egoism and Tamasic Yajna and Daana. No one but the Asuric element in man is benefited by these.

How compassionate is the Lord that he has given us in the clearest terms the very expression that the Asuric individual would use. Find out if you use them. You may even say that you are a staunch theist and devotee of the Lord. But if, at the same time, these expressions escape your lips, your devotion is hypocritical and useless. You may pose to be a great Yogi or saint; but if you share the feelings of the Asuric person which the Lord has described in Chapter XVI 13-15 which I have quoted above, you are cheating yourself and cheating the world.

The worst part of it is that even these Asuric people have their own philosophy. For this purpose we can divide them into two categories: the rank atheist and the pseudo-theist. The rank atheist says: “What is the need for believing in an invisible and non-material God? The universe was not created by God, but it is the product of the conglomeration of atoms. There is no God.” The pseudo-theist, on the other hand says: “I am Isvara; all-powerful, perfect and blissful,” There is not much difference between the two. They appeal to two sections of mankind. The former appeals to the worldly worm of a human being who revels in the filth of sensual pleasures. The latter gathers around himself the deluded hypocrites who pose to be Sadhakas; they, too, love a life of ease and comfort, with a little name, fame and perhaps psychic powers, too. The words and actions of the people belonging to both these categories will be identical: for, whereas the atheist feels that there is no God and, therefore, he is all-powerful, the pseudo-theist feels that he himself is God and is, therefore, all-powerful, etc.

Once faith in a transcendental Power, God, the Witness of all hearts, the Great Indwelling Presence, is lost, how will man behave? What he does and does not do depends upon his fancy and not upon any code of righteous conduct (Dharma). Purity, truthfulness and such other divine qualities will be absent in him. Selfishness vibrating in every cell of his being, he will be a man of terrible deeds; he would do anything to fulfil his desires. He cares not for his neighbour’s good, but only for his own advantage under any circumstances. His resolves would be impure. He will have no end of desires. He will be full of hypocrisy, pride and arrogance. Living to eat, and eating to lust, he has no higher ambition than the satisfaction of his carnal desires which multiply with fulfilment.

The very atmosphere around such a man is hell. Sometimes even he is seen to perform pious acts like Yajna, charity, etc. The supreme Yajna is Jnana-Yajna, the gift of the highest kind of knowledge of the Self. The Yajna that the selfish, Asuric man performs is the worst kind of Yajna—the Lord gives a very apt and amusing name for it “Nama-Yajna”, the act performed with the sole object of earning name and fame.

In order to teach them a lesson, the Lord gives such Asuric people, birth in the lower order of creation. The force of Asuric Vasanas drags them lower and lower still, till they reach the lowest rung in the ladder of evolution, from there to start their journey once more.

Oh man, beware, beware, beware. Watch every one of your thoughts, words and deeds. Analyse and find out for yourself if what you think, say, feel and do, comes within the definition of Asuric nature given by the Lord. If it does, at once mend yourself. You will soon become divine and reach the Lord here and now.