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Bhagavad Gita · 16.8 · Yoga through Discerning the Divine and Demoniac Natures·8 of 24

असत्यमप्रतिष्ठं ते जगदाहुरनीश्वरम्अपरस्परसम्भूतं किमन्यत्कामहैतुकम्

asatyam apratiṣhṭhaṁ te jagad āhur anīśhvaram

aparaspara-sambhūtaṁ kim anyat kāma-haitukam

Sanskrit recitation

When ego turns cruel · 16.6–16.16 · Teaching

Translation

They say, "This universe is without truth, without a moral basis, without a God, brought about by mutual union, with lust as its cause; what else?"

Meaning

They hold that the universe is without any substratum or support or an undying basic reality.This is a description of the opinion of atheists like the Charvakas and other materialists. They do not believe in the existence of Brahman Who is the support of this world. They do not even accept the existence of an Isvara in this world. They say We are unreal. Therefore this world also is unreal, the scriptures which declare the truth are also unreal. What else but lust can be the cause of this universe Sexual passion is the sole cause of all living creatures. There is no such thing as the theory of Karma. The whole world is caused by the mutual union of man and woman under the impulse of lust. There is neither virtue nor vice. There is no Lord Who dispenses the fruits of actions of the individuals according to virtue and vice. Dharma and Adharma are not the basis of this world. Sexual desire is the sole basis for this universe. This world is a world of chance. They are not endowed with the faculty of introspection. They are ignorant of the field (Nature) and knower of the field (God).Mutual union Sexual union it may mean the union of atoms. The world arose from the combination of atoms according to the Vaiseshikas.

After Swami Sivananda

When ego turns cruel· 16.6–16.16

Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.

Word-by-word
te
they
kim
what
anyat
other
jagat
the world
asatyam
without absolute truth
āhuḥ
say
aparaspara
without cause
sambhūtam
created
anīśhvaram
without a God
kāma-haitukam
for sexual gratification only
apratiṣhṭham
without any basis

Related verses

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