Bhagavad Gita · 16.9 · Yoga through Discerning the Divine and Demoniac Natures·9 of 24
एतां दृष्टिमवष्टभ्य नष्टात्मानोऽल्पबुद्धयः।प्रभवन्त्युग्रकर्माणः क्षयाय जगतोऽहिताः ॥
etāṁ dṛiṣhṭim avaṣhṭabhya naṣhṭātmāno
’lpa-buddhayaḥ prabhavanty ugra-karmāṇaḥ kṣhayāya jagato ’hitāḥ
Sanskrit recitation
When ego turns cruel · 16.6–16.16 · Teaching
Translation
Holding this view, these ruined souls of small intellect and fierce deeds come forth as enemies of the world, intent on its destruction.
Meaning
They rob others. They acire wealth by destroying others. They boast of their evil actions.Nashtatmanah Ruined souls They have lost all chances of attaining Selfrealisation or going to the higher world.Alpabuddhayah They have a small intellect as they identify themselves with their little bodies full of impurities, as they have no conception of the Supreme Beign, and as their intellects are concerned with the little sensual pleasures only (eating, drinking, etc.).Ugrakarmanah Of fierce deeds They always injure others. They murder for aciring wealth. They do any heinous crime to get money and women. They bring great confusion and destroy the peace and harmony of the world.Enemies of the world World here means people who live in the world.
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.
- 16.6There are two types of beings in this world: the divine and the demoniacal. The divine has been described at length; hear from Me, O Arjuna, about the demoniacal.
- 16.7The demoniacal do not know what to do and what to refrain from; they have neither purity, nor right conduct, nor truth.
- 16.8They 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?"
16.9Holding this view, these ruined souls of small intellect and fierce deeds come forth as enemies of the world, intent on its destruction.
- 16.10Filled with insatiable desires, full of hypocrisy, pride, and arrogance, holding evil ideas due to delusion, they work with impure intentions.
- 16.11Giving themselves over to immeasurable cares that end only with death, regarding the gratification of lust as their highest aim, and feeling sure that that is all.
- 16.12Bound by a hundred ties of hope, given over to lust and anger, they strive to obtain hoards of wealth by unlawful means for sensual enjoyment.
- 16.13"I have gained this today; I will fulfill this desire of mine; this is mine, and this wealth will be mine in the future."
- 16.14"I have slain that enemy, and I shall slay others too. I am the Lord; I enjoy, I am perfect, powerful, and happy."
- 16.15"I am wealthy and born into a noble family. Who is my equal? I shall perform sacrifices, give charity, and rejoice," thus deluded by ignorance.
- 16.16Bewildered by many fancies, entangled in the snare of delusion, addicted to the gratification of lust, they fall into a foul hell.
Word-by-word→
- ugra
- cruel
- etām
- such
- ahitāḥ
- enemies
- jagataḥ
- of the world
- naṣhṭa
- misdirected
- kṣhayāya
- destruction
- prabhavanti
- arise
- ātmānaḥ
- souls
- karmāṇaḥ
- actions
- dṛiṣhṭim
- views
- avaṣhṭabhya
- holding
- alpa-buddhayaḥ
- of small intellect
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