Bhagavad Gita Chapter 16: Divine and Demonic Tendencies

Bhagavad Gita chapter 16 in English

Every verse below comes from Diya's Bhagavad Gita library, in verse order.

Sanskrit and transliteration	English
16.1 अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिर्ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिः। दानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्यायस्तप आर्जवम्॥ abhayaṃ sattvasaṃśuddhirjñānayogavyavasthitiḥ \| dānaṃ damaśca yajñaśca svādhyāyastapa ārjavam \|\|	Divine qualities include fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in knowledge and yoga, generosity, sense-control, sacrifice, study of sacred teaching, austerity, and uprightness.
16.2 अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्यागः शान्तिरपैशुनम्। दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम्॥ ahiṃsā satyamakrodhastyāgaḥ śāntirapaiśunam \| dayā bhūteṣvaloluptvaṃ mārdavaṃ hrīracāpalam \|\|	They also include non-harm, truthfulness, absence of anger, renunciation, tranquillity, freedom from slander, compassion for beings, absence of greed, gentleness, modesty, and steadiness.
16.3 तेजः क्षमा धृतिः शौचमद्रोहो नातिमानिता। भवन्ति सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातस्य भारत॥ tejaḥ kṣamā dhṛtiḥ śaucamadroho nātimānitā \| bhavanti sampadaṃ daivīmabhijātasya bhārata \|\|	Boldness, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence of hatred, absence of pride. these belong to one born for a divine state, O descendant of Bharata.
16.4 दम्भो दर्पोऽभिमानश्च क्रोधः पारुष्यमेव च। अज्ञानं चाभिजातस्य पार्थ सम्पदमासुरीम्॥ dambho darpo’bhimānaśca krodhaḥ pāruṣyameva ca \| ajñānaṃ cābhijātasya pārtha sampadamāsurīm \|\|	Ostentation, arrogance and self-conceit, anger as also harshness and ignorance, belong to one who is born, O Partha, for an asuric state.
16.5 दैवी सम्पद्विमोक्षाय निबन्धायासुरी मता। मा शुचः सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातोऽसि पाण्डव॥ daivī sampadvimokṣāya nibandhāyāsurī matā \| mā śucaḥ sampadaṃ daivīmabhijāto’si pāṇḍava \|\|	The divine state is deemed to make for liberation, the asuric for bondage; grieve not, O Pandava, you are born for a divine state.
16.6 द्वौ भूतसर्गौ लोकेऽस्मिन् दैव आसुर एव च। दैवो विस्तरशः प्रोक्त आसुरं पार्थ मे शृणु॥ dvau bhūtasargau loke’smin daiva āsura eva ca \| daivo vistaraśaḥ prokta āsuraṃ pārtha me śṛṇu \|\|	There are two types of beings in this world, the divine and the asuric. The divine have been described at length; hear from Me, O Partha, of the asuric.
16.7 प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च जना न विदुरासुराः। न शौचं नापि चाचारो न सत्यं तेषु विद्यते॥ pravṛttiṃ ca nivṛttiṃ ca janā na vidurāsurāḥ \| na śaucaṃ nāpi cācāro na satyaṃ teṣu vidyate \|\|	The persons of asuric nature know not what to do and what to refrain from; neither is purity found in them nor good conduct, nor truth.
16.8 असत्यमप्रतिष्ठं ते जगदाहुरनीश्वरम्। अपरस्परसम्भूतं किमन्यत्कामहैतुकम्॥ asatyamapratiṣṭhaṃ te jagadāhuranīśvaram \| aparasparasambhūtaṃ kimanyatkāmahaitukam \|\|	They say, "The universe is without truth, without a (moral) basis, without a God, brought about by mutual union, with desire for its cause; what else?"
16.9 एतां दृष्टिमवष्टभ्य नष्टात्मानोऽल्पबुद्धयः। प्रभवन्त्युग्रकर्माणः क्षयाय जगतोऽहिताः॥ etāṃ dṛṣṭimavaṣṭabhya naṣṭātmāno’lpabuddhayaḥ \| prabhavantyugrakarmāṇaḥ kṣayāya jagato’hitāḥ \|\|	Holding this view, these ruined souls of small understanding and fierce deeds rise as enemies of the world for its destruction.
16.10 काममाश्रित्य दुष्पूरं दम्भमानमदान्विताः। मोहाद्गृहीत्वासद्ग्राहान्प्रवर्तन्तेऽशुचिव्रताः॥ kāmamāśritya duṣpūraṃ dambhamānamadānvitāḥ \| mohādgṛhītvāsadgrāhānpravartante’śucivratāḥ \|\|	Filled with insatiable desires, hypocrisy, pride, and arrogance, they cling to deluded ideas and act with impure resolve.
16.11 चिन्तामपरिमेयां च प्रलयान्तामुपाश्रिताः। कामोपभोगपरमा एतावदिति निश्चिताः॥ cintāmaparimeyāṃ ca pralayāntāmupāśritāḥ \| kāmopabhogaparamā etāvaditi niścitāḥ \|\|	They are beset by immeasurable anxieties ending only with death, regard gratification of desire as the highest aim, and believe that this is truly all.
16.12 आशापाशशतैर्बद्धाः कामक्रोधपरायणाः। ईहन्ते कामभोगार्थमन्यायेनार्थसञ्चयान्॥ āśāpāśaśatairbaddhāḥ kāmakrodhaparāyaṇāḥ \| īhante kāmabhogārthamanyāyenārthasañcayān \|\|	Bound by a hundred ties of hope, given over to desire and anger, they strive to secure by unjust means hoards of wealth for sensual enjoyment.
16.13 इदमद्य मया लब्धमिमं प्राप्स्ये मनोरथम्। इदमस्तीदमपि मे भविष्यति पुनर्धनम्॥ idamadya mayā labdhamimaṃ prāpsye manoratham \| idamastīdamapi me bhaviṣyati punardhanam \|\|	This to-day has been gained by me. this desire I shall obtain; this is mine, and this wealth also shall be mine in future.
16.14 असौ मया हतः शत्रुर्हनिष्ये चापरानपि। ईश्वरोऽहमहं भोगी सिद्धोऽहं बलवान्सुखी॥ asau mayā hataḥ śatrurhaniṣye cāparānapi \| īśvaro’hamahaṃ bhogī siddho’haṃ balavānsukhī \|\|	That enemy has been killed by me, and others also shall I kill. I am the lord, I enjoy, I am successful, powerful and happy.
16.15 आढ्योऽभिजनवानस्मि कोऽन्योऽस्ति सदृशो मया। यक्ष्ये दास्यामि मोदिष्य इत्यज्ञानविमोहिताः॥ āḍhyo’bhijanavānasmi ko’nyo’sti sadṛśo mayā \| yakṣye dāsyāmi modiṣya ityajñānavimohitāḥ \|\|	Deluded by ignorance, they boast: "I am rich and well-born. Who is equal to me? I will sacrifice, give, and rejoice."
16.16 अनेकचित्तविभ्रान्ता मोहजालसमावृताः। प्रसक्ताः कामभोगेषु पतन्ति नरकेऽशुचौ॥ anekacittavibhrāntā mohajālasamāvṛtāḥ \| prasaktāḥ kāmabhogeṣu patanti narake’śucau \|\|	Bewildered by many a fancy, covered by the meshes of delusion, addicted to the gratification of desire, they fall down into a foul hell.
16.17 आत्मसम्भाविताः स्तब्धा धनमानमदान्विताः। यजन्ते नामयज्ञैस्ते दम्भेनाविधिपूर्वकम्॥ ātmasambhāvitāḥ stabdhā dhanamānamadānvitāḥ \| yajante nāmayajñaiste dambhenāvidhipūrvakam \|\|	Self-conceited, stubborn, and intoxicated by wealth, they perform sacrifices in name only, ostentatiously and without scriptural regard.
16.18 अहङ्कारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं च संश्रिताः। मामात्मपरदेहेषु प्रद्विषन्तोऽभ्यसूयकाः॥ ahaṅkāraṃ balaṃ darpaṃ kāmaṃ krodhaṃ ca saṃśritāḥ \| māmātmaparadeheṣu pradviṣanto’bhyasūyakāḥ \|\|	Possessed of egoism, power, insolence, desire and anger, these malignant people hate Me (the Self within) in their own bodies and those of others.
16.19 तानहं द्विषतः क्रूरान्संसारेषु नराधमान्। क्षिपाम्यजस्रमशुभानासुरीष्वेव योनिषु॥ tānahaṃ dviṣataḥ krūrānsaṃsāreṣu narādhamān \| kṣipāmyajasramaśubhānāsurīṣveva yoniṣu \|\|	These malicious and cruel evildoers, most degraded of people, I hurl perpetually into the wombs of asuras only, in these worlds.
16.20 आसुरीं योनिमापन्ना मूढा जन्मनि जन्मनि। मामप्राप्यैव कौन्तेय ततो यान्त्यधमां गतिम्॥ āsurīṃ yonimāpannā mūḍhā janmani janmani \| māmaprāpyaiva kaunteya tato yāntyadhamāṃ gatim \|\|	Obtaining the asuric wombs, and deluded birth after birth, not attaining to Me, they thus fall, O son of Kunti, into a still lower condition.
16.21 त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः। कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत्॥ trividhaṃ narakasyedaṃ dvāraṃ nāśanamātmanaḥ \| kāmaḥ krodhastathā lobhastasmādetattrayaṃ tyajet \|\|	Triple is this gate of hell, destructive of the self,—desire, anger and greed; therefore one should forsake these three.
16.22 एतैर्विमुक्तः कौन्तेय तमोद्वारैस्त्रिभिर्नरः। आचरत्यात्मनः श्रेयस्ततो याति परां गतिम्॥ etairvimuktaḥ kaunteya tamodvāraistribhirnaraḥ \| ācaratyātmanaḥ śreyastato yāti parāṃ gatim \|\|	The person who has got beyond these three gates of darkness, O son of Kunti, practises what is good for himself, and thus goes to the goal Supreme.
16.23 यः शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारतः। न स सिद्धिमवाप्नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम्॥ yaḥ śāstravidhimutsṛjya vartate kāmakārataḥ \| na sa siddhimavāpnoti na sukhaṃ na parāṃ gatim \|\|	One who, setting aside the ordinance of the Shastra, acts under the impulse of desire, attains not to perfection, nor happiness, nor the goal Supreme.
16.24 तस्माच्छास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ। ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रविधानोक्तं कर्म कर्तुमिहार्हसि॥ tasmācchāstraṃ pramāṇaṃ te kāryākāryavyavasthitau \| jñātvā śāstravidhānoktaṃ karma kartumihārhasi \|\|	So let the Shastra be your authority in ascertaining what ought to be done and what ought not to be done. Having known what is said in the ordinance of the Shastra, you should act here.

You can read all 18 chapters in Diya. To see where chapter 16 sits in the whole text, start with the 18 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita, or read how to start the Bhagavad Gita as a beginner.

Previous chapter: Chapter 15: The Supreme Person. Next chapter: Chapter 17: Faith and Its Forms.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 16: Divine and Demonic Tendencies

Bhagavad Gita chapter 16 in English

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Bhagavad Gita chapter 16 in English

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