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Chapter 16 · The Divine and Demoniac Natures · 24 verses

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Character & ethicsChapter 16 · The Divine and Demoniac Natures
16.1016.12

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 16.11

Demoniac qualities and their consequences

चिन्तामपरिमेयां च प्रलयान्तामुपाश्रिता: ।

कामोपभोगपरमा एतावदिति निश्चिता: ॥ ११ ॥

आशापाशशतैर्बद्धा: कामक्रोधपरायणा: ।

ईहन्ते कामभोगार्थमन्यायेनार्थसञ्चयान् ॥ १२ ॥

cintām aparimeyāṁ ca

pralayāntām upāśritāḥ

kāmopabhoga-paramā

etāvad iti niścitāḥ

āśā-pāśa-śatair baddhāḥ

kāma-krodha-parāyaṇāḥ

īhante kāma-bhogārtham

anyāyenārtha-sañcayān

Translation

They believe that to gratify the senses is the prime necessity of human civilization. Thus until the end of life their anxiety is immeasurable. Bound by a network of hundreds of thousands of desires and absorbed in lust and anger, they secure money by illegal means for sense gratification.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

What this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.

Sense Enjoyment and Endless Anxiety

  1. 1Those who make sense enjoyment life's main goal face endless anxiety and gain money illegally to satisfy their desires.
  2. 2Prabhupāda explains that they lack faith in God and do not know that the Supersoul in their heart witnesses their actions.
  3. 3Do not make sense enjoyment your life's goal; remember that the Supersoul observes your actions.

Where we are

In the story

Chapter 16, The Divine and Demoniac Natures: demoniac qualities and their consequences.

What it teaches

Theme summary

Cultivate divine qualities in character.

2

Key ideas in this verse

The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.

Key ideas: daivī-sampat, dharma.

3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does BG 16.11 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to character & ethics?

Practice

Choose one virtue to practice consciously today.

4

The story behind it

Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.

All stories for chapter 16 ›
5

Related verses

Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.

BG 16.6Demoniac qualities and their consequencesBG 16.7Demoniac qualities and their consequencesBG 12.13Qualities of a devotee dear to Krishna

Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.

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Back to step 3The key ideasNext · Step 5 of 7 · 5 minLive the teachingsBring it into your day with a practice and a question, straight from Prabhupāda's purports.