Step 4 of 7 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Pick any verse to see what it means and how to use it in your life.

  1. 1Tap a chapter, then a verse
  2. 2Read what it means
  3. 3Try the practice
700 verses37 detailed
Or browse by chapter
Chapter

Chapter 16 · The Divine and Demoniac Natures · 24 verses

123456789101112131415161718192021222324

Deep profile← → keys move between verses

Character & ethicsChapter 16 · The Divine and Demoniac Natures
16.1716.19

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 16.18

Demoniac qualities and their consequences

अहङ्कारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं च संश्रिता: ।

मामात्मपरदेहेषु प्रद्विषन्तोऽभ्यसूयका: ॥ १८ ॥

ahaṅkāraṁ balaṁ darpaṁ

kāmaṁ krodhaṁ ca saṁśritāḥ

mām ātma-para-deheṣu

pradviṣanto ’bhyasūyakāḥ

Translation

Bewildered by false ego, strength, pride, lust and anger, the demons become envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is situated in their own bodies and in the bodies of others, and blaspheme against the real religion.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

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

Envy of the Supreme Lord

  1. 1Misled by false ego, strength, pride, lust and anger, demons envy the Supreme Lord within themselves and others, and speak against true religion.
  2. 2Prabhupāda explains that pride in wealth and strength leads them to reject God’s supremacy and scriptural authority, thinking themselves independent.
  3. 3Respect God’s supreme control and the scriptures, remembering that this life prepares us for the next.

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 16.18 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.

Ask the study guide

Ask about BG 16.18 — get a simple answer linked to related ideas and verses.

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.