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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
16.1916.21

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 16.20

Demoniac qualities and their consequences

आसुरीं योनिमापन्ना मूढा जन्मनि जन्मनि ।

मामप्राप्यैव कौन्तेय ततो यान्त्यधमां गतिम् ॥ २० ॥

āsurīṁ yonim āpannā

mūḍhā janmani janmani

mām aprāpyaiva kaunteya

tato yānty adhamāṁ gatim

Translation

Attaining repeated birth amongst the species of demoniac life, O son of Kuntī, such persons can never approach Me. Gradually they sink down to the most abominable type of existence.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

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

Mercy and Demoniac Life

  1. 1Those repeatedly born into demoniac life cannot approach the Lord and gradually sink to the lowest forms of existence.
  2. 2Prabhupāda explains that the Lord hates no one. Even placing demons in lower forms of life is a feature of His mercy.
  3. 3Demons killed by the Supreme Lord become liberated, so His killing them also shows His mercy.

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 16.20 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.