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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
16.416.6

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 16.5

Arjuna is reassured

दैवी सम्पद्विमोक्षाय निबन्धायासुरी मता ।

मा श‍ुच: सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातोऽसि पाण्डव ॥ ५ ॥

daivī sampad vimokṣāya

nibandhāyāsurī matā

mā śucaḥ sampadaṁ daivīm

abhijāto ’si pāṇḍava

Translation

The transcendental qualities are conducive to liberation, whereas the demoniac qualities make for bondage. Do not worry, O son of Pāṇḍu, for you are born with the divine qualities.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

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

Divine Qualities Bring Liberation

  1. 1Divine qualities lead to liberation; demoniac qualities bring bondage. Kṛṣṇa assures Arjuna that he has divine qualities.
  2. 2Prabhupāda explains that Arjuna carefully considered his duty to fight, rather than acting from anger, false pride or harshness.
  3. 3Follow the prescribed rules and duties of your order of life to be spiritually situated.

Where we are

In the story

Chapter 16, The Divine and Demoniac Natures: divine qualities and krishna’s reassurance.

What it teaches

Study note

Personal reassurance follows a teaching about divine character.

How it feels

Interpretive

Moral reassurance

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Key ideas in this verse

The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.

Divine character

Krishna reassures Arjuna about his divine qualities.

3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What qualities am I strengthening through my present choices?

Practice

Identify a divine quality and practice it in a specific relationship.

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The story behind it

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

All stories for chapter 16 ›
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Related verses

Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.

BG 12.13-14The dear devotee is compassionate, humble, and free from envy.BG 16.1-3Divine qualities and Krishna’s reassuranceBG 16.1Divine qualities and Krishna’s reassuranceBG 16.2Divine qualities and Krishna’s reassuranceBG 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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Ask about BG 16.5 — 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.