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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
16.816.10

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 16.9

Demoniac qualities and their consequences

एतां दृष्टिमवष्टभ्य नष्टात्मानोऽल्पबुद्धय: ।

प्रभवन्त्युग्रकर्माण: क्षयाय जगतोऽहिता: ॥ ९ ॥

etāṁ dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya

naṣṭātmāno ’lpa-buddhayaḥ

prabhavanty ugra-karmāṇaḥ

kṣayāya jagato ’hitāḥ

Translation

Following such conclusions, the demoniac, who are lost to themselves and who have no intelligence, engage in unbeneficial, horrible works meant to destroy the world.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

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

Destruction Through Godlessness

  1. 1The demoniac, lost to themselves and lacking intelligence, do harmful, horrible work meant to destroy the world.
  2. 2Prabhupāda explains that materialists without any concept of God call their inventions progress, though these increase cruelty and bring destruction.
  3. 3Do not mistake inventions that promote cruelty and destruction for real progress.

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 16.9 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

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.