Chapter 16, Verse 10 (Bhagavad Gita 16.10)
Chapter 16: Daivāsura Sampad Vibhāg Yog – Yoga through Discerning the Divine and Demoniac Natures
Sanskrit Shloka
काममाश्रित्य दुष्पूरं दम्भमानमदान्विताः।मोहाद्गृहीत्वासद्ग्राहान्प्रवर्तन्तेऽशुचिव्रताः
Transliteration
kāmam āśhritya duṣhpūraṁ dambha-māna-madānvitāḥ mohād gṛihītvāsad-grāhān pravartante ’śhuchi-vratāḥ
Word Meanings
kāmam—lust; āśhritya—harboring; duṣhpūram—insatiable; dambha—hypocrisy; māna—arrogance; mada-anvitāḥ—clinging to false tenets; mohāt—the illusioned; gṛihītvā—being attracted to; asat—impermanent; grāhān—things; pravartante—they flourish; aśhuchi-vratāḥ—with impure resolve
Translation
Giving themselves up to insatiable desires, possessed of hypocrisy, pride, and arrogance, holding false views through delusion, they act with impure resolves.
Meaning & Commentary
In this verse, Bhagwan Shri Krishna reveals the psychological state of the demoniac (Asuric) nature that binds the soul to the cycle of rebirth. These individuals are trapped by insatiable cravings, mistaking the fulfillment of egoistic desires for true happiness. By surrendering to arrogance and hypocrisy, they distance themselves from the divine truth that Shri Krishna embodies, choosing instead the path of ignorance. Shri Krishna warns Arjuna that such impure resolve acts as a veil, obscuring the soul's original, eternal connection to the Supreme Lord. Only through the surrender of such delusions can a seeker begin the journey toward liberation and realize their true identity in the service of Shri Krishna.