Chapter 16, Verse 15 (Bhagavad Gita 16.15)
Chapter 16: Daivāsura Sampad Vibhāg Yog – Yoga through Discerning the Divine and Demoniac Natures
Sanskrit Shloka
आढ्योऽभिजनवानस्मि कोऽन्योऽस्ति सदृशो मया।यक्ष्ये दास्यामि मोदिष्य इत्यज्ञानविमोहिताः
Transliteration
āḍhyo ’bhijanavān asmi ko ’nyo ’sti sadṛiśho mayā yakṣhye dāsyāmi modiṣhya ity ajñāna-vimohitāḥ aneka-chitta-vibhrāntā moha-jāla-samāvṛitāḥ prasaktāḥ kāma-bhogeṣhu patanti narake ’śhuchau
Word Meanings
āḍhyaḥ—wealthy; abhijana-vān—having highly placed relatives; asmi—me; kaḥ—who; anyaḥ—else; asti—is; sadṛiśhaḥ—like; mayā—to me; yakṣhye—I shall perform sacrifices; dāsyāmi—I shall give alms; modiṣhye—I shall rejoice; iti—thus; ajñāna—ignorance; vimohitāḥ—deluded aneka—many; chitta—imaginings; vibhrāntāḥ—led astray; moha—delusion; jāla—mesh; samāvṛitāḥ—enveloped; prasaktāḥ—addicted; kāma-bhogeṣhu—gratification of sensuous pleasures; patanti—descend; narake—to hell; aśhuchau—murky
Translation
"I am wealthy and born into a noble family. Who else is like me? I shall perform sacrifices, give charity, and rejoice." Thus, they are deluded by ignorance.
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound revelation, Bhagwan Shri Krishna exposes the core of the asuric (demonic) mentality, which is rooted in egoistic vanity and the illusion of ownership. Lord Krishna explains that when a soul forgets its dependence on the Supreme, it begins to identify with transient worldly assets like wealth and lineage, leading to a dangerous sense of superiority. By believing they are the independent 'doer' of sacrifices and charity, these souls trap themselves in the cycle of birth and death, missing the true purpose of life which is surrender to the Divine. Shri Krishna warns Arjuna that such delusion obscures the soul’s true identity, preventing the seeker from recognizing that all power and virtue flow from Him alone. Liberation is only attained when the ego dissolves and the soul humbly acknowledges Shri Krishna as the ultimate source and sustainer of all existence.