Chapter 16, Verse 20 (Bhagavad Gita 16.20)
Chapter 16: Daivāsura Sampad Vibhāg Yog – Yoga through Discerning the Divine and Demoniac Natures
Sanskrit Shloka
असुरीं योनिमापन्ना मूढा जन्मनि जन्मनि।मामप्राप्यैव कौन्तेय ततो यान्त्यधमां गतिम्
Transliteration
āsurīṁ yonim āpannā mūḍhā janmani janmani mām aprāpyaiva kaunteya tato yānty adhamāṁ gatim
Word Meanings
āsurīm—demoniac; yonim—wombs; āpannāḥ—gaining; mūḍhāḥ—the ignorant; janmani janmani—in birth after birth; mām—me; aprāpya—failing to reach; eva—even; kaunteya—Arjun, the son of Kunti; tataḥ—thereafter; yānti—go; adhamām—abominable; gatim—destination
Translation
Attaining demoniac births, birth after birth, these deluded ones, not reaching Me, O son of Kunti, sink into still lower states.
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound verse, Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, warns against the dangers of a life lived in defiance of divine law. By persistently cultivating demoniac qualities such as pride, arrogance, and anger, the soul drifts further away from His lotus feet, cycle after cycle. Shri Krishna reveals the tragic consequence of such persistent ignorance, which leads to a spiritual descent into even more obscured forms of existence. This is a call for the seeker to consciously turn toward the light of Bhagwan Shri Krishna, for only through surrender to Him can one break the chain of lower births. Ultimately, the Lord invites us to awaken our dormant devotion, as He is the final refuge and the only destination that liberates the soul from the wheel of samsara.