Chapter 16, Verse 8 (Bhagavad Gita 16.8)
Chapter 16: Daivāsura Sampad Vibhāg Yog – Yoga through Discerning the Divine and Demoniac Natures
Sanskrit Shloka
असत्यमप्रतिष्ठं ते जगदाहुरनीश्वरम्।अपरस्परसम्भूतं किमन्यत्कामहैतुकम्
Transliteration
asatyam apratiṣhṭhaṁ te jagad āhur anīśhvaram aparaspara-sambhūtaṁ kim anyat kāma-haitukam
Word Meanings
asatyam—without absolute truth; apratiṣhṭham—without any basis; te—they; jagat—the world; āhuḥ—say; anīśhvaram—without a God; aparaspara—without cause; sambhūtam—created; kim—what; anyat—other; kāma-haitukam—for sexual gratification only
Translation
They say, 'This universe is without truth, without a moral basis, without a God, brought about by mutual union, with lust as its cause; what else?'
Meaning & Commentary
In this verse, Bhagwan Shri Krishna exposes the deluded worldview of those who are trapped in asuric (demonic) tendencies. By rejecting the divine order and the existence of the Supreme Lord, these individuals mistakenly conclude that life is merely a product of physical desire. Shri Krishna reveals that such a nihilistic perspective blinds the soul to the eternal truth of His own omnipresence and the moral law of dharma. For a seeker, this is a profound warning: when one detaches the universe from its source, Shri Krishna, the heart becomes a wasteland of material cravings. True liberation begins by recognizing that the cosmos is not a random accident, but a manifestation of Shri Krishna’s divine will, inviting us to transcend base instincts and return to Him.