Chapter 9, Verse 12 (Bhagavad Gita 9.12)
Chapter 9: Rāja Vidyā Yog – Yoga through the King of Sciences
Sanskrit Shloka
मोघाशा मोघकर्माणो मोघज्ञाना विचेतसः। राक्षसीमासुरीं चैव प्रकृतिं मोहिनीं श्रिताः
Transliteration
moghāśhā mogha-karmāṇo mogha-jñānā vichetasaḥ rākṣhasīm āsurīṁ chaiva prakṛitiṁ mohinīṁ śhritāḥ
Word Meanings
mogha-āśhāḥ—of vain hopes; mogha-karmāṇaḥ—of vain actions; mogha-jñānāḥ—of baffled knowledge; vichetasaḥ—deluded; rākṣhasīm—demoniac; āsurīm—atheistic; cha—and; eva—certainly; prakṛitim—material energy; mohinīm—bewildered; śhritāḥ—take shelter
Translation
Those who are possessed of the delusive nature of demons and atheistic beings remain caught in vain hopes, vain actions, and vain knowledge, their minds bewildered and devoid of wisdom.
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound revelation, Bhagwan Shri Krishna illuminates the tragic state of souls who turn away from the Divine. When an individual rejects the supremacy of Shri Krishna, their aspirations and endeavors become 'mudha'—void of spiritual essence. Such beings perceive the material world as the ultimate reality, thereby exhausting their lives in empty pursuits that offer no lasting liberation. Shri Krishna lovingly warns that as long as the ego remains trapped in demoniac qualities, the nectar of devotion remains inaccessible. Only by surrendering to the Supreme Lord can the seeker transcend this cycle of futility and awaken to the eternal truth of their own soul.