Chapter 16

चिन्तामपरिमेयां च प्रलयान्तामुपाश्रिता: | कामोपभोगपरमा एतावदिति निश्चिता: ॥11॥ Transliteration chintām aparimeyāṁ cha pralayāntām upāśhritāḥ kāmopabhoga-paramā etāvad iti niśhchitāḥ Word Meanings chintām—anxieties; aparimeyām—endless; cha—and; pralaya-antām—until death; upāśhritāḥ—taking refuge; kāma-upabhoga—gratification of desires; paramāḥ—the purpose of life; etāvat—still; iti—thus; niśhchitāḥ—with complete assurance Translation Beset with innumerable cares which end (only) with death, holding that the enjoyment of desirable…

काममाश्रित्य दुष्पूरं दम्भमानमदान्विता: | मोहाद्गृहीत्वासद्ग्राहान्प्रवर्तन्तेऽशुचिव्रता: ॥10॥ 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 passion, filled with vanity, pride and arrogance, adopting bad objectives due…

एतां दृष्टिमवष्टभ्य नष्टात्मानोऽल्पबुद्धय: | प्रभवन्त्युग्रकर्माण: क्षयाय जगतोऽहिता: ॥9॥ Transliteration etāṁ dṛiṣhṭim avaṣhṭabhya naṣhṭātmāno ’lpa-buddhayaḥ prabhavanty ugra-karmāṇaḥ kṣhayāya jagato ’hitāḥ Word Meanings etām—such; dṛiṣhṭim—views; avaṣhṭabhya—holding; naṣhṭa—misdirected; ātmānaḥ—souls; alpa-buddhayaḥ—of small intellect; prabhavanti—arise; ugra—cruel; karmāṇaḥ—actions; kṣhayāya—destruction; jagataḥ—of the world; ahitāḥ—enemies Translation Holding on to this view, (these people) who are of depraved character, of poor intellect, given to…

असत्यमप्रतिष्ठं ते जगदाहुरनीश्वरम् | अपरस्परसम्भूतं किमन्यत्कामहैतुकम् ॥8॥ 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 that the world is unreal, it has no basis, it…

प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च जना न विदुरासुरा: | न शौचं नापि चाचारो न सत्यं तेषु विद्यते ॥7॥ Transliteration pravṛittiṁ cha nivṛittiṁ cha janā na vidur āsurāḥ na śhauchaṁ nāpi chāchāro na satyaṁ teṣhu vidyate Word Meanings pravṛittim—proper actions; cha—and; nivṛittim—improper actions; cha—and; janāḥ—persons; na—not; viduḥ—comprehend; āsurāḥ—those possessing demoniac nature; na—neither; śhaucham—purity; na—nor; api—even; cha—and; āchāraḥ—conduct;…

द्वौ भूतसर्गौ लोकेऽस्मिन्दैव आसुर एव च | दैवो विस्तरश: प्रोक्त आसुरं पार्थ मे शृणु ॥6॥ Transliteration dvau bhūta-sargau loke ’smin daiva āsura eva cha daivo vistaraśhaḥ prokta āsuraṁ pārtha me śhṛiṇu Word Meanings dvau—two; bhūta-sargau—of created living beings; loke—in the world; asmin—this; daivaḥ—divine; āsuraḥ—demoniac; eva—certainly; cha—and; daivaḥ—the divine; vistaraśhaḥ—at great length; proktaḥ—said; āsuram—the demoniac; pārtha—Arjun,…