Bhagavad Gita 16.9 (BG 16.9) | Daivāsura-sampad-vibhāga-yoga: Divine and Demonic Characteristics
एतां दृष्टिमवष्टभ्य नष्टात्मानोऽल्पबुद्धय: ।
प्रभवन्त्युग्रकर्माण: क्षयाय जगतोऽहिता: ॥
English Transliteration
etāṃ dṛṣṭim-avaṣṭabhya
naṣṭātmāno’lpa-buddhaya:
prabhavanty-ugra-karmāṇa:
kṣayāya jagato’hitā: – 16.9
Translation
Fostering this kind of vision, lost to their own distorted intellect, they emerge as enemies of the world, and take to fierce, violent acts meant to bring about largescale degeneration and ruin.
BG 16.9: Chanting Audio
Chapter 16: Daivāsura-sampad-vibhāga-yoga: – Divine and Demonic Characteristics - Verse 9
Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha
BG 16.9: Commentary by Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha
This happens because they have a very constricted intelligence, which rejoices in selfish thoughts and actions. It leads to all kinds of fissiparous tendencies, violence and destruction. They court this kind of thinking and its effects right from the beginning.
Human mind has two courses to adopt: One is good, noble, adorable and helpful to others. The other is bad, ignoble, detestable and harmful. Everyone is free to choose either the first or the second. These people are victimized by the second.
With constricted intelligence, they refuse to see anything beyond; and indulge in grave cruelty, resulting in decline and degeneration of the world. Mahabharata war is itself an outcome of such wickedness of Duryodhana, which affected hundreds of thousands of people in this subcontinent.
