Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.
Swami Sivananda
16.8 असत्यम् without truth? अप्रतिष्ठम् without (moral) basis? ते they? जगत् the world? आहुः say? अनीश्वरम् without a God? अपरस्परसम्भूतम् brought about by mutual union? किम् what? अन्यत else? कामहैतुकम् with lust for its cause.Commentary They hold that the universe is without any substratum or support or an undying basic reality.This is a description of the opinion of atheists like the Charvakas and other materialists. They do not believe in the existence of Brahman Who is the support of this world. They do not even accept the existence of an Isvara in this world. They say We are unreal. Therefore this world also is unreal? the scriptures which declare the truth are also unreal. What else but lust can be the cause of this universe Sexual passion is the sole cause of all living creatures. There is no such thing as the theory of Karma. The whole world is caused by the mutual union of man and woman under the impulse of lust. There is neither virtue nor vice. There is no Lord Who dispenses the fruits of actions of the individuals according to virtue and vice. Dharma and Adharma are not the basis of this world. Sexual desire is the sole basis for this universe. This world is a world of chance. They are not endowed with the faculty of introspection. They are ignorant of the field (Nature) and knower of the field (God).Mutual union Sexual union it may mean the union of atoms. The world arose from the combination of atoms according to the Vaiseshikas.
Swami Chinmayananda
In the description of those of demoniac nature, we recognize a person who is utterly skeptical and materialistic—one who views life only through the lens of his limited intellect. Consequently, it is natural that he neither perceives any ultimate purpose in life, nor does he acknowledge any eternal foundation underlying this world, which appears to him as a succession of disconnected and transient events. The intellect of these materialists is keen, and they are capable of independent and original thought. Such persons require but little guidance to enable them to see beyond the confines of their limited understanding. This verse describes the materialistic perspective. Materialists observe and analyze the world through scientific methodology, yet they fail to recognize that truth which sustains this universe. They perceive change, and mistake this constant flux itself for the world, denying the necessity of any eternal, unchanging substratum. Yet even scientists now acknowledge that without an eternal, immutable foundation, neither can change occur in the world nor can it be known. Change is merely a relative phenomenon. A film cannot be projected without a stable, motionless screen, nor can the unbroken flow of a river persist without a steady riverbed. Similarly, appearance cannot exist without a substratum. This very foundation of the entire world is called truth; but according to those of demoniac nature, the world is without support, devoid of truth. If the world has no foundation, then at least—is there not some omniscient, all-governing being who directs the events of the world? According to those of hedonistic temperament, no such controller and creator exists. There is neither a creator nor a sustainer. According to their view, this entire animate and inanimate world has arisen merely from the mutual interaction of the great elements, and whatever form this interaction takes is purely a matter of chance, governed by no law whatsoever. The sole cause of the origin of all beings is desire and lust. Modern psychologists too emphasize that desire is the mother of all other impulses, and it is because of this that all events occur and all achievements in life become possible. Having thus presented the perspective of those of demoniac nature, Lord Sri Krishna, moved by compassion for the fate of such persons, now describes their actions.
This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.