Holding this view, these ruined souls of small intellect and fierce deeds, come forth as the enemies of the world for its destruction.
In simple words
Krishna says: "Holding this view — with ruined minds and tiny intellects — these destructive people come into the world as enemies of everything, working toward its destruction."
Word-by-word meanings
एताम्thisदृष्टिम्viewअवष्टभ्यholdingनष्टात्मानःruined soulsअल्पबुद्धयःof small intellectप्रभवन्तिcome forthउग्रकर्माणःof fierce deedsक्षयायfor the destructionजगतःof the worldअहिताःenemies
Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.
Swami Sivananda
16.9 एताम् this? दृष्टिम् view? अवष्टभ्य holding? नष्टात्मानः ruined souls? अल्पबुद्धयः of small intellect? प्रभवन्ति come forth? उग्रकर्माणः of fierce deeds? क्षयाय for the destruction? जगतः of the world? अहिताः enemies.Commentary They rob others. They acire wealth by destroying others. They boast of their evil actions.Nashtatmanah Ruined souls They have lost all chances of attaining Selfrealisation or going to the higher world.Alpabuddhayah They have a small intellect as they identify themselves with their little bodies full of impurities? as they have no conception of the Supreme Beign? and as their intellects are concerned with the little sensual pleasures only (eating? drinking? etc.).Ugrakarmanah Of fierce deeds They always injure others. They murder for aciring wealth. They do any heinous crime to get money and women. They bring great confusion and destroy the peace and harmony of the world.Enemies of the world World here means people who live in the world.
Swami Chinmayananda
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.
Those who follow the perspective described in the previous verse have no faith in any true foundation of existence. If desire and craving are understood as the sole cause, and bestial tendencies are encouraged throughout society, the result will be nothing but discord, conflict, destruction, and ruin everywhere.
Only that person whose nature has been lost can possess a balanced personality—one who has come to understand oneself in the proper way. Whenever a human being forgets oneself, one then behaves in a manner worthy of censure, like a deranged or intoxicated person, entirely contrary to one's birth, education, culture, and social standing. Behaving like an animal, one dishonors the divine dignity of one's own evolution.
When any person does not even acknowledge the existence of the supreme and divine truth as the foundation of the world, then that person becomes extremely self-centered and selfish. Thereafter, the sole aim of one's life becomes the acquisition of ever-greater personal gain. Through the satisfaction of sensory desires, one makes every possible effort to attain supreme contentment and joy, yet in the end, only disappointment and failure come to one's hand. The compassionate Lord Sri Krishna, calling them small-minded, expresses sympathy toward them.
If someone truly holds democratic and tolerant views, this question may arise in their mind: if an atheistic hedonist does not believe in spiritual truth, why should others not have the freedom to hold different truths, faith, and thoughts? Anticipating such a question, Lord Sri Krishna says that a person of demonic nature, lacking faith, does not retain this discernment, and begins to behave tyrannically at all levels. Driven by self-interest, such powerful people sometimes create grave calamities in their age. From a historical perspective, today's world is passing through that very perilous condition about which the Gita, with foresight, declared long ago. Those materialistic, demonic people who have no faith in truth unknowingly create such discord and distortion in society's harmony that the entire world becomes trapped in the bloody quagmire of destructive war.
Further, it is said: