Bhagavad Gita Chapter 16, Verse 16 (BG 16.16)

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Bhagavad Gita Chapter 16, Verse 16 — Meaning & Commentary | Live Gita

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अनेकचित्तविभ्रान्ता मोहजालसमावृताः |
प्रसक्ताः कामभोगेषु पतन्ति नरकेऽशुचौ ||१६-१६||

anekacittavibhrāntā mohajālasamāvṛtāḥ . prasaktāḥ kāmabhogeṣu patanti narake.aśucau ||16-16||

Bewildered by many a fancy, entangled in the snare of delusion, addicted to the gratification of lust, they fall into a foul hell.

In simple words

Krishna describes their fate: "Pulled in a thousand directions by fantasies, trapped in the net of delusion, addicted to feeding their desires — they fall into a dark, painful place."

Word-by-word meanings

अनेकचित्तविभ्रान्ताःbewildred by many a fancyमोहजालसमावृताःentangled in the snare of delusionप्रसक्ताःaddictedकामभोगेषुto the gratification of lustपतन्ति(they) fallनरकेinto hellअशुचौfoul

Commentaries

Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.

Swami Sivananda

16.16 अनेकचित्तविभ्रान्ताः bewildred by many a fancy? मोहजालसमावृताः entangled in the snare of delusion? प्रसक्ताः addicted? कामभोगेषु to the gratification of lust? पतन्ति (they) fall? नरके into hell? अशुचौ foul.Commentary Just as a man utters many incoherent words when he gets delirium or high fever? so also these diabolical men prattle about their desires? sensual enjoyment? etc. They commit,countless sins and so they fall into a foul hell such as the Vaitarani. Delusion is a snare because those who are deluded are entrapped. They are caught like fish in the meshes of the net of delusion. They are enveloped by the net on four sides. They are bewildered as to what to do first and what next. As they are enveloped or covered by delusion? they are bewildered in various ways by entertaining various evil thoughts. They have no discrimination between the proper or beneficial and improper or harmful Sadhanas. The lack of the knowledge of the distinction between these two is Moha. As Mohas is a veil and a cause of bondage it is compared to a net.All the alities mentioned above lead to downfall.

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.

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Commentaries

Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.

Swami Sivananda

Swami Chinmayananda

# BG 16.16 The mind of a person consumed by ego and attachment to sensory pleasures remains perpetually unstable. Through countless delusional imaginings, such a person weakens their capacity for mental focus and clarity. When the mind of such a demoniac person is scattered among hollow dreams and illusions, the state of their intellect becomes pitiable. Their capacity for discernment and judgment becomes ensnared in delusion and false values. How can an intellect bereft of true refuge make sound decisions and proper assessment of life? When the world is perceived through such a flawed mind and intellect, one sees only discord and distortion everywhere—never harmony and refinement. When a person's intellect is clouded by delusion and their mind is agitated by distractions, their senses too become uncontrolled. Just as a vehicle cannot move with restraint if its driving force is intoxicated, so too does such a demoniac nature become excessively attached to sensory indulgences. Exhausted in body, confused in mind, and wavering in intellect, such people dwell in a self-created hell and distribute their suffering and torment to all around them. We need not be great philosophers to understand this truth. Humanity possesses the capacity to transform hell into heaven through the vision of equanimity, and to turn heaven into hell through the vision of discord. A person of unintegrated personality experiences neither peace nor completeness in any circumstance. Even if all surroundings and conditions were favorable, they would render them unfavorable through their inner anguish and suffering. If even one person possessed of these demoniac qualities can transform pleasant circumstances into painful ones, we can well imagine the state of a world where such tendencies exist in abundance among many. The existence of heaven and hell depends upon the equanimity or discord within our own hearts.

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.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 16, Verse 16 (BG 16.16) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

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