Bhagavad Gita Chapter 16, Verse 12 (BG 16.12) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

# BG 16.12 In this verse, the Blessed Lord Sri Krishna further illuminates the nature of those of demoniac temperament by describing their actions and pursuits. A person bound by hundreds of desires and false hopes experiences a continuous deterioration of mental and intellectual faculties. Such a restless individual loses patience with every circumstance, person, and event, thereby forfeiting both discernment and mental equilibrium. Consumed by agitation and perpetual discontent, this person becomes enslaved to desire and anger. When desire remains unfulfilled or thwarted, anger inevitably arises. Though he strives to satisfy his cravings, in this world filled with competition, the attainment of all that is desired remains impossible. Under such circumstances, his desire transforms into frenzied and turbulent anger. Through relentless exertion, such individuals labor ceaselessly to gratify their ever-increasing desires. To indulge the senses, the accumulation of objects becomes necessary. Rather than seeking peace and happiness, they remain engaged in attempting to satisfy that one senseless craving—a malady as incurable as a chronic disease. They entirely lack the mental equilibrium necessary for self-examination, study of their own inclinations, and arrival at truthful judgment. In their frantic pursuit of wish-fulfillment, they turn away from the divine essence of life and disregard the discernment between right and wrong. Impelled by desire, they become absorbed in the unjust accumulation of wealth. Though these characteristics of demoniac nature were written five thousand years ago, it is remarkable that upon reading this passage, it appears as though it is a harsh yet truthful critique of the present age. Thus, should the sincere student of the Gita examine the glorious age of modern science, material prosperity, worldly achievement, and political liberation, this era would indeed be recognized as belonging to the demoniac category. Amidst the piercing din of factory whistles announcing the widespread expansion of industrial institutions, the terrifying roar of modern scientific weapons, and the clamor of the destructive natural forces we ourselves have unleashed, we may well ignore the truth proclaimed by the wise ones of ancient times. Yet the devoted student of the Gita directly perceives the irrefutable truth of those declarations, and naturally, their heart grows sorrowful regarding their own age. The thoughts of such persons are as follows: