Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16: दैवासुरसम्पद्विभागयोगः
Twenty-four verses. The divine wealth that leads to release, the demonic wealth that leads to bondage, a portrait of the demonic outlook, the three gates of hell called desire, anger and greed, and the conclusion that scripture is the guiding light are here.
Tap any verse card to open its page with the word-by-word meaning. Pages are ready for every verse of this chapter.
अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिर्ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिः।
दानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्यायस्तप आर्जवम् ॥ 1 ॥Meaning of verse 16.1 →2अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्यागः शान्तिरपैशुनम्।
दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम् ॥ 2 ॥Meaning of verse 16.2 →3तेजः क्षमा धृतिः शौचमद्रोहो नातिमानिता।
भवन्ति सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातस्य भारत ॥ 3 ॥Meaning of verse 16.3 →4दम्भो दर्पोऽभिमानश्च क्रोधः पारुष्यमेव च।
अज्ञानं चाभिजातस्य पार्थ सम्पदमासुरीम् ॥ 4 ॥Meaning of verse 16.4 →5दैवी सम्पद्विमोक्षाय निबन्धायासुरी मता।
मा शुचः सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातोऽसि पाण्डव ॥ 5 ॥Meaning of verse 16.5 →6द्वौ भूतसर्गौ लोकेऽस्मिन्दैव आसुर एव च।
दैवो विस्तरशः प्रोक्त आसुरं पार्थ मे शृणु ॥ 6 ॥Meaning of verse 16.6 →7प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च जना न विदुरासुराः।
न शौचं नापि चाचारो न सत्यं तेषु विद्यते ॥ 7 ॥Meaning of verse 16.7 →8असत्यमप्रतिष्ठं ते जगदाहुरनीश्वरम्।
अपरस्परसम्भूतं किमन्यत्कामहैतुकम् ॥ 8 ॥Meaning of verse 16.8 →9एतां दृष्टिमवष्टभ्य नष्टात्मानोऽल्पबुद्धयः।
प्रभवन्त्युग्रकर्माणः क्षयाय जगतोऽहिताः ॥ 9 ॥Meaning of verse 16.9 →10काममाश्रित्य दुष्पूरं दम्भमानमदान्विताः।
मोहाद्गृहीत्वासद्ग्राहान्प्रवर्तन्तेऽशुचिव्रताः ॥ 10 ॥Meaning of verse 16.10 →11चिन्तामपरिमेयां च प्रलयान्तामुपाश्रिताः।
कामोपभोगपरमा एतावदिति निश्चिताः ॥ 11 ॥Meaning of verse 16.11 →12आशापाशशतैर्बद्धाः कामक्रोधपरायणाः।
ईहन्ते कामभोगार्थमन्यायेनार्थसञ्चयान् ॥ 12 ॥Meaning of verse 16.12 →13इदमद्य मया लब्धमिमं प्राप्स्ये मनोरथम्।
इदमस्तीदमपि मे भविष्यति पुनर्धनम् ॥ 13 ॥Meaning of verse 16.13 →14असौ मया हतः शत्रुर्हनिष्ये चापरानपि।
ईश्वरोऽहमहं भोगी सिद्धोऽहं बलवान्सुखी ॥ 14 ॥Meaning of verse 16.14 →15आढ्योऽभिजनवानस्मि कोऽन्योऽस्ति सदृशो मया।
यक्ष्ये दास्यामि मोदिष्य इत्यज्ञानविमोहिताः ॥ 15 ॥Meaning of verse 16.15 →16अनेकचित्तविभ्रान्ता मोहजालसमावृताः।
प्रसक्ताः कामभोगेषु पतन्ति नरकेऽशुचौ ॥ 16 ॥Meaning of verse 16.16 →17आत्मसम्भाविताः स्तब्धा धनमानमदान्विताः।
यजन्ते नामयज्ञैस्ते दम्भेनाविधिपूर्वकम् ॥ 17 ॥Meaning of verse 16.17 →18अहङ्कारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं च संश्रिताः।
मामात्मपरदेहेषु प्रद्विषन्तोऽभ्यसूयकाः ॥ 18 ॥Meaning of verse 16.18 →19तानहं द्विषतः क्रूरान्संसारेषु नराधमान्।
क्षिपाम्यजस्रमशुभानासुरीष्वेव योनिषु ॥ 19 ॥Meaning of verse 16.19 →20आसुरीं योनिमापन्ना मूढा जन्मनि जन्मनि।
मामप्राप्यैव कौन्तेय ततो यान्त्यधमां गतिम् ॥ 20 ॥Meaning of verse 16.20 →21त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः।
कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत् ॥ 21 ॥Meaning of verse 16.21 →22एतैर्विमुक्तः कौन्तेय तमोद्वारैस्त्रिभिर्नरः।
आचरत्यात्मनः श्रेयस्ततो याति परां गतिम् ॥ 22 ॥Meaning of verse 16.22 →23यः शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारतः।
न स सिद्धिमवाप्नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम् ॥ 23 ॥Meaning of verse 16.23 →24तस्माच्छास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ।
ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रविधानोक्तं कर्म कर्तुमिहार्हसि ॥ 24 ॥Meaning of verse 16.24 →
ॐ तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादे दैवासुरसम्पद्विभागयोगो नाम षोडशोऽध्यायः ॥
About Daivāsura Sampad Vibhāga Yoga
The previous chapter ended by saying that one who knows the Purushottama has done all that is to be done. This chapter tells who is fit for that knowledge and what stands in its way. It calls the two directions of human nature ‘wealth’: the divine wealth and the demonic wealth.
The list of divine qualities begins with fearlessness and ends with freedom from excessive pride. The chapter portrays the mind of the demonic in their own words: ‘this I gained today, I am the lord, who is my equal.’ Finally it reduces everything to the three gates of desire, anger and greed, and shows scripture as the guiding light.
How the chapter moves
- Verses 1 to 3: The twenty-six qualities of the divine wealth.
- Verses 4 to 6: The demonic qualities, the divine wealth for release and the demonic for bondage, and ‘do not grieve, you are born to the divine wealth.’
- Verses 7 to 12: The demonic outlook, and the desire, worry and unjust gain born of it.
- Verses 13 to 18: Their dream kingdom, their hypocritical sacrifices, and their hatred of the Lord who dwells in all.
- Verses 19 and 20: The fruit of that path, the lower course.
- Verses 21 to 24: The three gates of hell, freedom from them, and scripture as the authority.
The core of the demonic nature: the acharyas’ views
Shankara unfolds the divine qualities in the language of dealings, shows fine distinctions such as that between forgiveness and freedom from anger, and calls ego the root of all faults. Ramanuja finds the core of the demonic nature in the attitude ‘everything is by my own ability, not by the divine’, and calls the divine wealth following the Lord’s command. Madhva says the truth, foundation and Lord of the world are all Vishnu, and calls the denial of this the demonic outlook. Sridhara Swami likens the demonic outlook to the materialism of the Lokayatas.
These pages do not decide between the readings. Wherever the acharyas part, each position is recorded in its own terms.
About these pages
The text is that of the Gita Press edition. These pages hope the lists of this chapter will be read not to stick labels on others, but to see which of the two we are growing within ourselves. The page for 16.19 carries a caution that these verses must not be used to judge anyone’s birth, illness, disability or poverty as a ‘punishment’.
In this chapter the ‘For life today’ box links the qualities to everyday experience: speech that is true and kind, taunting and mockery, worry and anxiety, the whirlpool of debt, anger and alcohol, and the mistake of stopping medicines on one’s own. The health notes are for general understanding only, and for personal problems a doctor’s advice is what counts.
Sources: several.