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← Chapter 16: The Yoga of the Division between the Divine and Demoniac Natures

Verse 16.18

Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit

अहङ्कारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं च संश्रिताः | मामात्मपरदेहेषु प्रद्विषन्तोऽभ्यसूयकाः ||१८||

Transliteration (IAST)

ahaṅkāraṁ balaṁ darpaṁ kāmaṁ krodhaṁ ca saṁśritāḥ | mām ātma-para-deheṣu pradviṣanto 'bhyasūyakāḥ ||18||

Word-by-Word Meanings

ahaṅkāram-egoism
balam-power/force
darpam-arrogance
kāmam-desire
krodham-anger
saṁśritāḥ-taking shelter of
mām pradviṣantaḥ-hating Me (God)
abhyasūyakāḥ-envious/fault-finding

Translation

Given over to egoism, power, arrogance, desire, and anger, these malicious people hate Me dwelling in their own bodies and in the bodies of others.

Commentary

Shankaracharya explains that the supreme offense of the demoniac is hatred of the Lord who dwells as the inner Self (antaryāmin) in all beings. By hating others, they hate God Himself. Ramanuja interprets this as the culmination of āsurī sampad - not merely ethical failure but active opposition to the Divine. Madhva notes that abhyasūyā (envy) toward God is the root of all demoniac qualities.

Themes

bhaktiatman