Verse 16.20
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
आसुरीं योनिमापन्ना मूढा जन्मनि जन्मनि | मामप्राप्यैव कौन्तेय ततो यान्त्यधमां गतिम् ||२०||
Transliteration (IAST)
āsurīṁ yonim āpannā mūḍhā janmani janmani | mām aprāpyaiva kaunteya tato yānty adhamāṁ gatim ||20||
Word-by-Word Meanings
āsurīm yonim-demoniac birth
āpannāḥ-attaining/entering
mūḍhāḥ-deluded
janmani janmani-birth after birth
mām aprāpya-not reaching Me
adhamām gatim-the lowest destination
yānti-they go
Translation
Attaining demoniac births again and again, these deluded souls, without ever reaching Me, O son of Kunti, sink to the lowest state.
Commentary
Shankaracharya explains that the repetition janmani janmani emphasizes the tragic cycle - each demoniac birth reinforces the tendencies that prevent liberation. Ramanuja notes that 'mām aprāpya' (not reaching Me) is the ultimate loss, as the purpose of human birth is God-realization. Madhva interprets adhamāṁ gatim as progressively lower births, showing the downward spiral of unrepentant evil.
Themes
karmamokshabhakti
Related Verses
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