Bhagavad Gita Chapter 16 Verse 12 (16.12)

आशापाशशतैर्बद्धाः कामक्रोधपरायणाः । ईहन्ते कामभोगार्थमन्यायेनार्थसञ्चयान् | | १६-१२ | |

āśhāpāśhaśhatairbaddhāḥ kāmakrodhaparāyaṇāḥ īhante kāmabhogārthamanyāyenārthasañchayān

Word-by-word guide:

Line 1:

आशापाशशतैः (asha-pasha-shataih) — आशा के सैकड़ों बंधनों से(by hundreds of bonds of hope)
बद्धाः (baddhah) — बंधे हुए(bound)
कामक्रोधपरायणाः (kama-krodha-parayanah) — काम और क्रोध में लगे(devoted to desire and anger)

Line 2:

ईहन्ते (ihante) — प्रयत्न करते हैं(they strive)
काम (kama) — इच्छा/काम(desire)
bogarta joined in kāmabhogārthamanyāyenārthasañchayān
माम् (mam) — मुझको(Me)
यः (yah) — जो(who)
yen joined in kāmabhogārthamanyāyenārthasañchayān
अर्थसञ्चयान् (artha-sanchayan) — धन संचय(hoards of wealth)

English: Caught in the toils of a hundred vain hopes, the slaves of strong desire and anger, they accumulate hoards of unjust wealth, only to pander to their sensual want.

💡 Commentary Note

Bound by hundreds of ties of hope, given over to lust and anger, they strive to accumulate wealth by unjust means for sensory enjoyment.

Learnings from Shloka 12:

Ties of Hope:: False expectations and attachments act as tight ropes that bind the mind to future anxiety.
Unjust Accumulation:: Seeking wealth through dishonest means corrupts the intellect and accumulates negative karma.

Gita/Sanskrit Language Quiz

Practice this shloka vocabulary

Match Sanskrit words from shloka 16.12 with their Hindi and English meanings.

Practice vocabulary

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