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Bhagavad Gita Chapter 16 Verse 9 (16.9)

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 16 Verse 9 (16.9)

एतां दृष्टिमवष्टभ्य नष्टात्मानोऽल्पबुद्धयः । प्रभवन्त्युग्रकर्माणः क्षयाय जगतोऽहिताः | | १६-९ | |

etāṁ dṛiṣhṭimavaṣhṭabhya naṣhṭātmāno’lpabuddhayaḥ prabhavantyugrakarmāṇaḥ kṣhayāya jagato’hitāḥ

Word-by-word guide:
Line 1:
  • एताम् (etam) — इस(this)
  • दृष्टिम् (drishtim) — दृष्टि(view)
  • अवष्टभ्य (avashtabhya) — पकड़कर(holding)
  • n joined in naṣhṭātmāno’lpabuddhayaḥ
  • अस्ति (asti) — है(is)
  • at joined in naṣhṭātmāno’lpabuddhayaḥ
  • मनः (manah) — मन(mind)
  • अल्पबुद्धयः (alpa-buddhayah) — अल्प बुद्धि वाले(of small intellect)
Line 2:
  • प्रभवन्ति (prabhavanti) — उत्पन्न होते हैं(come forth)
  • उग्रकर्माणः (ugra-karmanah) — क्रूर कर्म वाले(of cruel deeds)
  • क्षयाय (kshayaya) — नाश के लिए(for destruction)
  • जगतः (jagatah) — जगत का(of the world)
  • अहिताः (ahitah) — अहितकारी(enemies)

English: Thinking thus, these degraded souls, these enemies of mankind - whose intelligence is negligible and whose deeds are monstrous - come into the world only to destroy.

💡 Commentary Note

Holding this view, these ruined souls, with little intellect and fierce actions, rise as enemies of the world for its destruction.

Learnings from Shloka 9:
  • Fierce Actions:: A purely materialistic mindset leads to actions that harm the environment and society.
  • Ruined Senses:: Ego-driven ambitions ultimately destroy the person's own mental peace and health.

Gita/Sanskrit Language Quiz

Practice this shloka vocabulary

Match Sanskrit words from shloka 16.9 with their Hindi and English meanings.

Practice vocabulary