Bg. 16.10

This verse describes their evil tendencies and conduct. Taking shelter of thirst for sense enjoyment (duṣpūram kāmam), accepting material objects as all in all (asad grāhān gṛhītvā), out of illusion, not from scriptural direction (mohāt), having impure vows (aśuci vratāḥ), they engage in activities (pravartate). Asad grāhān means wicked crocodiles as well as material properties. They become attached to attractive things like money, property, and women, produced from imaginary devatās, their mantras, and their worship, which destroy spiritual life, but which are difficult to restrain, like ferocious crocodiles. “Impure vows” means they indulge in so-called religious vows which include eating meat, taking liquor, and visiting the crematorium. Dambha means that they act for being known as religious even though they are irreligious. Māna means that they proclaim themselves to be worshippable, though they are not worthy of respect. Mada means that they project themselves the most elevated of persons though they have no good qualities. They are endowed with these qualities. Bg 16.11, Bg 16.12, Bg 16.11-12 icNTaaMaPairMaeYaa& c Pa[l/YaaNTaaMauPaaiī[Taa" ) k-aMaaePa>aaeGaParMaa WTaavidiTa iNaiêTaa" )) 11 )) AaXaaPaaXaXaTaEbRṬa" k-aMa§-aeDaParaYa<aa" ) wRhNTae k-aMa>aaeGaaQaRMaNYaaYaeNaaQaRSaĀYaaNa( )) 12 )) cintām aparimeyāṁ ca pralayāntām upāśritāḥ kāmopabhoga-paramā etāvad iti niścitāḥ āśā-pāśa-śatair baddhāḥ kāma-krodha-parāyaṇāḥ īhante kāma-bhogārtham anyāyenārtha-saṣcayān cintām—fears and anxieties; aparimeyām—immeasurable; ca—and; pralaya-antām—unto the point of death; upāśritāḥ—having taken shelter of; kāma-upabhoga—sense gratification; paramāḥ—the highest goal of life; etāvat—thus; iti—in this way; niścitāḥ—having ascertained; āśā-pāśa—entanglements in a network of hope; śataiḥ—by hundreds; baddhāḥ—being bound; kāma—of lust; krodha—and anger; parāyaṇāḥ—always situated in the mentality; īhante—they desire; kāma—lust; bhoga—sense enjoyment; artham—for the purpose of; anyāyena—illegally; artha—of wealth; saṣcayān—accumulation. Engaged in unlimited thinking of objects to be attained up to the point of death, their only goal in this life is to immerse themselves in sense objects (kāma upabhoga paramā), firmly believing (niścitāḥ) that this is all there is (etāvat), and there is no question of happiness in another life after death (etāvad niścitāḥ). The meaning of the first line is clear. They make effort (īhante) to amass wealth for enjoying sense objects by illegal means such as theft and false testimony (anyāyena). Bg 16.13, Bg 16.14, Bg 16.15, Bg 16.13-15 wdMaÛ MaYaa l/BDaiMaMa& Pa[aPSYae MaNaaerQaMa( ) wdMaSTaqdMaiPa Mae >aivZYaiTa PauNaDaRNaMa( )) 13 )) ASaaE MaYaa hTa" Xa}auhRiNaZYae caParaNaiPa ) wRṅrae_hMah& >aaeGaq iSaṬae_h& bl/vaNSau%q )) 14 )) Aa!yae_i>aJaNavaNaiSMa k-ae_NYaae_iSTa Sad*Xaae MaYaa ) Ya+Yae daSYaaiMa MaaeidZYa wTYajaNaivMaaeihTaa" )) 15 )) idam adya mayā labdham imaṁ prāpsye manoratham idam astīdam api me bhaviṣyati punar dhanam asau mayā hataḥ śatrur haniṣye cāparān api īśvaro 'ham ahaṁ bhogī siddho 'haṁ balavān sukhī āḍhyo 'bhijanavān asmi ko 'nyo 'sti sadṛśo mayā yakṣye dāsyāmi modiṣya ity ajṣāna-vimohitāḥ idam—this; adya—today; mayā—by me; labdham—gained; imam—this; prāpsye—I shall gain; manaḥ-ratham—according to my desires; idam—this; asti—there is; idam—this; api—also; me—mine; bhaviṣyati—it will increase in the future; punaḥ—again; dhanam—wealth; asau—that; mayā—by me; hataḥ—has been killed; śatruḥ—enemy; haniṣye—I shall kill; ca—also; aparān—others; api—certainly; īśvaraḥ—the lord; aham—I am; aham—I am; bhogī—the enjoyer; siddhaḥ—perfect; aham—I am; bala-vān—powerful; sukhī—happy; āḍhyaḥ—wealthy; abhijana-vān—surrounded by aristocratic relatives; asmi—I am; kaḥ—who; anyaḥ—other; asti—there is; sadṛśaḥ—like; mayā—me; yakṣye—I shall sacrifice; dāsyāmi—I shall give charity; modiṣye—I shall rejoice; iti—thus; ajṣāna—by ignorance; vimohitāḥ—deluded. Describing their conduct in pursuit of wealth in which they use fanciful words, the Lord says they will go to hell in four verses. I have obtained today this field (idam), these animals and children by the strength of my intelligence (mayā). I will obtain this other object dear to my mind (manoratham) by my strength. This wealth, being obtained by my strength alone, now belongs to me (idam asti). Next year, this wealth I am longing for will also become mine, just by my strength. He does not acknowledge that it is by karma or the mercy of the Lord that he acquires these things. Having proclaimed his thirst for wealth, in this verse he declares his evil mentality. I have killed this enemy called Yajṣadatta by my superior strength. I alone will kill other enemies also and others (ca)—not even desiring their wives or wealth. No one except me should live. (The word ca indicates this.) Some say that the will of the Lord and fate are the cause of victory, but I alone am the lord, being fully independent, for, by myself, I accomplish all enjoyment (bhogī siddhaḥ). If someone makes a God, let him take me as God rather than anyone else, because no one else is available except me. “But I can see others who are equal to you in wealth and family. Why should you be God?” I am wealthy (āḍhyaḥ), through my own efforts, and have good family (abhijanavān). There is no one similar to me on any grounds. No one is equal to me: I alone am God. By my own strength, I will associate with heavenly women (yakṣye). I will defile them (dāsyāmi). I will enjoy with them (modiṣye). In this way, being bewildered by ignorance, such persons fall to hell. The completion of the sentence is the next verse.