Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 16 · Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 16.20 आसुरीं योनिमापन्ना मूढा जन्मनि जन्मनि
श्लोक 16.20
आसुरीं योनिमापन्ना मूढा जन्मनि जन्मनि ।
मामप्राप्यैव कौन्तेय ततो यान्त्यधमां गतिम् ॥
āsurīṃ yonimāpannā mūḍhā janmani janmani |
māmaprāpyaiva kaunteya tato yāntyadhamāṃ gatim ||
हिन्दी अर्थ
हे कौन्तेय! जन्म-जन्म में आसुरी योनि को प्राप्त होकर वे मूढ़ मुझे पाए बिना ही उससे भी अधिक नीची गति को चले जाते हैं।
Meaning in English
Entering demoniac wombs birth after birth, these deluded ones never reach me, O Kaunteya (son of Kunti), and so they go down to an even lower state.
Bhagavad Gita 16.20 — word by word
| Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| आसुरीम् | āsurīm | demonic |
| योनिम् | yonim | birth, womb |
| आपन्नाः | āpannāḥ | having entered |
| मूढाः | mūḍhāḥ | the deluded |
| जन्मनि जन्मनि | janmani janmani | birth after birth |
| माम् | mām | me |
| अप्राप्य | aprāpya | without reaching |
| एव | eva | indeed |
| कौन्तेय | kaunteya | O son of Kunti |
| ततः | tataḥ | thereafter |
| यान्ति | yānti | they go |
| अधमाम् | adhamām | to the lowest |
| गतिम् | gatim | state, destination |
Explanation
Having fallen into demonic births, these deluded beings, birth after birth, fail to reach me, O son of Kunti, and sink to a still lower state. The verse completes the warning: when such tendencies continue unchecked, the person drifts further and further from the divine, moving downward rather than upward.
Shankara notes that mām aprāpya, 'not reaching me', means not even reaching the path of right conduct that leads to the Lord, let alone the Lord himself. Ramanuja reads it as never coming to the knowledge that the Lord exists. Commentators see the sequence of 16.19–20 as a description of a downward spiral. It sets up the practical remedy of the next two verses: the three gates of desire, anger and greed must be closed, and once they are, the upward path opens again.
भावार्थ
हे कौन्तेय, वे मूढ़ लोग जन्म-जन्मान्तर आसुरी योनियों को प्राप्त होकर मुझे न पाकर, उससे भी अधम गति को प्राप्त होते हैं। यह एक नीचे की ओर जाने वाला चक्र है, जिसे समय रहते रोकना चाहिए।
Living it today
A downward slide rarely happens all at once. Catching a bad pattern early, before it repeats, is far easier than undoing it later.
Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of Bhagavad Gita 16.20?
Having fallen into demonic births, these deluded beings, birth after birth, fail to reach me, O son of Kunti, and sink to a still lower state. The verse completes the warning: when such tendencies continue unchecked, the person drifts further and further from the divine, moving downward rather than upward.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 16.20?
Sri Krishna speaks this verse, in Chapter 16 (Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga) of the Bhagavad Gita.
How can I apply Bhagavad Gita 16.20 in daily life?
A downward slide rarely happens all at once. Catching a bad pattern early, before it repeats, is far easier than undoing it later.
Reflected on verse 16.20?
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