Chapter 16 · Verse 20

Yoga through Discerning the Divine and Demoniac Natures

असुरीं योनिमापन्ना मूढा जन्मनि जन्मनि।मामप्राप्यैव कौन्तेय ततो यान्त्यधमां गतिम्

āsurīṁ yonim āpannā mūḍhā janmani janmani mām aprāpyaiva kaunteya tato yānty adhamāṁ gatim

Word Meanings

āsurīm — demoniac; yonim — wombs; āpannāḥ — gaining; mūḍhāḥ — the ignorant; janmani janmani — in birth after birth; mām — me; aprāpya — failing to reach; eva — even; kaunteya — Arjun, the son of Kunti; tataḥ — thereafter; yānti — go; adhamām — abominable; gatim — destination

Language:

Translation

Gaining demoniac births again and again, these deluded souls, never reaching Me, O son of Kunti, sink further still into the lowest destination.

Commentary

असुरीम् demoniacal? योनिम् womb? आपन्नाः entering into? मूढाः deluded? जन्मनि जन्मनि in birth after birth? माम् Me? अप्राप्य not attaining? एव still? कौन्तेय O son of Kunti (Arjuna)? ततः than that? यान्ति (they) fall into? अधमाम् lower? गतिम् condition (path or goal).Commentary These degraded Asuras are cast into the demoniacal wombs. They are reduced to the very lowest condition or the most appalling state. They are cast into utter darkness. They fall into lower and yet lower wombs in response to their own satanic desires and actions and their extreme Tamasic nature. From the birth of a tiger? they will get the birth of a serpent from a serpents they will get the birth of a wormfrom that they will get the birth of a tree? etc. In Sanskrit the suffix Tara denotes comparative degree and Tama is superlative degree. These people get Nikrishtatama Yonis (the lowest wombs).They do not reach Me as their minds are filled with impurities? as they do not tread the path of righteousness in accordance with the injunctions of the scriptures. The diabolical nature is inimical to spiritual progress. Therefore? you will have to annihilate the evil tendencies by cultivating divine alities and the practice of regular meditation. Then and only then will you attain liberation.