Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 16 of 18 · 24 verses
Two Paths of Destiny
Daivāsura Sampad Vibhāga Yoga
What this chapter teaches
Two contrasting psychological profiles: the divine (daiva) — fearless, pure, compassionate — and the demonic (āsura) — arrogant, wrathful, consumed by pride and insatiable desire.
Chapter 16 offers one of the Gita's most direct moral teachings — a clear contrast between two paths of character development. The divine qualities (daivī sampat): fearlessness, purity, generosity, compassion, straightforwardness, gentleness, humility, vigor, forgiveness, patience. The demonic qualities (āsurī sampat): hypocrisy, arrogance, vanity, wrath, harshness, ignorance. Those on the demonic path are bound by desire, pride, and cruelty, performing cruel deeds only to satisfy their egos. The scriptural injunctions (śāstra) are given to help us distinguish right from wrong.
All 24 verses — Sanskrit, transliteration, English
श्री भगवानुवाच अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिः ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिः। दानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्यायस्तप आर्जवम्॥
śrī bhagavānuvāca abhayaṁ sattvasaṁśuddhiḥ jñānayogavyavasthitiḥ | dānaṁ damaśca yajñaśca svādhyāyastapa ārjavam ||
The Blessed Lord said Fearlessness, purity of mind, persistence in knowledge and yoga, charity and control of the external organs, sacrifice, (scriptural) study, austerity and recititude;
अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्यागः शान्तिरपैशुनम्।दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम्॥
ahiṁsā satyamakrodhastyāgaḥ śāntirapaiśunam|dayā bhūteṣvaloluptvaṁ mārdavaṁ hrīracāpalam ||
Non-injury, truthfulness, absence of anger, renunciation, control of the internal organ, absence of vilification, kindness to creatures, non-covetousness, gentleness, modesty, freedom from restlessness;
तेजः क्षमा धृतिः शौचमद्रोहो नातिमानिता। भवन्ति सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातस्य भारत॥
tejaḥ kṣamā dhṛtiḥ śaucamadroho nātimānitā | bhavanti sampadaṁ daivīmabhijātasya bhārata ||
Vigour, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, freedom from malice, absence of haughtiness-these, O scion of the Bharata dynasty, are (the alties) of one born destined to have the divine nature.
दम्भो दर्पोऽभिमानश्च क्रोधः पारुष्यमेव च।अज्ञानं चाभिजातस्य पार्थ सम्पदमासुरीम्॥
dambho darpo'bhimānaśca krodhaḥ pāruṣyameva ca|ajñānaṁ cābhijātasya pārtha sampadamāsurīm ||
O son of Prtha, (the attributes) of one destined to have the demoniacal nature are religious ostentation, pride and haughtiness, [Another reading is abhimanah, self-conceit.-Tr.], anger as also rudeness and ignorance.
दैवी सम्पद्विमोक्षाय निबन्धायासुरी मता।मा शुचः सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातोऽसि पाण्डव॥
daivī sampadvimokṣāya nibandhāyāsurī matā|mā śucaḥ sampadaṁ daivīmabhijāto'si pāṇḍava ||
The divine nature is the Liberation, the demoniacal is considered to be for inevitable bondage. Do not grieve, O son of Pandu! You are destined to have the divine nature.
द्वौ भूतसर्गौ लोकेऽस्मिन् दैव आसुर एव च।दैवो विस्तरशः प्रोक्त आसुरं पार्थ मे श्रृणु॥
dvau bhūtasargau loke'smin daiva āsura eva ca|daivo vistaraśaḥ prokta āsuraṁ pārtha me śrṛṇu ||
In this world there are are two (kinds of) creation of beings: the divine and the demoniacal. The divine has been spoken of elaborately. Hear about the demoniacal from Me, O son of Prtha.
प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च जना न विदुरासुराः।न शौचं नापि चाचारो न सत्यं तेषु विद्यते॥
pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidurāsurāḥ|na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāro na satyaṁ teṣu vidyate ||
Neither do the demoniacal persons under-stand what is to be done and what is not to be done; nor does purity, or even good conduct or truthfulness exist in them.
असत्यमप्रतिष्ठं ते जगदाहुरनीश्वरम्।अपरस्परसम्भूतं किमन्यत्कामहैतुकम्॥
asatyamapratiṣṭhaṁ te jagadāhuranīśvaram|aparasparasambhūtaṁ kimanyatkāmahaitukam ||
They say that the world is unreal, it has no basis, it is without a God. It is born of mutual union brought about by passion! What other (cause can there be)?
एतां दृष्टिमवष्टभ्य नष्टात्मानोऽल्पबुद्धयः।प्रभवन्त्युग्रकर्माणः क्षयाय जगतोऽहिताः॥
etāṁ dṛṣṭimavaṣṭabhya naṣṭātmāno'lpabuddhayaḥ|prabhavantyugrakarmāṇaḥ kṣayāya jagato'hitāḥ ||
Holding on to this view, (these people) who are of depraved character, of poor intellect, given to fearful actions and harmful, wax strong for the ruin of the world.
काममाश्रित्य दुष्पूरं दम्भमानमदान्विताः।मोहाद्गृहीत्वासद्ग्राहान्प्रवर्तन्तेऽशुचिव्रताः॥
kāmamāśritya duṣpūraṁ dambhamānamadānvitāḥ|mohādgṛhītvāsadgrāhānpravartante'śucivratāḥ ||
Giving themselves up to insatiable passion, filled with vanity, pride and arrogance, adopting bad abjectives due to delusion, and having impure resolves, they engage in actions.
चिन्तामपरिमेयां च प्रलयान्तामुपाश्रिताः।कामोपभोगपरमा एतावदिति निश्िचताः॥
cintāmaparimeyāṁ ca pralayāntāmupāśritāḥ|kāmopabhogaparamā etāvaditi niśicatāḥ ||
Beset with innumerable cares which end (only) with death, holding that the enjoyment of desirable objects is the highest goal, feeling sure that this is all.
आशापाशशतैर्बद्धाः कामक्रोधपरायणाः।ईहन्ते कामभोगार्थमन्यायेनार्थसञ्चयान्॥
āśāpāśaśatairbaddhāḥ kāmakrodhaparāyaṇāḥ|īhante kāmabhogārthamanyāyenārthasañcayān ||
Bound by hundreds of shackles in the form of hope, giving themselves wholly to passion and anger, they endeavour to amass wealth through foul means for the enjoyment of desirable objects.
इदमद्य मया लब्धमिमं प्राप्स्ये मनोरथम्।इदमस्तीदमपि मे भविष्यति पुनर्धनम्॥
idamadya mayā labdhamimaṁ prāpsye manoratham|idamastīdamapi me bhaviṣyati punardhanam ||
'This has been gained by me today; I shall acire this desired object. This is in hand; again, this wealth also will come to me.'
असौ मया हतः शत्रुर्हनिष्ये चापरानपि।ईश्वरोऽहमहं भोगी सिद्धोऽहं बलवान्सुखी॥
asau mayā hataḥ śatrurhaniṣye cāparānapi|īśvaro'hamahaṁ bhogī siddho'haṁ balavānsukhī ||
'That enemy has been killed by me, and I shall kill others as well. I am the lord, I am the enjoyer, I am well-established, mighty and happy.'
आढ्योऽभिजनवानस्मि कोऽन्योऽस्ति सदृशो मया।यक्ष्ये दास्यामि मोदिष्य इत्यज्ञानविमोहिताः॥
āḍhyo'bhijanavānasmi ko'nyo'sti sadṛśo mayā|yakṣye dāsyāmi modiṣya ityajñānavimohitāḥ ||
'I am rich and high-born; who else is there similar to me? I shall perform sacrifices; I shall give, I shall rejoice,'-thus they are diversely deluded by non-discrimination.
अनेकचित्तविभ्रान्ता मोहजालसमावृताः।प्रसक्ताः कामभोगेषु पतन्ति नरकेऽशुचौ॥
anekacittavibhrāntā mohajālasamāvṛtāḥ|prasaktāḥ kāmabhogeṣu patanti narake'śucau ||
Bewildered by numerous thoughts, caught in the net of delusion, (and) engrossed in the enjoyment of desirable objects, they fall into a foul hell.
आत्मसम्भाविताः स्तब्धा धनमानमदान्विताः।यजन्ते नामयज्ञैस्ते दम्भेनाविधिपूर्वकम्॥
ātmasambhāvitāḥ stabdhā dhanamānamadānvitāḥ|yajante nāmayajñaiste dambhenāvidhipūrvakam ||
Self-conceited, haughty, filled with pride and intoxication of wealth, they perform sacrifices which are so in name only, with ostentation and regardless of the injunctions.
अहङ्कारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं च संश्रिताः।मामात्मपरदेहेषु प्रद्विषन्तोऽभ्यसूयकाः॥
ahaṅkāraṁ balaṁ darpaṁ kāmaṁ krodhaṁ ca saṁśritāḥ|māmātmaparadeheṣu pradviṣanto'bhyasūyakāḥ ||
Resorting to egotism, power, arrogance, passion and anger, hating Me in their own and others' bodies, (they become) [As the finite verb is missing in the verse, we have supplied 'they become'. S. adds the verb prabhavanti, wax strong, from verse 9, and constructs the last portion thus: '৷৷.the envious ones wax strond.' Following S. S., however, one may combine this verse with the preceding verse by taking 'perform sacrifices' as the finite verb.-Tr.'] envious by nature.
तानहं द्विषतः क्रूरान्संसारेषु नराधमान्।क्षिपाम्यजस्रमशुभानासुरीष्वेव योनिषु॥
tānahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrānsaṁsāreṣu narādhamān|kṣipāmyajasramaśubhānāsurīṣveva yoniṣu ||
I cast for ever those hateful, cruel, evil-doers in the worlds, the vilest of human beings, verily into the demoniacla classes.
असुरीं योनिमापन्ना मूढा जन्मनि जन्मनि।मामप्राप्यैव कौन्तेय ततो यान्त्यधमां गतिम्॥
asurīṁ yonimāpannā mūḍhā janmani janmani|māmaprāpyaiva kaunteya tato yāntyadhamāṁ gatim ||
Being born among the demoniacal species in births after births, the foods, without ever reaching Me, O son of Kunti, attain conditions lower than that.
त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः।कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत्॥
trividhaṁ narakasyedaṁ dvāraṁ nāśanamātmanaḥ|kāmaḥ krodhastathā lobhastasmādetattrayaṁ tyajet ||
This door of hell, which is the destroyer of the soul, is of three kinds-passion, anger and also greed. Therefore one should forsake these three.
एतैर्विमुक्तः कौन्तेय तमोद्वारैस्त्रिभिर्नरः।आचरत्यात्मनः श्रेयस्ततो याति परां गतिम्॥
etairvimuktaḥ kaunteya tamodvāraistribhirnaraḥ|ācaratyātmanaḥ śreyastato yāti parāṁ gatim ||
O son of Kunti, a person who is free from these three doors to darkness strives for the good of the soul. Thery he attains the highest Goal.
यः शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारतः।न स सिद्धिमवाप्नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम्॥
yaḥ śāstravidhimutsṛjya vartate kāmakārataḥ|na sa siddhimavāpnoti na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim ||
Ignoring the precept of the scriptures, he who acts under the impulsion of passion,-he does not attain perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme Goal.
तस्माच्छास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ।ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रविधानोक्तं कर्म कर्तुमिहार्हसि॥
tasmācchāstraṁ pramāṇaṁ te kāryākāryavyavasthitau|jñātvā śāstravidhānoktaṁ karma kartumihārhasi ||
Therefore, the scripture is your authority as regards the determination of what is to be done and what is not to be done. After understanding (your) duty as presented by scriptural injunction, you ought to perform (your duty) here.
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