Bhagavad Gita chapter 16 in English and Sanskrit

Chapter 16, 24 verse records. English translation by Shri Purohit Swami, with Swami Sivananda used where identified in the source dataset.

The Gita is traditionally described as 700 verses. This source edition contains 701 records because chapter 13 includes 35 verses; verse numbering differs between editions.

Bhagavad Gita 16.1

"Lord Shri Krishna continued: Fearlessness, clean living, unceasing concentration on wisdom, readiness to give, self-control, a spirit of sacrifice, regular study of the scriptures, austerities, candour,

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

श्रीभगवानुवाच | अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिर्ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिः | दानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्यायस्तप आर्जवम् ||१६-१||

śrībhagavānuvāca . abhayaṃ sattvasaṃśuddhirjñānayogavyavasthitiḥ . dānaṃ damaśca yajñaśca svādhyāyastapa ārjavam ||16-1||

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Bhagavad Gita 16.2

harmlessness, truth, absence of wrath, renunciation, contentment, straightforwardness, compassion towards all, uncovetousness, courtesy, modesty, constancy,

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्यागः शान्तिरपैशुनम् | दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम् ||१६-२||

ahiṃsā satyamakrodhastyāgaḥ śāntirapaiśunam . dayā bhūteṣvaloluptvaṃ mārdavaṃ hrīracāpalam ||16-2||

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Bhagavad Gita 16.3

Valour, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, freedom from hate and vanity; these are his who possesses the Godly Qualities, O Arjuna!

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

तेजः क्षमा धृतिः शौचमद्रोहो नातिमानिता | भवन्ति सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातस्य भारत ||१६-३||

tejaḥ kṣamā dhṛtiḥ śaucamadroho nātimānitā . bhavanti sampadaṃ daivīmabhijātasya bhārata ||16-3||

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Bhagavad Gita 16.4

Hypocrisy, pride, insolence, cruelty, ignorance belong to him who is born of the godless qualities.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

दम्भो दर्पोऽभिमानश्च क्रोधः पारुष्यमेव च | अज्ञानं चाभिजातस्य पार्थ सम्पदमासुरीम् ||१६-४||

dambho darpo.abhimānaśca krodhaḥ pāruṣyameva ca . ajñānaṃ cābhijātasya pārtha sampadamāsurīm ||16-4||

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Bhagavad Gita 16.5

Godly qualities lead to liberation; godless to bondage. Do not be anxious, Prince! Thou hast the Godly qualities.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

दैवी सम्पद्विमोक्षाय निबन्धायासुरी मता | मा शुचः सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातोऽसि पाण्डव ||१६-५||

daivī sampadvimokṣāya nibandhāyāsurī matā . mā śucaḥ sampadaṃ daivīmabhijāto.asi pāṇḍava ||16-5||

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Bhagavad Gita 16.6

All beings are of two classes: Godly and godless. The Godly I have described; I will now describe the other.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

द्वौ भूतसर्गौ लोकेऽस्मिन्दैव आसुर एव च | दैवो विस्तरशः प्रोक्त आसुरं पार्थ मे शृणु ||१६-६||

dvau bhūtasargau loke.asmindaiva āsura eva ca . daivo vistaraśaḥ prokta āsuraṃ pārtha me śṛṇu ||16-6||

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Bhagavad Gita 16.7

The godless do not know how to act or how to renounce. They have neither purity nor truth. They do not understand the right principles of conduct.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च जना न विदुरासुराः | न शौचं नापि चाचारो न सत्यं तेषु विद्यते ||१६-७||

pravṛttiṃ ca nivṛttiṃ ca janā na vidurāsurāḥ . na śaucaṃ nāpi cācāro na satyaṃ teṣu vidyate ||16-7||

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Bhagavad Gita 16.8

They say the universe is an accident with no purpose and no God. Life is created by sexual union, a product of lust and nothing else.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

असत्यमप्रतिष्ठं ते जगदाहुरनीश्वरम् | अपरस्परसम्भूतं किमन्यत्कामहैतुकम् ||१६-८||

asatyamapratiṣṭhaṃ te jagadāhuranīśvaram . aparasparasambhūtaṃ kimanyatkāmahaitukam ||16-8||

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Bhagavad Gita 16.9

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.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

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

etāṃ dṛṣṭimavaṣṭabhya naṣṭātmāno.alpabuddhayaḥ . prabhavantyugrakarmāṇaḥ kṣayāya jagato.ahitāḥ ||16-9||

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Bhagavad Gita 16.10

Giving themselves up to insatiable passions, hypocritical, self-sufficient and arrogant, cherishing false conception founded on delusion, they work only to carry out their own unholy purposes.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

काममाश्रित्य दुष्पूरं दम्भमानमदान्विताः | मोहाद्गृहीत्वासद्ग्राहान्प्रवर्तन्तेऽशुचिव्रताः ||१६-१०||

kāmamāśritya duṣpūraṃ dambhamānamadānvitāḥ . mohādgṛhītvāsadgrāhānpravartante.aśucivratāḥ ||16-10||

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Bhagavad Gita 16.11

Poring anxiously over evil resolutions, which only end in death; seeking only the gratification of desire as the highest goal; seeing nothing beyond;

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

चिन्तामपरिमेयां च प्रलयान्तामुपाश्रिताः | कामोपभोगपरमा एतावदिति निश्चिताः ||१६-११||

cintāmaparimeyāṃ ca pralayāntāmupāśritāḥ . kāmopabhogaparamā etāvaditi niścitāḥ ||16-11||

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Bhagavad Gita 16.12

Caught in the toils of a hundred vain hopes, the slaves of passion and wrath, they accumulate hoards of unjust wealth, only to pander to their sensual desire.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

आशापाशशतैर्बद्धाः कामक्रोधपरायणाः | ईहन्ते कामभोगार्थमन्यायेनार्थसञ्चयान् ||१६-१२||

āśāpāśaśatairbaddhāḥ kāmakrodhaparāyaṇāḥ . īhante kāmabhogārthamanyāyenārthasañcayān ||16-12||

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Bhagavad Gita 16.13

This I have gained today; tomorrow I will gratify another desire; this wealth is mine now, the rest shall be mine ere long;

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

इदमद्य मया लब्धमिमं प्राप्स्ये मनोरथम् | इदमस्तीदमपि मे भविष्यति पुनर्धनम् ||१६-१३||

idamadya mayā labdhamimaṃ prāpsye manoratham . idamastīdamapi me bhaviṣyati punardhanam ||16-13||

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Bhagavad Gita 16.14

I have slain one enemy, I will slay the others also; I am worthy to enjoy, I am the Almighty, I am perfect, powerful and happy;

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

असौ मया हतः शत्रुर्हनिष्ये चापरानपि | ईश्वरोऽहमहं भोगी सिद्धोऽहं बलवान्सुखी ||१६-१४||

asau mayā hataḥ śatrurhaniṣye cāparānapi . īśvaro.ahamahaṃ bhogī siddho.ahaṃ balavānsukhī ||16-14||

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Bhagavad Gita 16.15

I am rich, I am well-bred; who is there to compare with me? I will sacrifice, I will give, I will pay - and I will enjoy. Thus blinded by Ignorance,

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

आढ्योऽभिजनवानस्मि कोऽन्योऽस्ति सदृशो मया | यक्ष्ये दास्यामि मोदिष्य इत्यज्ञानविमोहिताः ||१६-१५||

āḍhyo.abhijanavānasmi ko.anyo.asti sadṛśo mayā . yakṣye dāsyāmi modiṣya ityajñānavimohitāḥ ||16-15||

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Bhagavad Gita 16.16

Perplexed by discordant thoughts, entangled in the snares of desire, infatuated by passion, they sink into the horrors of hell.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

अनेकचित्तविभ्रान्ता मोहजालसमावृताः | प्रसक्ताः कामभोगेषु पतन्ति नरकेऽशुचौ ||१६-१६||

anekacittavibhrāntā mohajālasamāvṛtāḥ . prasaktāḥ kāmabhogeṣu patanti narake.aśucau ||16-16||

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Bhagavad Gita 16.17

Self-conceited, stubborn, rich, proud and insolent, they make a display of their patronage, disregarding the rules of decency.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

आत्मसम्भाविताः स्तब्धा धनमानमदान्विताः | यजन्ते नामयज्ञैस्ते दम्भेनाविधिपूर्वकम् ||१६-१७||

ātmasambhāvitāḥ stabdhā dhanamānamadānvitāḥ . yajante nāmayajñaiste dambhenāvidhipūrvakam ||16-17||

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Bhagavad Gita 16.18

Puffed up by power and inordinate conceit, swayed by lust and wrath, these wicked people hate Me Who am within them, as I am within all.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

अहंकारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं च संश्रिताः | मामात्मपरदेहेषु प्रद्विषन्तोऽभ्यसूयकाः ||१६-१८||

ahaṃkāraṃ balaṃ darpaṃ kāmaṃ krodhaṃ ca saṃśritāḥ . māmātmaparadeheṣu pradviṣanto.abhyasūyakāḥ ||16-18||

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Bhagavad Gita 16.19

Those who thus hate Me, who are cruel, the dregs of mankind, I condemn them to a continuous, miserable and godless rebirth.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

तानहं द्विषतः क्रुरान्संसारेषु नराधमान् | क्षिपाम्यजस्रमशुभानासुरीष्वेव योनिषु ||१६-१९||

tānahaṃ dviṣataḥ krurānsaṃsāreṣu narādhamān . kṣipāmyajasramaśubhānāsurīṣveva yoniṣu ||16-19||

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Bhagavad Gita 16.20

So reborn, they spend life after life, enveloped in delusion. And they never reach Me, O Prince, but degenerate into still lower forms of life.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

आसुरीं योनिमापन्ना मूढा जन्मनि जन्मनि | मामप्राप्यैव कौन्तेय ततो यान्त्यधमां गतिम् ||१६-२०||

āsurīṃ yonimāpannā mūḍhā janmani janmani . māmaprāpyaiva kaunteya tato yāntyadhamāṃ gatim ||16-20||

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Bhagavad Gita 16.21

The gates of hell are three: lust, wrath and avarice. They destroy the Self. Avoid them.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः | कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत् ||१६-२१||

trividhaṃ narakasyedaṃ dvāraṃ nāśanamātmanaḥ . kāmaḥ krodhastathā lobhastasmādetattrayaṃ tyajet ||16-21||

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Bhagavad Gita 16.22

These are the gates which lead to darkness; if a man avoid them he will ensure his own welfare, and in the end will attain his liberation.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

एतैर्विमुक्तः कौन्तेय तमोद्वारैस्त्रिभिर्नरः | आचरत्यात्मनः श्रेयस्ततो याति परां गतिम् ||१६-२२||

etairvimuktaḥ kaunteya tamodvāraistribhirnaraḥ . ācaratyātmanaḥ śreyastato yāti parāṃ gatim ||16-22||

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Bhagavad Gita 16.23

But he who neglects the commands of the scriptures, and follows the promptings of passion, he does not attain perfection, happiness or the final goal.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

यः शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारतः | न स सिद्धिमवाप्नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम् ||१६-२३||

yaḥ śāstravidhimutsṛjya vartate kāmakārataḥ . na sa siddhimavāpnoti na sukhaṃ na parāṃ gatim ||16-23||

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Bhagavad Gita 16.24

Therefore whenever there is doubt whether thou shouldst do a thing or not, let the scriptures guide thy conduct. In the light of the scriptures shouldst thou labour the whole of thy life."

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

तस्माच्छास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ | ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रविधानोक्तं कर्म कर्तुमिहार्हसि ||१६-२४||

tasmācchāstraṃ pramāṇaṃ te kāryākāryavyavasthitau . jñātvā śāstravidhānoktaṃ karma kartumihārhasi ||16-24||

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Source dataset: Vedic Scriptures. See translation attribution.