Chapter 16 Verse 19-20
Daivāsura Sampad Vibhāg Yog
तानहं द्विषतः क्रूरान्संसारेषु नराधमान्।क्षिपाम्यजस्रमशुभानासुरीष्वेव योनिषु।।16.19।। असुरीं योनिमापन्ना मूढा जन्मनि जन्मनि।मामप्राप्यैव कौन्तेय ततो यान्त्यधमां गतिम्।।16.20।।
tān ahaṁ dviṣhataḥ krūrān sansāreṣhu narādhamān kṣhipāmy ajasram aśhubhān āsurīṣhv eva yoniṣhu āsurīṁ yonim āpannā mūḍhā janmani janmani mām aprāpyaiva kaunteya tato yānty adhamāṁ gatim
Word Meanings
| tān | these |
| aham | I |
| dviṣhataḥ | hateful |
| krūrān | cruel |
| sansāreṣhu | in the material world |
| nara-adhamān | the vile and vicious of humankind |
| kṣhipāmi | I hurl |
| ajasram | again and again |
| aśhubhān | inauspicious |
| āsurīṣhu | demoniac |
| eva | indeed |
| yoniṣhu | in to the wombs |
| 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 |
Translation
Those cruel haters, the worst among men in the world, I hurl those evil-doers into the wombs of demons only. Entering into demoniacal wombs and deluded, birth after birth, they do not attain Me, thus falling, O Arjuna, into a condition still lower than that.
Philosophical Significance
Core Meaning
Krishna warns that those who live with cruelty, hatred, and deliberate harm move away from God. Their choices bring bad results: they are repeatedly born into lower, painful conditions until their nature changes.
The image of being "hurled into demoniac wombs" is not only literal but symbolic of how a cruel inner life shapes future experience. Habitual ignorance and harm trap a person in cycles of suffering and separation from the divine.
True spiritual progress depends on inner change. If someone remains deluded and hostile, even many lives of action will not lead them to union with God; their own attitudes carry them downward.
Life Application
- Notice harmful habits (anger, cruelty, deceit) and stop them early—small changes prevent big consequences.
- Replace hostile reactions with simple practices: pause before speaking, choose compassion, and serve others in small daily acts.
- Build steady inner practice (prayer, meditation, self-reflection, honest confession) to weaken ignorance and open to higher choices.
Reflection Question
Which one habit of mine keeps me stuck in blame, anger, or harm instead of drawing me closer to kindness and truth?