Summary:

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16, Verse 14: The asuri mindset creates enemies through ego's need for conflict to sustain its existence. What irritates you in others, reflects disowned parts of yourself. When identity is tied to roles and accomplishments, contrary evidence creates discomfort leading to mental dismissal of others. This shows identification with mithya (apparent reality) rather than seeing Ishvara in all beings. Love asks you to drop all defenses, but ego paints love as weakness and cruelty as strength. You make what you defend against through reactive behaviors that provoke the very treatment you seek to avoid.

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16, Verse 15: Asuras claim ownership of wealth and high birth while discounting the many contributors to their success and privileges. If punya elevates you in samsara-chakra without proper handling, it leads to downfall or spiritual stagnation through not sharing wealth, time, energy, money, and knowledge. Not sharing keeps your cup full, closing you off to fresh opportunities. The solution is remembering everything has an expiry date and was never truly yours but borrowed.

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16, Verse 16: Biased thoughts trap you in distorted reality leading to naraka (hellish) mindset. Like Duryodhana's final words focusing on Bhima's single violation while remaining blind to his own countless injustices, we become deluded by our biases and impute discomfort onto others. The solution is asking “Am I being fair?”

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16, Verse 17: Self-glorification based on being pretty, smart, rich, educated, or enlightened – implies others are lesser, despite being a spec in the vast universe. 

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16, Verses 18-19: Those who despise Ishvara in their own and others' bodies are criticizing the very reality they seek, as every person is intrinsically kind, but covered by distorted notions. Birth follows cause-effect relationships rather than random assignment – every disadvantage or advantage is carried over from past actions. Ishvara doesn't choose what's best for you, but supplies situations according to past causes done by you. 

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16, Verse 20: Those lacking viveka, play victim and let circumstances become bigger for their discontent, rather than clean up their lives. Whether born less privileged or facing difficulties, you can either step up or remain average. The verse warns that continued victimhood and excuse-making might lead to bhokta-yoni (animal births) in next life. The solution is starting from wherever you are, as every result provides data for the next step.

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16, Verse 21: The three gates to painful experience are kama (binding desires that override dharma and restrict free will), krodha (anger from tying peace to specific outcomes), and lobha (greed as desire plus entitlement). Binding desires are those you believe are absolutely necessary for your well-being, even though once upon a time you were just fine without them. Anger arises from focusing on one perspective, excluding other interpretations. Greed makes you take what you have for granted.

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16, Verse 22: True spirituality requires self-effort like removing smudges from the mirror of mind. Freedom from the three jackals involves correcting day-to-day behaviors, seeing the larger picture of your place in existence, recognizing you're not a small individual but the whole, understanding Ishvara as all-pervasive reality rather than external entity, and having patience for the time lag between correction and tangible rewards.

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16, Verse 23: Shastra serves as lifeline out of entanglement with dual-engine rocket effect – karma-kanda (self-growth through recognizing responsibilities and aligning with laws) propelling upward, and jnana-kanda taking you beyond samsaric gravity through neti-neti, mahavakyas and prakriyas. It moves you from jiva-srsti to isvara-srsti, from snake to rope, revealing truth as Existence-Awareness.

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16, Verse 24: Once shastra enters your life, choices become guided by rules meant to help finish the final level of existence. Shastric knowledge reveals this way of life makes more sense than personal fancies, leading to antahkarana-shuddhi (purification of inner instrument) which takes you to the ultimate goal.

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VERSE 14:

असौ मया हतः शत्रुः हनिष्ये च अपरान् अपि ।
ईश्वरः अहम् अहं भोगी सिद्धः अहम् बलवान् सुखी ॥ १६-१४॥
asau mayā hataḥ śatruḥ haniṣye ca aparān api ।
īśvaraḥ aham ahaṃ bhogī siddhaḥ aham balavān sukhī ॥ 16-14॥

This enemy is destroyed by me and I will destroy others also; I am the ruler; I am the enjoyer; I am successful, powerful, and happy.

“Enemy is destroyed by me, I’ll destroy others”

Let's look at the psychology of Enemy-Making. How enemies are created in our minds…

Explained through eyes of ACIM lens:

The ego is a “thought of separation”, so it requires conflict to feel real. Like a shadow needing light to exist, the ego needs an “enemy” to sustain its existence.

Love (the recognition that all are within Ishvara’s order) asks you to drop all defenses – no “us vs. them.” The ego panics at this, so it paints love as “weak” and cruelty as “strength”.

In truth, only illusions need protection. Since ego is protecting itself, this shows it’s not real.

You make what you defend against. Suppose you're defending against being disrespected, what ends up happening is you make others feel attacked or dismissed, because you're looking for the slightest sign of disrespect, and respond harshly or interrupt mid-sentence to assert your point, or speak in condescending tone. Consequently they respond with disrespect towards you. So in trying to protect yourself from disrespect, you've actually provoked it.

What irritates you in others is a disowned part of yourself. When you see that same quality (buried deep in your unconscious) reflected in someone else, it triggers you because it reminds you of something unresolved in you. For example, if arrogance bothers you deeply, it may point to your own hidden fear of being seen as inadequate, or perhaps a part of you that secretly craves recognition but feels ashamed of it. The irritation isn’t really about them – it’s your unconscious trying to get your attention.

Explained through Modern psychology lens:

Your identity is tied to a certain idea of who you are, what you’re capable of, how accomplished you are. When evidence contrary to that shows up, you become uncomfortable – showing roles define you. To bring yourself back, you dismiss them mentally.

Explained through Vedanta lens:

When you're deeply identified with the mithya-pot, you're shaken when someone challenges your pot-ness.

Additionally, seeing enemies shows your not seeing Ishvara. All that is here is Ishvara.

VERSE 15:

आढ्यः अभिजनवान् अस्मि कः अन्यः अस्ति सदृशः मया ।
यक्ष्ये दास्यामि मोदिष्ये इति अज्ञान-विमोहिताः ॥ १६-१५॥
āḍhyaḥ abhijanavān asmi kaḥ anyaḥ asti sadṛśaḥ mayā ।
yakṣye dāsyāmi modiṣye iti ajñāna-vimohitāḥ ॥ 16-15॥

Those who are totally deluded due to lack of discrimination say, ‘I have wealth. I was born in a very good family. Who else is there who is equal to me? I will perform rituals. I will give. I will enjoy.’

“I have wealth – I was born in a good family”

Truth is you didn’t create your land. Many contributed to your success and privileges. Asuras discounts this fact. Legally you’re the owner for time being, but not forever – this much they don’t discern.

Additionally, if your punya has taken you up in samsara-chakra – if you don’t know how to handle it, it’ll lead to downfall or spiritual stagnation. Such as not sharing your wealth, time, energy, money, knowledge. Not sharing keeps your cup full, in which case you've closed yourself off to new fresher seasons.

Solution: Remember that everything given has expiry date. It was never yours, it is on borrowed time.

“I will perform rituals”

Intention behind ritual is more important then ritual itself, as shown in two following examples…

Using prayer before eating to deepen your knowledge

most will mindlessly pray before eating – reaping no benefits. It’s better to pray with intention that the food helps you be productive and creative for the day. Or using prayer (ritual) to consciously acknowledge Ishvara is in form of the food. 

Converting ego-driven ritual into well-being-for-all and still getting what you want

After transforming barren Khandava-prastha into prosperous Indraprastha, Yudhishthir considered performing the Ashwamedha Yajna to be recognized as a supreme king and consulted Krishna.

Initially, Krishna discouraged him, explaining that the ritual would require forcing reluctant kings to acknowledge his supremacy – an act requiring violence. So Krishna suggested an alternative; to defeat King Jarasandha, who had conquered numerous kingdoms and imprisoned their kings. By liberating these imprisoned rulers, they would naturally support Yudhishthir's yajna out of gratitude rather than coercion.

This transformed the same ritual from an act of self-glorification into an act of dharma bringing justice to many. The external action remained identical, but the intention determined whether it represented asuri sampati (ego-driven) or daivi sampati (dharma-upholding).

VERSE 16:

अनेक-चित्त-विभ्रान्ताः मोह-जाल-समावृताः ।
प्रसक्ताः काम-भोगेषु पतन्ति नरके अशुचौ ॥ १६-१६॥
aneka-citta-vibhrāntāḥ moha-jāla-samāvṛtāḥ ।
prasaktāḥ kāma-bhogeṣu patanti narake aśucau ॥ 16-16॥

Those who are completely deluded by many types of thoughts, covered by the net of delusion (lack of discrimination), and totally committed to the enjoyment of desirable objects, (they) fall into the unclean places of pain.

“One is deluded by many types of thoughts [leading to lack of discrimination]”

Your biased thoughts trap you in a distorted reality, leading to naraka (hellish) mindset.

This hellish mindset was heard in Duryodhana’s last words:

During dice game, Bhima vowed to break Duryodhana’s thigh on which is made Draupadi sit on. During their mace duel, Bhima struct Duryodhana below the navel – breaking combat rules.

As Duryodhana lay dying, his final words revealed self-deception: “I have lived righteously and ruled justly. I die a warrior's death while Bhima has cheated and broken dharma to defeat me.”

Despite a lifetime of schemes against the Pandavas, attempting to burn them alive, cheating at dice, humiliating Draupadi, and denying their kingdom — Duryodhana focused solely on Bhima's single violation while remaining blind to his countless injustices. This illustrates asuri sampati mindset – the inability to see one's own faults while magnifying others' transgressions. 

Real life example: An arrogant Kung Fu fighter illegally strikes his opponent's groin 5 times. When opponent retaliates just one knee kick, the Kung Fu fighter stops playing, and starts publicly complaining to unfair treatment.

Unlike Karna who gained clarity at death, Duryodhana lived in denial, died in denial. 

In same way, we get deluded like Duryodhana due to our biases, and impute our discomfort onto others.

Modern Duryodhana: Woman hits another car in parking attempt. To fool herself she's virtuous, and to present a good public image, she puts piece of paper on window of the hit car. Caught by DashCam, owner sees she put a blank piece of paper.

Solution: Ask, “Would I do it this way if I was watched by all?”  And if you're triggered, ask, “Is my reaction coming from a wound or objectivity?”

VERSE 17:

आत्म-सम्भाविताः स्तब्धाः धन-मान-मद-अन्विताः ।
यजन्ते नाम-यज्ञैः ते दम्भेन अविधि-पूर्वकम् ॥ १६-१७॥
ātma-sambhāvitāḥ stabdhāḥ dhana-māna-mada-anvitāḥ ।
yajante nāma-yajñaiḥ te dambhena avidhi-pūrvakam ॥ 16-17॥

Those who are self-glorifying, vain (conceited), filled with pride and arrogance because of their wealth, perform rituals that are rituals in name only, not according to stipulations (but) out of pretension.

“Those who are self-glorifying, filled with pride [for being pretty / smart / rich / educated / enlightened]”

“I am special because ______”. It implies others are lesser. You're a spec in the vast universe. You go tomorrow, nobody notices, in fact your friends and family might feel a certain relief. 

Examples:

1. Dunning Kruger Effect: When person overestimates his/her competence, knowledge, status.
2. At wedding, one might critique attire/traditions instead of celebrating, because one's self-glorification is contingent on others’ flaws.
3. Rituals are in name only: Performing rituals for show, not devotion. Donating to charity to be recognized. Meditating to be seen.

VERSE 18-19:

अहंकारम् बलम् दर्पम् कामम् क्रोधम् च संश्रिताः ।
माम् आत्म-पर-देहेषु प्रद्विषन्तः अभ्यसूयकाः ॥ १६-१८॥
ahaṃkāram balam darpam kāmam krodham ca saṃśritāḥ ।
mām ātma-para-deheṣu pradviṣantaḥ abhyasūyakāḥ ॥ 16-18॥

तान् अहम् द्विषतः क्रूरान् संसारेषु नराधमान् ।
क्षिपामि अजस्रम् अशुभान् आसुरीषु एव योनिषु ॥ १६-१९॥
tān aham dviṣataḥ krūrān saṃsāreṣu narādhamān ।
kṣipāmi ajasram aśubhān āsurīṣu eva yoniṣu ॥ 16-19॥

Those who are completely given to egoism, (brute) strength, insolence, enjoyment, and anger, who despise Me in their own and others’ bodies, who are great cavillers…

…who are hateful and cruel, who are the lowest of men, who are wrongdoers, I despatch them repeatedly into a life of transmigration only in āsurī wombs.

“Who despise Me in their own and others’ bodies”

Behind every persona is Ishvara. So they’re criticizing Ishvara, the very reality they’re seeking.

Every person is intrinsically kind and empathetic. But it’s covered by distorted notions. Thus you may decide to stay away from the person, but you need not mentally condemn them.

“I dispatch them repeatedly to asuri wombs”

Birth is according to a cause-effect relationship, rather then a random assignment. For example the tree you see came from a seed, which was once kept alive by another tree. Whatever knowledge the tree has impregnated the fruit seed with, is going to carry over to the next tree.

Similarly, every person born with a disadvantage, is an effect of an unseen past cause. Meaning, no one has an unfair birth. The disadvantage (or advantage) was carried over by what the prior doer has done. 

The cause-effect relationship is impersonal.

For example, when you drop your favorite vase and it breaks, it’s not Ishvara saying “Let me teach you a lesson to be more careful next time”. Instead, your negligence has dropped it, and the law of gravity (which is Ishvara) helplessly acted.

The cause-effect relationship is uninvolved in your life.

Additionally, Ishvara doesn’t have capacity to choose what's best for you.

Ishvara is the reality from whom everybody gets their type of body-mind, personality, life trajectory, and degrees of freedom – according to doer’s past causes.

For example, food and freewill are both supplied by Ishvara. If misuse freewill to overeat the food, you dispatch yourself to an asuri-womb (place of disadvantage, pain, reduced privileges). Ishvara didn't do it.

You always have a choice to get yourself out.

If you come with a disadvantage, you have a choice to play victim and amplify it, or make the best with what you're given.

Universe is always giving you opportunities to lift yourself from your disadvantages. Asuris don’t capitalize on these opportunities – thus keep being reborn in asuri-wombs (less privileged life). 

VERSE 20:

आसुरीम् योनिम् आपन्नाः मूढाः जन्मनि जन्मनि ।
माम् अप्राप्य एव कौन्तेय ततः यान्ति अधमाम् गतिम् ॥ १६-२०॥
āsurīm yonim āpannāḥ mūḍhāḥ janmani janmani ।
mām aprāpya eva kaunteya tataḥ yānti adhamām gatim ॥ 16-20॥

Kaunteya (Arjuna)! Those, who lack discrimination, obtaining the womb of an asura in every birth, certainly not reaching Me, go to an end that is even lower than that.

“Who lack viveka, born in asura womb, go even lower”

Ever met someone who’s always the victim? Notice how their stories get darker over time? That’s choosing to be born from an āsurī-worb while alive.

The fact is, whether you're born in a less privileged position, or your position isn't particularly flowery — you can either let your circumstances become bigger by playing the victim, or get into action, and start cleaning it up.

The verse warns, if you continue to play the victim and make excuses to not get your life in order – one might take a bhokta-yoni next life – such as a plant or animal.

We see how victimhood or stepping up plays in a family of two siblings, both given equal education and opportunities. Both come with pros and cons. Eventually, one makes something useful of themselves, while the other remains just average.

Solution: Start from wherever you’re at. Pointless saying “Universe is unfair to me”. Every result is data telling you the next step.

NEXT VERSE: Krishna reduces all asuri-sampati into 3 core igniters: Desire, anger, greed.

VERSE 21:

त्रिविधम् नरकस्य इदम् द्वारम् नाशनम् आत्मनः ।
कामः क्रोधः तथा लोभः तस्मात् एतत् त्रयम् त्यजेत् ॥ १६-२१॥
trividham narakasya idam dvāram nāśanam ātmanaḥ ।
kāmaḥ krodhaḥ tathā lobhaḥ tasmāt etat trayam tyajet ॥ 16-21॥

This doorway to painful experience, that destroys a person, is three-fold —desire, anger, and greed. Therefore, one should give up this triad.

The Three Jackals of Self-Destruction…

Desire (Kāma):

Not all desire is bad. Binding desires are the problem – those that messes with your priorities, overrides dharma, and restricts free will to a narrow window of possibilities.

Binding desires are those desires you deeply believe are needed for your well-being and for ability to perform. Fact is, once upon a time, you were just fine without them. 

Binding desires make you feel “I must have this” or “it has to be this way,” which enslaves your free will to just them. Whereas non‑binding desires can be engaged with freely and left aside without loss of peace.

Examples:

• 1. Loud prolonged music, disregarding surroundings.
  2. I need to look good on social media, even if I lie about my life.
  3. Fear of losing her is common binding desire in a man’s life. Thus he no longer maintains boundaries, puts her as #1 in his life, and she loses respect for him.
  4. Wanting to belong in a group, even if it involves joining in on the gossip.

Anger (Krodha):

Anger happens when you’ve tied your peace to a specific outcome. It's a product of being focused on one perspective, excluding other interpretations or meanings. And it's directed towards either yourself, or the person/society.

Solution: If angry towards something/someone, remember that person is made of many facets. 

Greed (Lobha):

In one word, “more!”.

It arises when attention is on what you don’t have, believing you should have it. So greed is desire + entitlement.

Greed causes you to take what you have for granted, it makes you not appreciate what you've got right now. It makes you never say, “Enough”.

NEXT VERSE: Krishna urges you to give up the three jackals by getting clear your purpose of being alive…

VERSE 22:

एतैः विमुक्तः कौन्तेय तमो-द्वारैः त्रिभिः नरः ।
आचरति आत्मनः श्रेयः ततः याति पराम् गतिम् ॥ १६-२२॥
etaiḥ vimuktaḥ kaunteya tamo-dvāraiḥ tribhiḥ naraḥ ।
ācarati ātmanaḥ śreyaḥ tataḥ yāti parām gatim ॥ 16-22॥

A man who is free from these three gates to darkness, Kaunteya (Arjuna)! follows what is good for himself. Because of that, he reaches the higher end.

“Man who is free from these three, follows what is good for himself”

This statement shows the presence of free-will. Meaning, true spirituality is all about self-effort, like removing smudges from the mirror (mind), or cleaning the water in the bucket to reflect the fullness of the sun.

Krishna says: One who takes oneself out of self-created darkness (contributed by the three jackals) – eventually accomplishes the highest purpose of being alive.

Lord Krishna urges us to:

1. Correct day-to-day behaviours: Catching and undoing unhealthy behaviors and interpretations. Being at ease with your and others weaknesses.
2. See the larger picture and your place in it: Re-understanding the world, such as:
   1. I’m not this small individual, but the whole.
   2. Ishvara is not an external entity with a will that's rewarding/punishing me, but all-pervasive reality manifesting as laws and objects.
   3. The tangible world is relative, forms-within-forms, reducing to Intelligence, which reduces to Awareness.
3. Have Patience: Due to time lag between correction and tangible rewards.

NEXT VERSE: What will help you to move from thoughts of darkness to thoughts recognizing Ishvara’s presence…

VERSE 23:

यः शास्त्र-विधिम् उत्सृज्य वर्तते काम-कारतः ।
न सः सिद्धिम् अवाप्नोति न सुखम् न पराम् गतिम् ॥ १६-२३॥
yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ ।
na saḥ siddhim avāpnoti na sukham na parām gatim ॥ 16-23॥

The one who, being impelled by binding desire, engages oneself casting away the injunctions of the śāstra, gains neither maturity, nor happiness (here), much less a higher end.

Śāstra (scripture) is your lifeline out of entanglement. It works like a dual-engine rocket, with karma-kanda propelling you upward (self-growth) – and jñāna-kanda forever takes you beyond samsaric gravity pulling you back down.

1. Karma-kanda (self-growth): Talks about your responsibilities. Helps you recognize your actions impact the whole. It says you can’t outsmart the laws, and it’s in your self-interest to align to them. It cultivates a conflict-free mind. It takes you from jiva-srsti to isvara-srsti. From snake to rope.
2. Jnana-kanda: It shows that the truth of the rope (isvara-srsti) is Existence-Awareness (sat-cit). It does this through neti-neti, mahavakyas and prakriyas.

NEXT VERSE: Krishna reminds you’re obligated to do your part while bringing scriptures into your life…

VERSE 24:

तस्मात् शास्त्रम् प्रमाणम् ते कार्य-अकार्य-व्यवस्थितौ ।
ज्ञात्वा शास्त्र-विधान-उक्तम् कर्म कर्तुम् इह अर्हसि ॥ १६-२४॥
tasmāt śāstram pramāṇam te kārya-akārya-vyavasthitau ।
jñātvā śāstra-vidhāna-uktam karma kartum iha arhasi ॥ 16-24॥

Therefore, śāstra is the means of knowledge for you (Arjuna,) in the determination of what is to be done and what is not to be done. Knowing what is said by the mandates of the śāstra, you are obliged to perform action here (in this world).

Once the shastra enters your life – from then on life choices are guided by the rules of the game meant to help you finish the last level of the game.

It's knowledge makes you see the shastric way of life makes a lot more sense then one operated by personal fancies. You antahkarana-shuddhi which takes you to the final end.

 

— End of Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16 Retreat —

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Recorded 12 July, 2025