Bhagavad Gita Chapter 16, Verse 12

Chapter 16 – Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

आशापाशशतैर्बद्धाः कामक्रोधपरायणाः ।
ईहन्ते कामभोगार्थमन्यायेनार्थसञ्चयान् ॥

Transliteration

āśāpāśaśatairbaddhāḥ kāmakrodhaparāyaṇāḥ .
īhante kāmabhogārthamanyāyenārthasañcayān ॥

Meaning

Bound by hundreds of ropes of hope, given over to desire and anger, they strive to amass wealth by unjust means for the gratification of their desires.

Word meanings

आशापाशशतैः – by hundreds of ropes of hope
बद्धाः – bound
कामक्रोधपरायणाः – devoted to desire and anger
ईहन्ते – they strive
कामभोगार्थम् – for the enjoyment of desires
अन्यायेन – by unjust means
अर्थसञ्चयान् – hoards of wealth

Anvaya (word order)

आशापाशशतैः बद्धाः कामक्रोधपरायणाः (ते) कामभोगार्थम् अन्यायेन अर्थसञ्चयान् ईहन्ते ।

Explanation

The previous verse said that the demonic person treats pleasure as everything; now Krishna shows what he does to get it. Asha-pasha-shatair baddhah: he is bound by hundreds of nooses of hope. Hope here is not healthy optimism but countless cravings for future pleasures: 'If only I could get this, if only that would happen.' Each hope is a rope, and hundreds of ropes together hold a person completely captive.

Kama-krodha-parayanah: desire and anger become his refuge and his goal. The two are linked: when desire is fulfilled it demands more, and when it is obstructed anger is born (2.62). So the demonic person swings back and forth between them.

Ihante kama-bhogartham anyayenartha-sanchayan: he strives to amass wealth unjustly in order to enjoy. Earning wealth is not wrong in itself; the Gita accepts righteous earning for a householder. The fault lies in anyayena, 'by injustice': through deceit, theft, exploitation, corruption or seizing what belongs to others, and solely for one's own pleasure rather than for dharma or the service of others.

The verse shows that the root of economic injustice lies within human beings, in uncontrolled hopes and the craving for pleasure. Until contentment arises within, even outer laws cannot fully prevent such injustice.

Context

The previous verse described the demonic devotion to pleasure; this verse shows that they amass wealth unjustly to serve it. The next three verses vividly portray the thoughts running through their minds.

Life lesson

Earning money is not wrong, but earning it unjustly and spending it only on oneself is the road to downfall. Reduce the number of your cravings; the fewer the nooses, the greater your freedom.

Key terms

Asha-pasha: The noose of hope; craving for future pleasures
Kama-krodha-parayana: Wholly given over to desire and anger
Anyayena artha-sanchaya: Amassing wealth by unjust means