Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7, Verse 15

Chapter 7 – Jnana Vijnana Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

न मां दुष्कृतिनो मूढाः प्रपद्यन्ते नराधमाः ।
माययापहृतज्ञाना आसुरं भावमाश्रिताः ॥

Transliteration

na māṃ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ .
māyayāpahṛtajñānā āsuraṃ bhāvamāśritāḥ ॥

Meaning

Evildoers, the deluded and the lowest of men do not take refuge in Me — those whose knowledge has been stolen by maya and who have embraced a demonic nature.

Word meanings

न – not
माम् – Me
दुष्कृतिनः – evildoers
मूढाः – the deluded, foolish
प्रपद्यन्ते – take refuge
नराधमाः – the lowest among men
मायया – by maya
अपहृतज्ञानाः – whose knowledge has been stolen
आसुरम् – demonic
भावम् – nature
आश्रिताः – having embraced

Anvaya (word order)

मायया अपहृतज्ञानाः आसुरं भावम् आश्रिताः दुष्कृतिनः मूढाः नराधमाः मां न प्रपद्यन्ते ।

Explanation

In the previous verse Krishna said that those who take refuge in Him cross maya. Why, then, does not everyone take refuge in Him? In this verse He describes the marks of those who remain deprived of surrender.

First, dushkritinah — those engaged in wrongdoing. Continual wrongdoing so darkens the mind that the very wish to turn toward God never arises. Second, mudhah — those lacking discrimination, who do not understand their own true good. Third, naradhamah — the lowest of men, who, even after receiving human birth, live like animals, for sense pleasure alone.

The root cause of all this is stated: mayayapahrita-jnanah — maya has stolen their knowledge; and asuram bhavam ashritah — they have taken shelter in a demonic nature. The demonic nature is described in detail in the sixteenth chapter — hypocrisy, arrogance, pride, anger, harshness and ignorance. Shankara explains the demonic disposition as one marked by violence, falsehood and the like.

The verse is not meant to brand anyone as permanently low; it is a warning. These traits can appear in anyone at any time, and through effort they can be removed. In the next verse Krishna describes the four kinds of virtuous people who do take refuge in Him.

Context

Verse 7.14 said that those who take refuge in the Lord cross maya. This verse describes those who do not. The next verse (7.16) describes the four kinds of virtuous devotees.

Life lesson

Ego, deceit and bad habits gradually cover the mind's power of discernment. Review your conduct honestly from time to time; wherever a demonic tendency — anger, arrogance, harshness — appears, recognise it and correct it.

Key terms

Dushkriti: one who does evil
Naradhama: lowest among human beings
Apahrita-jnana: one whose knowledge has been stolen (by maya)
Asura bhava: a nature of hypocrisy, arrogance, anger and violence