Those who take refuge in ego, force, arrogance, desire, and anger hate Me, who dwell in their own bodies and in the bodies of others, and they find fault with My qualities.
— Krishna
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Bhagavad Gita · 16.18
Hindi · हिन्दी
वे अहङ्कार, हठ, घमण्ड, कामना और क्रोधका आश्रय लेनेवाले मनुष्य अपने और दूसरोंके शरीरमें रहनेवाले मुझ अन्तर्यामीके साथ द्वेष करते हैं तथा मेरे और दूसरोंके गुणोंमें दोषदृष्टि रखते हैं ॥
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
अहङ्कारम्egoबलम्forceदर्पम्arroganceकामम्desireक्रोधम्angerचandसंश्रिताःtaking refuge inमाम्Meआत्मपरदेहेषुin one's own and others' bodiesप्रद्विषन्तःhatingअभ्यसूयकाःfault-finding, envious
Read literallyego · force · arrogance · desire · anger · and · taking refuge in · Me · in one's own and others' bodies · hating · fault-finding, envious
Understanding the verse
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It shifts attention from outer conflict to the inner attitudes that create contempt, envy, and fault-finding.
Built onAhamkaraDeva
01
In plain words
What this verse means
People ruled by ego, force, arrogance, desire, and anger turn against the divine presence within themselves and others. They also habitually look for faults in what is good.
02
On the battlefield
Context & commentary
Krishna is still answering Arjuna on the battlefield, after describing the darker forces that distort human conduct. He now names the inner habits that make a person hostile to the divine presence in themselves and in others, setting up the warning that follows.
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In your life
Why this verse still matters
A group chat turns cruel, and every message assumes bad intent. The same inner heat that makes you snap at yourself also makes you misread everyone else.
The takeaway
“What you feed in yourself becomes the lens through which you see everyone else.”
Explore related themes: kama(23 verses), krodha(11 verses), ahankara(10 verses)
Common questions
What does Bhagavad Gita 16.18 mean?
People ruled by ego, force, arrogance, desire, and anger turn against the divine presence within themselves and others. They also habitually look for faults in what is good.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 16.18?
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga" (The Divine and Demoniac Natures).
Which chapter of the Bhagavad Gita contains verse 16.18?
Verse 18 sits in Chapter 16 of the Bhagavad Gita — Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga, "The Divine and Demoniac Natures". The chapter has 24 verses in total.
Why does Bhagavad Gita 16.18 matter today?
A group chat turns cruel, and every message assumes bad intent. The same inner heat that makes you snap at yourself also makes you misread everyone else.
It shifts attention from outer conflict to the inner attitudes that create contempt, envy, and fault-finding.
What this verse means
People ruled by ego, force, arrogance, desire, and anger turn against the divine presence within themselves and others. They also habitually look for faults in what is good.
Context & commentary
Krishna is still answering Arjuna on the battlefield, after describing the darker forces that distort human conduct. He now names the inner habits that make a person hostile to the divine presence in themselves and in others, setting up the warning that follows.
Why this verse still matters
A group chat turns cruel, and every message assumes bad intent. The same inner heat that makes you snap at yourself also makes you misread everyone else.
“What you feed in yourself becomes the lens through which you see everyone else.”
Explore related themes: kama (23 verses), krodha (11 verses), ahankara (10 verses)