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. Tap 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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Ego, force, arrogance, desire and anger make people hate Krishna, who lives in their bodies and in others'.
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 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.
03
In your life
What it looks like today
A father who is harsh to his own children and contemptuous of the cook thinks he is just being strict. Krishna says such ego and anger amount to hating him, since he lives in every one of those bodies.
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 father who is harsh to his own children and contemptuous of the cook thinks he is just being strict. Krishna says such ego and anger amount to hating him, since he lives in every one of those bodies.
Ego, force, arrogance, desire and anger make people hate Krishna, who lives in their bodies and in others'.
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 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.
What it looks like today
A father who is harsh to his own children and contemptuous of the cook thinks he is just being strict. Krishna says such ego and anger amount to hating him, since he lives in every one of those bodies.
“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)