Gita 16.15

Chapter 16: Divine & Demonic

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Gita 16.15
आढ्योऽभिजनवानस्मि कोऽन्योऽस्ति सदृशो मया। यक्ष्ये दास्यामि मोदिष्य इत्यज्ञानविमोहिताः॥

āḍhyo 'bhijanavān asmi ko 'nyo 'sti sadṛśo mayā yakṣye dāsyāmi modiṣya ity ajñāna-vimohitāḥ

"'I am wealthy and well-born; who else is like me? I shall sacrifice, I shall give charity, I shall rejoice'—thus deluded by ignorance."

What This Means:

More demonic thinking: 'I'm rich and well-born—who is my equal? I'll sacrifice and give charity and enjoy!' Even charity becomes ego-gratification. All this is delusion.

Going Deeper:

'Āḍhyaḥ abhijanavān asmi'—I am wealthy and well-born. 'Kaḥ anyaḥ asti sadṛśaḥ mayā'—who else is like me? Even religious acts become pride: 'yakṣye dāsyāmi modiṣye'—I shall sacrifice, give, rejoice. When sacrifice and charity become resume items for the ego, they lose spiritual value. 'Ajñāna-vimohitāḥ'—deluded by ignorance.

How To Apply This:

Beware of spiritual pride: 'Look how much I give, how much I pray, how spiritual I am.' Even good deeds become bondage when the ego claims them. Give anonymously, practice secretly, let the left hand not know what the right does.

Key Sanskrit Terms:

āḍhyaḥ= wealthyabhijanavān= well-bornyakṣye= I shall sacrificeajñāna-vimohitāḥ= deluded by ignorance