November 2, 2026
kāmam āśritya duṣpūraṁ daṁbhamānamadānvitāḥ
mohād gṛhītvā ’sadgrāhān pravartante ’śucivratāḥ (XVI-10)
cintām aparimeyāṁ ca pralayāntām upāśritāḥ
kāmopabhogaparamā etāvad iti niścitāḥ (XVI-11)
āśāpāśaśatair baddhāḥ kāmakrodhaparāyaṇāḥ
īhante kāmabhogārtham anyāyenā ’rthasaṅcayān (XVI-12)
XVI/10. Filled with insatiable desires, full of hypocrisy, pride
and arrogance, holding evil ideas through delusion,
they work with impure resolves.
XVI/11. Giving themselves over to immeasurable cares
ending only with death, regarding gratification of lust as
their highest aim and feeling sure that that is all,
XVI/12. Bound by a hundred ties of hope, given over to
lust and anger, they strive to obtain by unlawful means
hoards of wealth for sensual enjoyments.
Swamiji's Commentary
They are the living exemplars of the antithesis of lord Buddha’s ‘Noble Eightfold Path’. The light within them is dark, their motives are impure, their ideas are delusion-ridden, their resolves are diabolical, and their thoughts and actions are governed only by lust for pleasure and power. Since ‘falsehood’ is their creed, they are not even true to their own self. This is the worst part of their personality make-up. With all their devilry, one should not be surprised if they assume an air
The twelfth chapter of The Bhāgavataṁ gives a graphic description of such people. By shouting aloud, they impress upon all that the untruth they utter, alone is truth. Their haughtiness frightens away the humble and prevents anyone from pointing out that such overweening pride is contrary to all scriptural teachings. Their arrogance grinds all opposition into submission.
But are they happy? No. Their cares are immeasurable and end only with pralaya (translated as ‘death’, but it may also mean ‘dissolution of the world’). They have no God to turn to for solace; money is their only God and hence they earn money by all means – mostly foul – and thus ensure that there is no hindrance in their pleasure-seeking Life. They seldom realize that such life itself is hell here and now.