kamam asritya duspuram
dambha-mana-madanvitah
mohad grhitvasad-grahan
pravartante ’suci-vratah
Translation of Bhagavad Gita 16.10
Taking shelter of insatiable lust and absorbed in the conceit of pride and false prestige, the demoniac, thus illusioned, are always sworn to unclean work, attracted by the impermanent.
Commentary by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
The demoniac mentality is described here. The demons have no satiation for their lust. They will go on increasing and increasing their insatiable desires for material enjoyment. Although they are always full of anxieties on account of accepting nonpermanent things, they still continue to engage in such activities out of illusion. They have no knowledge and cannot tell that they are heading the wrong way. Accepting nonpermanent things, such demoniac people create their own God, create their own hymns and chant accordingly. The result is that they become more and more attracted to two things—sex enjoyment and accumulation of material wealth. The word asuci-vratah, “unclean vows,” is very significant in this connection. Such demoniac people are only attracted by wine, women, gambling and meat-eating; those are their asuci, unclean habits. Induced by pride and false prestige, they create some principles of religion which are not approved by the Vedic injunctions. Although such demoniac people are most abominable in the world, by artificial means the world creates a false honor for them. Although they are gliding toward hell, they consider themselves very much advanced.
Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
They engage in false doctrines (asad grahan). They perform vrata without pure conduct (asuci vratah).
Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:
16.10 Turning to ‘insatiable desires,’ viz., which concern objects impossible to get; seizing through ‘delusion,’ viz., through ignorance that such desires can be fulfilled only with ‘unjustly acquired wealth,’ viz., with wealth unlawfully hoarded, and following impious vows, viz., associated with the vows prohibited in the Sastras; they do actions ‘that are full of ostentation, pride and arrogance.’
Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:
Continuing further Lord Krishna describes that the demoniac pursue desires impossible to accomplish. Possessed of hypocrisy and mendacity the demoniac resort to the worship of discarnate demons, ghastly ghosts and satanic spirits in their attempts to increase their power and longevity. The demoniac by executing such depraved and degraded actions are completely ensnared by delusion and obstinately execute degenerative activities of diabolical dimensions with impure minds, in an impure state with impure ingredients such as blood and fat from the killing of animals as well as humans at inauspicious times such at midnight on inauspicious days and astrological alignments such as lunar eclipses and amavasya or new moon in their diabolical obsession and lust for power.
Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:
Lord Krishna is reiterating that normal desires are very difficult to satisfy while emphasizing that degraded and degenerative desires are even more difficult to fulfill. Such vast undertakings and prodigious schemes which are so difficult to accomplish create great distress and frustration in the attempt.
Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:
Lord Krishna further clarifies that the demoniac harbouring insatiable lusts and desires invent false doctrines to corroborate their heinous activities fostered by vile and diabolical vows of deranged depravity. At inauspicious times such as midnight and during thunderstorms, on inauspicious days such as new moon and eclipses and at inauspicious places such as crematoriums and cemeteries; the demoniac exuding evil and full of impurity, hypocrisy, deviousness, belligerence, arrogance and pretentiousness offer blood of animals and even humans in their diabolical worship of disincarnate ghosts, spirits, hobgoblins and demons.
Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:
16.10 And asirtya, giving themselves upto; duspuram, insatiable; kamam, passion-a kind of desire; dambha-mana-mada-anvitah, filled with vanity, pride and arrogance; grhitva, adopting; asad-grahan, bad objectives, evil intentions; mohat, due to delusion, owing to non-discrimination; and asuci-vratah, having impure resolves; they pravartante, engage in actions in the world. Further,
Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:
16.9-12 Etam etc. upto arthasancayam : Their anxiety ends only at the time of dissolution i.e. never ceases, becaue the rise and dissolution never end. This much alone : For them the highest goal to be achieved is but the gratification of desires, and when this (aim) is just ruined, there arises anger. Hence the Lord says ‘Devoted to their craving and anger’.
Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:
kamam asritya duspuram
dambha-mana-madanvitah
mohad grhitvasad-grahan
pravartante ’suci-vratah
Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:
kāmam — lust; āśritya — taking shelter of; duṣpūram — insatiable; dambha — of pride; māna — and false prestige; mada-anvitāḥ — absorbed in the conceit; mohāt — by illusion; gṛhītvā — taking; asat — nonpermanent; grāhān — things; pravartante — they flourish; aśuci — to the unclean; vratāḥ — avowed.
