📿 Shloka Collection

Adhyo Abhijanavan Asmi

Gita 16.15 Bhagavad Gita
📖 Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16 — Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga
आढ्योऽभिजनवानस्मि कोऽन्योऽस्ति सदृशो मया ।
यक्ष्ये दास्यामि मोदिष्य इत्यज्ञानविमोहिताः ॥
Adhyo abhijanavan asmi ko anyo asti sadrisho maya
Yakshye dasyami modishye iti ajnanavimohitah
आढ्यः
wealthy
अभिजनवान्
of noble birth, high family
अस्मि
I am
कः अन्यः अस्ति
who else is there
सदृशः मया
equal to me
यक्ष्ये
I shall perform yajnas
दास्यामि
I shall give in charity
मोदिष्ये
I shall rejoice
इति
thus
अज्ञानविमोहिताः
deluded by ignorance

The inner voice of ego continues: 'I am wealthy. I come from a great family. Who is my equal?' This is the pride of possessions and pedigree — the assumption that wealth and lineage make a person superior. It is the voice of someone who has confused their bank balance with their worth.

Then a curious twist: 'I shall perform yajnas, I shall give charity, I shall celebrate.' On the surface, these sound like good acts. But Krishna immediately labels them ajnanavimohitah — deluded by ignorance. The yajna is for show. The charity is to impress. The celebration is self-congratulation. The outer form is religious; the inner motive is vanity.

This is perhaps the most subtle warning in the chapter. A person can perform every religious ritual and still be firmly in the demonic category — if the driving force is ego rather than devotion. The act matters, but the intention behind it matters more.

This shloka illustrates dambha (hypocrisy) in action — a concept introduced in shloka 16.4. A person can look outwardly pious while being inwardly driven by ego. The performance of yajna and charity, when done purely for display, falls into this category.

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