Topic

Demoniac pride

2 verses from the Bhagavad Gita on demoniac pride. Explore teachings across 1 chapter.

All Verses

Chapter 16 • Verse 14 →The Yoga of the Divine and Demoniac Natures
Asau maya hatah shatrun hanishye caparan api, ishvaro 'ham aham bhogi siddho 'ham balavan sukhi

That enemy has been slain by me, and I shall slay others too. I am the lord. I am the enjoyer. I am perfect, powerful, and happy. This internal boast of the demoniac reveals their core delusion: they mistake themselves for the supreme controller, the ultimate enjoyer, and the independent cause of their own success.

  • •The root delusion of the demoniac is seeing themselves as the supreme controller and enjoyer
  • •Pride in one's own power, perfection, and happiness is the hallmark of the demoniac ego
  • •False lordship — usurping God's role — is the deepest form of the demoniac nature
egofalse lordshipdelusioncontroller
Chapter 16 • Verse 15 →The Yoga of the Divine and Demoniac Natures
Adhyo 'bhijanavan asmi ko 'nyo 'sti sadrisho maya, yakshye dasyami modishya ity ajnana-vimohitah

I am the wealthiest man, surrounded by aristocratic relatives. There is none so powerful and happy as I am. I shall perform sacrifices, I shall give charity, and I shall rejoice — thus they are deluded by ignorance. Even religious acts like sacrifice and charity become tainted when performed from a place of ego and pride rather than devotion and surrender.

  • •Wealth, lineage, and social standing fuel the demoniac sense of superiority
  • •Even religious acts become demoniac when motivated by ego rather than devotion
  • •Ignorance is the root cause of this entire edifice of self-glorification
wealthegofalse religionignorance