FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 9.12

मोघाशा मोघकर्माणो मोघज्ञाना विचेतस: । राक्षसीमासुरीं चैव प्रकृतिं मोहिनीं श्रिता: ॥ १२ ॥
moghāśā mogha-karmāṇo
[moghaashaa mogha-karmaano]
mogha-jñānā vicetasaḥ
[mogha-jnaanaa vichetasah]
rākṣasīm āsurīṁ caiva
[raakshaseem aasureem chaiva]
prakṛtiṁ mohinīṁ śritāḥ
[prakritim mohineem shritaah]
Word-for-word
mogha - āśāḥ — baffled in their hopes mogha - karmāṇaḥ — baffled in fruitive activities mogha - jñānāḥ — baffled in knowledge vicetasaḥ — bewildered rākṣasīm — demonic āsurīm — atheistic ca — and eva — certainly prakṛtim — nature mohinīm — bewildering śritāḥ — taking shelter of .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
moghāśā mogha-karmāṇo
mogha - āśāḥ
baffled in their hopes
mogha - karmāṇaḥ
baffled in fruitive activities
mogha-jñānā vicetasaḥ
mogha - jñānāḥ
baffled in knowledge
vicetasaḥ
bewildered
rākṣasīm āsurīṁ caiva
rākṣasīm
demonic
āsurīm
atheistic
ca
and
eva
certainly
prakṛtiṁ mohinīṁ śritāḥ
prakṛtim
nature
mohinīm
bewildering
śritāḥ
taking shelter of .
Important Words
  • mogha - āśāḥ — frustrated in hopes
    Mogha (vain, fruitless) + āśā (hope). Their hopes are not merely disappointed; they are mogha — structurally void from the start. The hope for liberation built on rejection of Kṛṣṇa is a hope poured into a sieve.
  • mogha - karmāṇaḥ — baffled in fruitive activities
    Mogha + karman. Their karmas, too, are mogha. Without offering to the source, even good deeds spin without purchase — building castles on water, however well constructed.
  • mogha - jñānāḥ — baffled in knowledge
    Mogha + jñāna. Even their cultivated knowledge is mogha. The threefold mogha is devastating: hope, action, and learning — all three fail when the foundation is rejection of the Person.
  • vicetasaḥ — bewildered
    Vi (away from) + cetas (consciousness). Their consciousness has gone away from its proper centre. Not unintelligent — vicetasa: con-fused, scattered.
  • rākṣasīm — demonic
    The rākṣasa nature: predatory, devouring, dominated by tamas. The Gītā devotes chapter 16 to this category. Its defining feature is rejection of the Lord and consumption of others.
  • āsurīm — atheistic
    The āsura nature: proud, self-asserting, dominated by rajas. Paired with rākṣasī, the two name the spectrum of natures that reject Kṛṣṇa. The vicetasa souls of the verse take shelter in this combined nature.
  • mohinīm — bewildering
    That which bewilders. Māyā is not merely covering; she is mohinī — actively casting a deluding spell. Those who reject Kṛṣṇa take shelter in this mohinī prakṛti, and she binds them in her bewilderment.
Those who are thus bewildered are attracted by demonic and atheistic views. In that deluded condition, their hopes for liberation, their fruitive activities, and their culture of knowledge are all defeated.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Three 'mogha's hammer down the cost of contempt for the avatāra: hopes, deeds, and knowledge — all wasted. Such a person is vicetas, scattered, and slips into a rākṣasa or asura prakṛti that deludes him further.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The triple 'mogha' is a deliberate poetic device showing the total collapse of purpose. Rākṣasa here connotes the destructive; āsurī, the rebelliously self-centered (cf. BG 16.4ff.). The cause of the descent is not divine wrath but a chosen prakṛti — what one disdains, one becomes free of; what one takes shelter in, one resembles. Cross-ref BG 7.15 on duṣkṛtina.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
मोघ-आशाः मोघ-कर्माणः मोघ-ज्ञानाः विचेतसः (ते) मोहिनीं राक्षसीम् आसुरीं च एव प्रकृतिं श्रिताः (भवन्ति) ।
mogha-āśāḥ mogha-karmāṇaḥ mogha-jñānāḥ vicetasaḥ (te) mohinīṃ rākṣasīm āsurīṃ ca eva prakṛtiṃ śritāḥ (bhavanti) |
Those whose hopes are vain, whose actions are vain, whose knowledge is vain, bereft of discernment, take shelter in a deluding rākṣasa and asura nature.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
मोघ-आशाः मोघ-कर्माणः मोघ-ज्ञानाः विचेतसः । राक्षसीम् आसुरीं च एव प्रकृतिं मोहिनीं श्रिताः ॥
mogha-āśāḥ mogha-karmāṇaḥ mogha-jñānāḥ vicetasaḥ | rākṣasīm āsurīṃ ca eva prakṛtiṃ mohinīṃ śritāḥ ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
मोघ-आशाः mogha-āśāḥ मोघ + आशा (f.) nom.pl. (nominative plural)m., bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound) of vain hopes
मोघ-कर्माणः mogha-karmāṇaḥ मोघ + कर्मन् (n.) nom.pl. (nominative plural)m., bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound) of vain actions
मोघ-ज्ञानाः mogha-jñānāḥ मोघ + ज्ञान (n.) nom.pl. (nominative plural)m., bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound) of vain knowledge
विचेतसः vicetasaḥ वि + चेतस् (n.) nom.pl. (nominative plural)m., bahuvrīhi cpd. (without sense) without discernment
राक्षसीम् rākṣasīm राक्षसी (adj.) acc.sg. (accusative singular)f. demonic (rākṣasa)
आसुरीम् āsurīm आसुरी (adj.) acc.sg. (accusative singular)f. asuric
च ca ind. (indeclinable) and
एव eva ind. (indeclinable), emphatic indeed
प्रकृतिम् prakṛtim प्रकृति (f.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) nature
मोहिनीम् mohinīm मोहिनी (adj.) acc.sg. (accusative singular)f. deluding
श्रिताः śritāḥ √श्रि p.p.p. (past passive participle) nom.pl. (nominative plural)m. taken shelter in
Purport

There are many devotees who assume themselves to be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service but at heart do not accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, as the Absolute Truth. For them, the fruit of devotional service – going back to Godhead – will never be tasted. Similarly, those who are engaged in fruitive pious activities and who are ultimately hoping to be liberated from this material entanglement will never be successful either, because they deride the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. In other words, persons who mock Kṛṣṇa are to be understood to be demonic or atheistic. As described in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, such demonic miscreants never surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore their mental speculations to arrive at the Absolute Truth bring them to the false conclusion that the ordinary living entity and Kṛṣṇa are one and the same. With such a false conviction, they think that the body of any human being is now simply covered by material nature and that as soon as one is liberated from this material body there is no difference between God and himself. This attempt to become one with Kṛṣṇa will be baffled because of delusion. Such atheistic and demoniac cultivation of spiritual knowledge is always futile. That is the indication of this verse. For such persons, cultivation of the knowledge in the Vedic literature, like the Vedānta-sūtra and the Upaniṣads, is always baffled. It is a great offense, therefore, to consider Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to be an ordinary man. Those who do so are certainly deluded because they cannot understand the eternal form of Kṛṣṇa. The Bṛhad-viṣṇu-smṛti clearly states: yo vetti bhautikaṁ dehaṁ kṛṣṇasya paramātmanaḥ sa sarvasmād bahiṣ-kāryaḥ śrauta-smārta-vidhānataḥ mukhaṁ tasyāvalokyāpi sa-celaṁ snānam ācaret “One who considers the body of Kṛṣṇa to be material should be driven out from all rituals and activities of the śruti and the smṛti. And if one by chance sees his face, one should at once take bath in the Ganges to rid himself of infection.” People jeer at Kṛṣṇa because they are envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Their destiny is certainly to take birth after birth in the species of atheistic and demoniac life. Perpetually, their real knowledge will remain under delusion, and gradually they will regress to the darkest region of creation.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
12. Among those who cannot distinguish this truth, those who are devotees do not gain sālokya, those who are karmīs do not attain their material fruits, and those who are jñānīs do not attain liberation. They assume the nature of Rākṣasas and asuras.
Commentary

What is the destination of those who do not accept You, Kṛṣṇa, as the Lord and think that You have a human material body? Even if devotees are in this condition, their aspirations are in vain (moghāśaḥ). They do not achieve sālokya or whatever else they have desired. If they are karmīs, they do not attain the desired results of their actions such as Svarga (mogha-karmaṇaḥ). If they are jñānīs, they do not attain the result of knowledge, liberation (mogha-jñāna). Then what do they attain? They assume the nature (prakṛtim) of Rākṣasas.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
12. Among those who cannot distinguish this truth, the devotees do not gain liberation, the karmīs do not attain their material fruits, and the jñānīs get no result from their knowledge. They assume the nature of rakṣasas and asuras.
Commentary

“What is the destination of those who deride You in your human form, thinking that You have a material body and have attained great power by very great acts of puṇya?” Even if they are devotees of the Lord, they are deprived of obtaining moksa (mogha āśā). If they are fixed in fruitive sacrifices, those actions are without result, being a waste of energy (mogha karmaṇā). If they are devoted to study of vedānta for jñāna, their understanding bears no result. Why? They are perplexed (vicetasaḥ), having destroyed their power of discrimination by the sin of rejecting Me, the supreme Brahman, directly visible in an eternal, spiritual, human form. Therefore is said: yo vetti bhautikaṁ dehaṁ kṛṣṇasya paramātmanaḥ sa sarvasmād bahiṣkāryaḥ śrauta-smārta-vidhānataḥ mukhaṁ tasyāvalokyāpi sa-celaṁ snānam ācaret One who considers the body of Kṛṣṇa to be material should be driven out from all rituals and activities of the śruti and the smṛti. And if one by chance sees his face, one should at once take bath in the Ganges with clothing on to rid himself of infection. Bṛhad Viṣṇu Smṛti [Note: It could also be Viṣṇu Purāṇa, but I have found the quotation in neither work, unless there is a bigger version called “brhad.”] What result do they attain? Taking shelter of dispositions (prakṛtim) without power of discrimination, of entities in the mode of ignorance predominated by violence (rākṣasīm) and entities in the mode of passion with intense lust and pride (āsurīm), they are qualified to live in hell.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

The result of not accepting Krsna's form as transcendental and thus be disrespectfull towards Krsna, is that one becomes bewildered and attracted by demoniac and atheistic views. This means if one is practicing karma‑kanda or yoga or jnana‑ yoga, looking for fruitive results, mystic powers, liberation, if he thinks that Krsna's form is not eternal, he will not attain none of those results he is looking for. 'Mogha‑asah', all their hopes are baffled, ruined; 'Mogha‑karmanah, all their hopes for fruitive results are baffled, ruined; 'Mogha‑jnanah', all their hopes for knowledge are baffled, ruined.

There is no success for a person who doesn't accept Krsna's transcendental form. Mayavadis say that Brahman is Supreme but He is taking on the mode of goodness and becomes Krsna. The future of those 'rakasim asurim' is to become 'yaksas and raksasas', because their mentality is demoniac. Texts 13 and 15 explain those who are divine.

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study Key verse
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Duratmas – “Fate” of those who out of bewilderment disrespect Krishna’s form

They are attracted by demoniac and atheistic views
Hopes for liberation, fruitive activities and culture of knowledge are all defeated

Focus of Learning

(b) Solution to controversies between impersonalists and personalists on lord’s appearance as a

human being – Solved on the basis of authoritative texts like Bhagavad-gita and Srimad

Bhagavatam

Superhuman acts of Krishna and Balarama (Ref. SB 1.1.20) – Krishna and Balarama played like human beings but performed many superhuman acts which no human can perform
Two examples of the Lord’s appearance – Lord’s appearance as human is one of His features of His transcendental body
Krishna appears as four-armed form and then two-armed form in front of Vasudev and Devaki
Universal form and four-armed-form in front of Arjuna (Ref. Bg. Chapter 11)
Mayavadis quote Srimad Bhagavatam to prove Krishna as ordinary man. They say everyone is God
Argument: They use Text SB 3.29.21 – “Supreme is present in every living entity” – to establish Krishna as an ordinary man or ‘Everyone is God’
Refutation: Based on Srila Jiva Goswami and Srila Visvanath Chakravathi Thakura

▪ Jiva Goswami says: Krishna is present as Paramatma in all the hearts. To give

attention to Archa Murti in temple and not to respect other living entities is

neophyte mentality and is useless worship. Visvanath Chakravathi Thakur

warns about this mentality

▪ Conclusion: Devotees vision – “Krishna is present is everyone’s heart as

Paramatma, therefore everyone is embodiment or temple of the Lord, so

everyone should be given proper respect.”

Impersonalists deride temple worship
Argument: Since God is everywhere why restrict ourselves to Deity worship
Refutation: If God is everywhere then why not also in the temple or in the Deity
Knowledge of Perfect Devotee in Krishna Consciousness:

▪ Knows that “Although Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is all-

pervading by His energies and plenary expansions” (Ref. Brahma Samhita)

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 9.12 & 9.13:

What about those who do respect Krishna as He has revealed Himself

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
9.12 Moghasah, of vain hopes. So also, mogha-karmanah, of vain actions: their rites, such as Agnihotra etc. which are undertaken by them, verily become vain, fruitless actions, because of dishonouring the Lord, disregarding Him who is their own Self. In this way they are of vain actions. Similarly, mogha-jnanah, of vain knowledge: of fruitless knowledge; even their knowledge verily becomes useless. And vicetasah, senseless: i.e., they lose their power of discrimination. Besides, [Besides, in the next birth৷৷.] they become sritah, possessed of; the mohinim, self-deceptive, self-delusive; prakritim, disposition; raksasim, of fiends; and asurim, of demons-according to which the body is the Self; i.e., they become habitually inclined to act cruelly, saying, 'cut, break, drink, eat, steal others' wealth,' etc. [The habit to cut, break, drink, eat, etc. is characteristic of fiends. The habit of stealing others' wealth, etc. is characteristic of demons.] This is stated in the Sruti, 'Those worlds of devils (are covered by blinding darkness)' (Is. 3).
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
9.12 Men yielding to the deluding nature characteristics of Asuras and Raksas and not aware of My higher nature like compassion etc. When I am in a human form, are possessed of vain hopes, i.e, their hopes remain fruitless, and their knowledge also is vain, i.e., is fruitless. They are so because of their erroneous understanding which fails to know that all things, mobile and immobile, belong to Me. They are ignorant on account of their being devoid of knowledge of truth everywhere. Whatever they do regarding Me, the Lord of all, is done with an attitude that I am an ordinary mortal. So their efforts go in vain. All this springs from their partaking of the nature of Raksasas and Asuras.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
9.12 Mogha-etc. Their action, knowledge and aspirations are all futile, as these are concerned with the unreal. The demoniac and devilish nature etc. They are of the nature of excessive desire and ignorance.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
9.12 Of vain hopes, of vain actions, of vain knowledge and senseless, they verily are possessed of the deceitful nature of demons and undivine beings.
Commentary

9.12 मोघाशाः of vain hopes? मोघकर्माणः of vain actions? मोघज्ञानाः of vain knowledge? विचेतसः senseless? राक्षसीम् devilish? आसुरीम् undivine? च and? एव verily? प्रकृतिम् nature? मोहिनीम् deceitful? श्रिताः (are) possessed of.Commentary They entertain vain hopes? for there can be no hope in perishable forms. It is vain hope because they run after transient objects and miss the Eternal. It is vain action? because it is not performed by them as sacrifice unto the Lord. The Agnihotra (a ritual) and other actions performed by them are fruitless? because they insult the Lord. They are senseless. They have no,discrimination. They have no idea of the eternal Self. They worship their body only. They behold no self beyond the body. They neglect their own Self. They do atrocious crimes and cruel actions. They rob others property and murder people. They partake of the nature of the demons and the undivine beings.The Rakshasa are Tamasic and the Asuras are Rajasic.Prakriti means here Svabhava (ones own nature).They see the external human body only. They have no knowledge of the Self that dwells within the body. They do not behold God in the universe. They life for eating and drinking only.He who entertains hope of getting the rewards of actions through mere Karma alone? without the grace of the Lord is one of empty hope and empty deed. Karmas are insentient. They cannot give rewards independently. The omniscient Lord Who knows the relationship between Karmas and their fruits can dispense them. He who has obtained knowledge from books which do not admit of the existence of the Self and which do not speak of the Self is one of empty knowledge. This will not give any reward. That knowledge obtained through the study of spiritual books which treat of Brahman alone can give the reward. (Cf.VII.15XVI.6?20)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
9.12 Of vain hopes, of vain actions, of vain knowledge, and senseless, they become verily possessed of the deceptive disposition of fiends and demons.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
9.12 Their hopes are vain, their actions worthless, their knowledge futile; they are without sense, deceitful, barbarous and godless.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 16.7 BG 16.18 BG 7.15 SB 7.5.30 SB 5.18.12 SB 11.5.3 CC Madhya 22.21 CC Madhya 25.39 CC Madhya 17.138 Īśa Upaniṣad 3 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.5
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Such bewildered persons are attracted to demoniac and atheistic views — their hopes for liberation, their actions, their knowledge — all defeated.
Practical Applications
  • Recognize that bewilderment defeats hope, action, and knowledge — all three.
  • Address bewilderment at the root.
  • Don't waste effort on superstructure when the root needs care.
Reflection Questions
  • Where is bewilderment defeating my best efforts?
  • What addresses it at the root?
Analogy

A traveller who refuses the only true map will still get a map — from a passing stranger, drawn on the back of a leaf, leading nowhere. Three things he carries: hope of arriving, work to do, lore he has gathered. All three turn mogha — fruitless. Reject the param bhāva and the universe will still hand you a map; it just won't be a real one.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

← Read full Chapter 9