Shloka 12

Devanagari script

तथा वे मृत्युपर्यन्त रहनेवाली असंख्य चिन्ताओंका आश्रय लेनेवाले, विषयभोगोंके भोगनेमें तत्पर रहनेवाले और “इतना ही सुख है” इस प्रकार माननेवाले होते हैं ।। आशापाशशशरतैर्बद्धा: कामक्रोधपरायणा: । ईहन्ते कामभोगार्थमन्यायेनार्थसञज्चयान्‌

Transliteration

tathā te mṛtyu-paryanta-rahaṇe-vālī asaṅkhya-cintāyāḥ āśraya lene-vāle, viṣaya-bhogān ke bhogane meṃ tatpara rahane-vāle aura “itanā hī sukha hai” iti prakāra mānane-vāle hote haiṃ. āśā-pāśa-śatair baddhāḥ kāma-krodha-parāyaṇāḥ, īhante kāma-bhoga-artham anyāyena artha-sañcayān.

Translation

ఇలా వారు మరణాంతం నిలిచే అనేక చింతలకే ఆశ్రయమై, విషయభోగాలలో మునిగి, “ఇంతటితోనే సుఖం” అని భావిస్తారు. ఆశ అనే వందల పాశాలతో బద్ధులై, కామక్రోధాలకు పరాయణులై, భోగార్థం కోసం అన్యాయ మార్గంలో ధనసంచయం చేయుటకు యత్నిస్తారు.

Word by Word

आशापाशशरैःby the arrows of the noose of hope

बद्धाःbound

कामक्रोधपरायणाःdevoted to desire and anger

ईहन्तेthey strive / endeavor

कामभोगार्थम्for the sake of enjoyment of pleasures

अन्यायेनby injustice / unjustly

अर्थसञ्चयान्accumulations of wealth

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A life driven by sense-pleasure breeds endless anxiety and bondage through hope; when desire and anger dominate, people justify unjust means to amass wealth for enjoyment—an ethical warning against adharma rooted in craving.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Gita’s description of demonic (āsurī) tendencies, Arjuna’s cited verse portrays how such persons remain trapped in lifelong worries, chase pleasures, and pursue wealth through injustice, contrasting with dharmic self-restraint and right conduct.