Bhagavad Gita BG 16.4

Chapter 16, Verse 4 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation

दम्भो दर्पोऽभिमानश्च क्रोधः पारुष्यमेव च । अज्ञानं चाभिजातस्य पार्थ सम्पदमासुरीम् ॥

dambho darpo 'bhimanas ca krodhah parushyam eva ca ajnanam cabhijatasya partha sampadam asurim

Meaning

Hypocrisy, arrogance, pride, anger, harshness, and ignorance — these belong to one born to the demonic estate, O Partha.

Understanding

The demonic counterpart to the divine qualities: (1) Dambha (hypocrisy, pretense of virtue — performing religiosity for show); (2) Darpa (arrogance, insolent pride); (3) Abhimana (pride, self-conceit — abhi + mana = intense self-centeredness); (4) Krodha (anger — the reactive quality); (5) Parushyam (harshness, roughness of speech and conduct — the brutal quality); (6) Ajnanam (ignorance — here the root of all other demonic qualities). These six contrast sharply with the divine qualities of v1-2. Crucially, ajnanam (ignorance) is listed last — as the foundation from which all the others spring. The demonic qualities are essentially the products of ignorance operating through ego: when one does not know one's true nature, dambha, darpa, abhimana, krodha, and parushyam are the natural results.

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