Bhagavad Gita BG 16.8
Chapter 16, Verse 8 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
असत्यमप्रतिष्ठं ते जगदाहुरनीश्वरम् । अपरस्परसंभूतं किमन्यत्कामहैतुकम् ॥
asatyam apratistham te jagad ahur anishvaram aparaspar-asambhutam kim anyat kama-haitukam
Meaning
They say: the world has no truth, no basis, no God — it is not born from mutual causation — what then, if not born from desire?
Understanding
The demonic worldview is stated directly in their own words: (1) Asatyam (without truth — no underlying reality or dharma); (2) Apratistham (without a basis/foundation — nothing to stand on, no ground of being); (3) Anishvaram (without God/Lord — no governing principle or intelligence). Aparaspar-asambhutam (not born from mutual causation — they reject both divine creation AND dependent arising). Their conclusion: kim anyat kama-haitukam (what else could it be, other than born from desire?). This is the purest materialist-nihilist position: the universe is accidental, purposeless, without moral order, and driven only by desire. The Gita identifies this not as a philosophical error to be corrected but as the root of the demonic orientation — because if the universe is purposeless and godless, then only desire and force make sense.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| अप्रतिष्ठम् | apratistham | without a basis, without foundation, groundless |
| अनीश्वरम् | anishvaram | without God/Lord, without a governing principle |
| अपरस्परसंभूतम् | aparasparasambhutam | not born from mutual causation, not from reciprocal arising |
| कामहैतुकम् | kama-haitukam | caused by desire, with desire as the cause/motive |
| असत्यम् | asatyam | without truth |
| अप्रतिष्ठम् | apratiṣṭham | without foundation |
| ते | te | they |
| जगत् | jagat | the world |
| आहुः | āhuḥ | they say |
| अनीश्वरम् | anīśvaram | without a God |
| अपर-स्पर-सम्भूतम् | apara-spara-sambhūtam | born of the union of man and woman |
| किम् | kim anyat | what else |
| काम-हेतुकम् | kāma-hetukam | caused by desire |
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