Bhagavad-gītā 16.8
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
असत्यमप्रतिष्ठं ते जगदाहुरनीश्वरम्।अपरस्परसम्भूतं किमन्यत्कामहैतुकम्।।16.8।।
asatyam apratiṣhṭhaṁ te jagad āhur anīśhvaram aparaspara-sambhūtaṁ kim anyat kāma-haitukam
They say, "The universe is without truth, without a (moral) basis, without a God, brought about by mutual union, with lust for its cause; what else?"
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| asatyam | without absolute truth |
| apratiṣhṭham | without any basis |
| te | they |
| jagat | the world |
| āhuḥ | say |
| anīśhvaram | without a God |
| aparaspara | without cause |
| sambhūtam | created |
| kim | what |
| anyat | other |
| kāma-haitukam | for sexual gratification only |
Begin with the verse itself, then trace its movement through asatyam (without absolute truth), anīśhvaram (without a God), and kāma-haitukam (for sexual gratification only). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to divine and destructive dispositions. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 16.8.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Compare divine and destructive dispositions, their actions and consequences without converting the lists into weapons for judging others.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
They say, "The universe is without truth, without a (moral) basis, without a God, brought about by mutual union, with lust for its cause
- 2
asatyam: without absolute truth
- 3
anīśhvaram: without a God
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
Picture two dispositions.
Link
Use the line starts: asatyam apratiṣhṭhaṁ / aparaspara-sambhūtaṁ kim.
Cover
Hide the verse and rebuild one line at a time.
Teach
Explain the flow to another person without looking.
Turn this reading into a study record
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 16.8, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 16.8 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 16.8 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 16.8 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 16.8, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition