Verse 9.12

मोघाशा मोघकर्माणो मोघज्ञाना विचेतसः ।

राक्षसीमासुरीं चैव प्रकृतिं मोहिनीं श्रिताः ॥

9.12

Transliteration

moghāśā moghakarmāṇo moghajñānā vicetasaḥ |

rākṣasīmāsurīṃ caiva prakṛtiṃ mohinīṃ śritāḥ ||

By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · @indic-transliteration/sanscript 1.3.3

Translation

Of vain hopes, of vain actions, of vain knowledge and senseless, they verily are possessed of the deceitful nature of demons and undivine beings.

From the owner's sheet · +1 more

Word by word

of vain hopes
of vain actions
of vain knowledge
senseless

fiendish
demonic
and
indeed
nature
deluding
resorting to

By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08

Explanation

Krishna describes the state of those who disregard him. Their hopes, actions and knowledge are all vain, and they lack discernment. They cling to a nature that is deluding, described as rākṣasī and āsurī, fiendish and demonic. These terms describe dispositions of cruelty, arrogance and self-will rather than kinds of being. The verse shows how failure to recognize the divine affects every part of life, emptying effort and understanding of lasting meaning. It contrasts with the great souls described next.