Spiritual growth requires honest pattern recognition.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
द्वौ भूतसर्गौ लोकेऽस्मिन्दैव आसुर एव च |दैवो विस्तरशः प्रोक्त आसुरं पार्थ मे शृणु ||१६-६||
dvau bhūtasargau loke.asmindaiva āsura eva ca . daivo vistaraśaḥ prokta āsuraṃ pārtha me śṛṇu ||16-6||
Use this verse to start a Divine vs Asuric self-audit.
Meaning
There are two types of created tendencies in this world, the divine and the asuric. The divine has been described in detail; now hear from Me about the asuric, O Partha.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Krishna introduces the contrast between divine and asuric tendencies.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
This verse sets up the chapter’s self-diagnosis. Every person can observe both upward and downward tendencies within. The goal is not labeling people, but recognizing patterns and choosing divine alignment.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna frames the chapter as a study of two creations, dvau bhuta-sargau — not two separate species of people, but two tendencies that contend within the human heart and express themselves through human conduct. Having painted the divine nature in some detail, he now invites Arjuna to listen closely to a fuller portrait of the asura.
Why dwell so long on the darker pattern? Because what we can recognise, we can resist. A physician studies disease not from morbid fascination but to heal.
By examining the anatomy of the demoniac mind — its assumptions, appetites, and outcomes — the seeker learns to detect those same impulses in subtle form within himself before they take root. The verses that follow are thus less a condemnation of others than a diagnostic mirror for our own inner life.
In daily life
Look at tendencies, not just identity labels.
A person may have compassion in one area and ego in another; both need honest observation.
Try this today
Make two columns: tendencies that uplift and tendencies that bind.
I observe my tendencies honestly and choose the divine.Reflect
Which divine and asuric tendencies are active in me?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘प्रोक्तः’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on demoniac nature, in other chapters
- Verse 9.12When striving is rooted in ego and cut off from a deeper purpose, even our cleverest efforts tend to come to nothing.
- Verse 13.12True knowledge is whatever keeps you steadily turned toward your deepest Self; everything else is ignorance dressed up as learning.
- Verse 15.10The indwelling Self is always present, but only the eye of knowledge can perceive it.
- Verse 18.4Even the act of letting go has a quality — it can be pure, restless, or deluded.
Swipe left for 16.7 · Moral confusion is a sign of asuric drift.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 16.6
Who says Bhagavad Gita 16.6, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 16.6, in Chapter 16, Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga (Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 16.6 mean?
There are two types of created tendencies in this world, the divine and the asuric. The divine has been described in detail; now hear from Me about the asuric, O Partha. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 16.6 for daily life?
Look at tendencies, not just identity labels. A person may have compassion in one area and ego in another; both need honest observation.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 16.6 mean?
द्वौ — two; भूतसर्गौ — types of created beings; लोके अस्मिन् — in this world; दैवः — the divine; आसुरः — the demoniac.
Where does verse 16.6 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 6 of 24 in Chapter 16, Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga. The next verse is 16.7.