Wrong orientation blocks surrender.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
न मां दुष्कृतिनो मूढाः प्रपद्यन्ते नराधमाः |माययापहृतज्ञाना आसुरं भावमाश्रिताः ||७-१५||
na māṃ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ . māyayāpahṛtajñānā āsuraṃ bhāvamāśritāḥ ||7-15||
Use this verse for honest ego-checking.
Meaning
Those whose wisdom is stolen by maya, who act wrongly and take on a demonic disposition, do not surrender to Me.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Maya can steal wisdom and block surrender.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna warns that wrongdoing, arrogance, and distorted values can close the heart to divine refuge.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna explains why some never turn toward the Divine despite His nearness. Their discernment has been 'stolen away by maya,' and so they cling to an asura bhava — a demoniac disposition marked by ego, cruelty, and willful blindness. The wrongdoing (duskriti) is not merely outward sin but an inner orientation that keeps the heart closed to grace.
It is important to read this without harshness. The Gita is describing a condition, not condemning souls beyond hope. What seals a person from the Divine is not bad luck but a chosen stance — pride that refuses to bow, knowledge surrendered to selfishness.
The remedy is precisely the opposite movement: humility and the willingness to seek. The very fact that one longs for God is already proof that maya's grip has begun to loosen.
In daily life
Notice when ego resists humility and devotion.
Someone proud of manipulation may reject spiritual correction.
Try this today
Identify one behavior that moves you away from Krishna.
I choose humility over egoic resistance.Reflect
Where does my ego resist surrender?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘न माम् प्रपद्यन्ते’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on ego, in other chapters
- Verse 18.58Surrendered, you cross every obstacle by grace; but ego that refuses to listen leads only to ruin.
- Verse 5.15The Divine doesn't tally your sins and merits — your suffering comes from ignorance, and the cure is self-knowledge.
- Verse 14.8The most dangerous bondage is the one that dulls you to its own presence — heedlessness, laziness, and stupor.
- Verse 16.4Pride, anger, and pretense are not random faults but the predictable fruit of spiritual ignorance and self-absorption.
Swipe left for 7.16 · Every sincere approach can begin the path.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 7.15
Who says Bhagavad Gita 7.15, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 7.15, in Chapter 7, Jnana Vijnana Yoga (Jnana Vijnana Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 7.15 mean?
Those whose wisdom is stolen by maya, who act wrongly and take on a demonic disposition, do not surrender to Me. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 7.15 for daily life?
Notice when ego resists humility and devotion. Someone proud of manipulation may reject spiritual correction.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 7.15 mean?
न माम् प्रपद्यन्ते — do not take refuge in Me; दुष्कृतिनः — the evil-doers; मूढाः — the deluded / foolish; नराधमाः — the lowest of men; मायया अपहृतज्ञानाः — whose knowledge is stolen away by illusion.
Where does verse 7.15 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 15 of 30 in Chapter 7, Jnana Vijnana Yoga. The next verse is 7.16.