A declaration · reflective in mood · easy to enter
“False pride and cruelty reveal a nature already turned away from wisdom.”
O son of Pritha, hypocrisy, arrogance, self-importance, anger, harshness, and ignorance are the marks of one born with demonic qualities.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallyhypocrisy · arrogance · self-importance · and · anger · harshness · indeed · and · ignorance · and · of one born · O Partha · qualities · demonic
False display, pride, self-importance, anger, harsh speech, and ignorance are signs of a destructive nature.
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga" (The Divine and Demoniac Natures).
Verse 4 sits in Chapter 16 of the Bhagavad Gita — Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga, "The Divine and Demoniac Natures". The chapter has 24 verses in total.
In a tense family argument, someone smiles politely while cutting you down, then explodes when challenged. The verse names that mix of pride, cruelty, and blindness for what it is.
Did you like this verse?
It teaches you to spot character by recurring reactions, not by polished appearances.
What this verse means
False display, pride, self-importance, anger, harsh speech, and ignorance are signs of a destructive nature.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield, Krishna has just described the qualities of a noble nature. Now he turns to Arjuna and names the opposite pattern: hypocrisy, pride, anger, cruelty, and ignorance. The contrast prepares Arjuna to see what kind of life leads to bondage.
Why this verse still matters
In a tense family argument, someone smiles politely while cutting you down, then explodes when challenged. The verse names that mix of pride, cruelty, and blindness for what it is.
“It feels clarifying to name the habits that poison character before they harden into identity.”
Explore related themes: krodha (11 verses)