Bhagavad Gita · Raja Vidya Raja Guhya YogaChapter 9, Shloka 12 (9.12)
Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्
मोघाशा मोघकर्माणो मोघज्ञाना विचेतसः
राक्षसीमासुरीं चैव प्रकृतिं मोहिनीं श्रिताः
॥ 9.12 ॥
moghāśā moghakarmāṇo moghajñānā vicetasaḥ
rākṣasīmāsurīṃ caiva prakṛtiṃ mohinīṃ śritāḥ
Translation
"(Such people) have vain hopes, vain actions and vain knowledge, lack discernment, and take refuge in a deluding, fiendish and demonic nature."
Interpretation
Shankaracharya — the marks of cruelty. Moghāśāḥ vṛthā āśāḥ; mogha-karmāṇaḥ … agnihotrādīni … bhagavat-paribhavāt … niṣphalāni — even their agnihotra and other rites bear no fruit because of their contempt for the Lord; rākṣasīṃ … āsurīm … mohinīṃ mohakarīṃ deha-ātma-vādinīṃ śritāḥ — a deluding nature that takes the body to be the self; their conduct: "chinddhi, bhinddhi, piba, khāda, para-svam apahara" ity evaṃ vadana-śīlāḥ krūra-karmāṇaḥ — "cut, smash, drink, eat, seize what belongs to others" — doers of cruel deeds who talk like this. Evidence Ishopanishad 3.
Acharya Ramanuja. Mama manuṣyatve parama-kāruṇyādi-paratva-tirodhāna-karīṃ rākṣasīm āsurīṃ ca mohinīṃ prakṛtim āśritāḥ — a fiendish and demonic nature that hides my supreme compassion and the like in my human form; māṃ sarveśvaram itara-samaṃ matvā mayi yat kartum icchanti … tat sarvaṃ moghaṃ bhavati — whatever they wish to do towards me, taking me, the Lord of all, to be ordinary — all of it is in vain.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.