16.11 Anxiety that ends at death Krishna speaks
चिन्तामपरिमेयां च प्रलयान्तामुपाश्रिताः
कामोपभोगपरमा एतावदिति निश्िचताः
chintām aparimeyāṁ cha pralayāntām upāśhritāḥ
kāmopabhoga-paramā etāvad iti niśhchitāḥ
Given over to endless anxiety that ends only at death, holding the gratification of desire to be the highest thing, certain that this is all,
Explanation
Anxiety that ends only at death.
cintā — worry, endless. And the belief that goes with it: that gratifying desire is the highest thing, and that this is all.
The two halves belong together. The anxiety is not a punishment attached to the belief; it is what the belief feels like from inside, and the verse simply puts them in one line.
Word by word
- chintām
- anxieties
- aparimeyām
- endless
- cha
- and
- pralaya-antām
- until death
- upāśhritāḥ
- taking refuge
- kāma-upabhoga
- gratification of desires
- paramāḥ
- the purpose of life
- etāvat
- still
- iti
- thus
- niśhchitāḥ
- with complete assurance
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