etāṁ dṛiṣhṭim avaṣhṭabhya naṣhṭātmāno ’lpa-buddhayaḥ
prabhavanty ugra-karmāṇaḥ kṣhayāya jagato ’hitāḥ
etām — such;
dṛiṣhṭim — views;
avaṣhṭabhya — holding;
naṣhṭa — misdirected;
ātmānaḥ — souls;
alpa-buddhayaḥ — of small intellect;
prabhavanti — arise;
ugra — cruel;
karmāṇaḥ — actions;
kṣhayāya — destruction;
jagataḥ — of the world;
ahitāḥ — enemies
This verse talks about people who act in harmful ways and don't really understand the consequences of their actions. These are individuals described as having a 'demonic' nature. They are lost, meaning they don’t see things clearly and often make poor choices. Because of their lack of understanding or wisdom, they engage in actions that are not just useless but actually damaging, harming both people and the environment.
The verse highlights that such people focus only on their own pleasures and desires without recognizing or thinking about God or the greater good. They believe that what they are doing is successful or progressive, unaware that these innovations often lead to more problems, like violence and cruelty. For example, people who exploit animals for their benefit or destroy nature might think they are advancing society, but in reality, their actions harm everyone around them.
This kind of thinking can lead to terrible inventions like nuclear weapons, which are for destruction rather than peace. When society creates things just for greed or pleasure, without considering the effects on others, they risk creating tools that could lead to wars and significant loss of life. The verse warns us that these individuals, who do not believe in a higher power, are essentially enemies to the world because their actions promote chaos and destruction instead of promoting understanding and harmony.
In simple terms, it's about recognizing that chasing after our own desires without care for others can have negative outcomes. We should strive to be more aware of how our actions affect the world and the people around us, and seek to create a positive impact.