Gita 16.18
Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga
अहंकारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं च संश्रिताः | मामात्मपरदेहेषु प्रद्विषन्तोऽभ्यसूयकाः ||१८||
ahaṅkāraṁ balaṁ darpaṁ kāmaṁ krodhaṁ ca saṁśritāḥ | mām ātma-para-deheṣu pradviṣanto'bhyasūyakāḥ ||18||
In essence: Taking shelter in ego, power, arrogance, lust, and anger—these envious beings hate Me, who dwells in their own bodies and in others.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "How can someone hate the Divine? Don't most people believe in God or at least respect the idea?"
Guru: "Hatred of the Divine is rarely explicit. It manifests as practical atheism—living as if God did not exist, ignoring divine presence, treating the world as raw material for exploitation. When someone tramples sacred values for profit, ignores the dignity inherent in persons, violates dharma for advantage—this is functional hatred of the Divine, regardless of stated beliefs."
Sadhak: "The verse says God dwells in all bodies. Does this include evil people?"
Guru: "Yes. The Self (Ātman) is present in all beings without exception. The sun illuminates dunghill and garden equally; the Self witnesses saint and sinner equally. This does not mean behaviors are equal—clearly they differ vastly. But the divine presence remains. This is why the Gita can describe even the demoniac potentially rising through divine grace. The core is never destroyed, only obscured."
Sadhak: "If I catch myself being 'abhyasūyakā'—fault-finding toward others—what does that indicate?"
Guru: "Fault-finding usually indicates unexamined shadow material. We notice in others what we deny in ourselves. Additionally, finding fault elevates the finder—'I am better than this flawed person.' So abhyasūyā serves ego. Spiritually, the practice is opposite: find the divine spark in each person, especially those who annoy you. This is not naive—you can see both fault and divinity. But leading with divinity transforms the perceiver."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Begin with awareness that the Divine dwells within you. This is not arrogance but recognition—you are hosted by Presence. From this recognition, act. Each act is then an honoring or a dishonoring of the internal Guest.
When encountering someone difficult, practice: 'The same Presence that dwells in me dwells in them.' This doesn't mean accepting harmful behavior—boundaries are appropriate. But it transforms perception from 'enemy' to 'obscured divinity.' This shift alone can change interactions dramatically.
Review the day's fault-finding. How much mental energy went to cataloging others' defects? What if that energy were redirected to perceiving their divine potential? Not naively—but with the same interest and attention. The shift from fault-finding to spark-finding is a spiritual practice.