Gita 16.9

Sadhak: "This is frightening. Are there really people working to destroy the world?"

Guru: "Look at history and current events. Those who deny moral law become capable of immense cruelty. When exploiters destroy forests for profit, when tyrants murder millions for power, when corporations poison communities for gains—what philosophy underlies this? Exactly what Krishna describes: no truth to violate, no foundation to respect, no God to answer to."

Sadhak: "But they often justify their actions with noble-sounding words—progress, security, freedom..."

Guru: "Yes, demoniac intelligence includes the ability to disguise itself. The words are divine; the underlying reality is demoniac. This is why Krishna says 'alpa-buddhayaḥ'—despite apparent cleverness, they lack the wisdom to see where their actions truly lead. Even their self-interest is short-sighted."

Sadhak: "What does 'naṣṭātmānaḥ' mean—how can the soul be lost?"

Guru: "The ātman cannot be destroyed, but awareness of it can be so thoroughly suppressed that the person functions as if without a soul. No conscience speaks, no inner light guides, no higher aspiration inspires. They have lost themselves—not ontologically but experientially. This is the ultimate tragedy: to have divine nature and live as if one does not."

Sadhak: "Is there hope for such people?"

Guru: "Grace is infinite, and consciousness can always awaken. But the demoniac pattern is deeply self-reinforcing—it destroys the very faculties that could recognize it as problematic. This is why external intervention often matters: circumstances that shock, suffering that cracks the shell, or the grace of encountering a teacher. Without such intervention, the momentum continues toward destruction."