Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16, Verse 12

आशापाशशतैर्बद्धाः कामक्रोधपरायणाः । ईहन्ते कामभोगार्थमन्यायेनार्थसञ्चयान्

āśāpāśaśatairbaddhāḥ kāmakrodhaparāyaṇāḥ | īhante kāmabhogārthamanyāyenārthasañcayān

Translation

Bound by hundreds of bands of hope, given over to lust and wrath, they strive to secure by unjust means hoards of wealth for sensual enjoyment.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

āśāpāśaśataiḥ

of hope, of cords, (by) hundreds

baddhāḥ

bound

kāmakrodhaparāyaṇāḥ

desire, and, wrath, and, highest, refuge, whose, they

īhante

(they) strive

kāmabhogārtham

of desire, of enjoyment, for the sake of

anyāyena

by injustice

arthasañcayān

of wealth, collections

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

They are attracted here and there, bound by a hundred bands of false hopes. They secure wealth for sensual enjoyment, not for performing acts of dharma. By unjust means: by robbing other men's wealth.