Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16, Verse 8

असत्यमप्रतिष्ठं ते जगदाहुरनीश्वरम् । अपरस्परसम्भूतं किमन्यत्कामहैतुकम्

asatyamapratiṣṭhaṃ te jagadāhuranīśvaram | aparasparasambhūtaṃ kimanyatkāmahaitukam

Translation

They say, "The universe is unreal, without a basis, without a Lord, born of mutual union, brought about by lust; what else?"

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

asatyam

without-truth

apratiṣṭham

without-foundation

te

they

jagat

the world

āhuḥ

say

anīśvaram

without-God

aparasparasambhūtam

another, and, other, and, from them (two), born

kim

what

anyat

else

kāmahaitukam

lust, cause, whose, that

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

These demons of men say, "As we are unreal, so this whole universe is unreal. Neither are dharma and adharma its basis. There exists no Īśvara ruling the universe according to dharma and adharma. The universe is therefore without a Lord. It is caused by the mutual union of man and woman under the impulse of lust. It is brought about only by lust. What else can be the cause of the universe? There is no other cause whatever, no invisible cause, no such thing as karma." This is the view of the materialists (Lokāyatikas), that sexual passion is the sole cause of all living creatures.