Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16, Verse 9

एतां दृष्टिमवष्टभ्य नष्टात्मानोऽल्पबुद्धयः । प्रभवन्त्युग्रकर्माणः क्षयाय जगतोऽहिताः

etāṃ dṛṣṭimavaṣṭabhya naṣṭātmāno'lpabuddhayaḥ | prabhavantyugrakarmāṇaḥ kṣayāya jagato'hitāḥ

Translation

Holding this view, these ruined souls of small intellect, of fierce deeds, rise as the enemies of the world for its destruction.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

etām

this

dṛṣṭim

view

avaṣṭabhya

having held fast

naṣṭātmānaḥ

ruined, selves, whose, they

alpabuddhayaḥ

small, reason, whose, they

prabhavanti

come forth

ugrakarmāṇaḥ

fierce, actions, whose, they

kṣayāya

for destruction

jagataḥ

of the world

ahitāḥ

enemies

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

Ruined souls: having lost all chances of going to the higher worlds. Their intellect is small, as it concerns itself only with sense-objects. Of fierce deeds: intent on injuring others.