There is not much in this stanza that calls for explanation, for the average man of the world to-day lives, exactly the life suggested here. The most successful man in a competitive world is the one who lives in constant consciousness of what he has already acquired, and remembers and sweats for his day-to-day ambitions, to acquire and possess, more and more of the wealth of the world. And the laughable paradox in the philosophy of possession is that the more one has, the more one craves for. No material-wealth hunter has ever declared, “I have this much now, that will do.” On the other hand, when one gets drunk with the vanity of possession, one’s shameless cry is only: “I HAVE THIS MUCH, AND THIS WEALTH SHALL ALSO BE MINE.”The game of desires is an endless gamble. The more one possesses the more one is tempted to strive to possess more. Each time a man strives to acquire something, his desire is to feel his full share of satisfaction. But, invariably, his experience is that he is not fully satisfied, and in his disappointment, he thirsts for more and more possessions. Earlier in the Geeta, it is said that “he who has disciplined and controlled himself to such an extent that the world of stimuli cannot create in him even a ripple of reaction, alone knows what peace is and not the desirer of desires.”

THIS STANZA POINTED OUT THE MATERIALIST’S ATTITUDE TO THE PHYSICAL THINGS AROUND HIM; THE FOLLOWING STANZA GIVES US HIS ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE WORLD OF BEINGS:

Idam, this thing; labham, has been gained; maya, by me; adya, today; prapsye, I shall acquire; idam, this other; manoratham, desired object which is delectable to the mind. And idam, this; asti, is in hand; punah, again; idam, this; dhanam, wealth; api, also; bhavisyati, will come; me, to me, in the next year. Thereby I shall become rich and famous./p>p>16.14 Asau, that; unconquerable satruh, enemy, named Devadatta; hatah, has been killed; naya, by me; and hanisye, I shall kill; aparan, the other wretched ones. What will these pitiable persons do? There is none equal to me at all. Aham, I; am the isvarah, lord; I am the bhogi, enjoyer; and I am siddhah, well-established in every respect-I am blessed with sons, and grandsons born of sons and daughters. Not only am I a man, but I am also balavan, mighty; and I myself am sukhi, happpy; others are born to be but a burden to the earth!/p>p>16.15 Adhyah, I am rich in wealth; abhi-janavan, high-born in respect of my lineage; my seven generations are endowed with Vedic learnig etc. From that point of view also there is none equal to me. Kah anyah, who else; asti, is there; sadrsah, similar; maya, to me? Besides, yaksye, I shall perform sacrifices; in respect of sacrifices also I shall defeat others. Dasyami, I shall give-to actors and others; modisye, I shall rejoice, and I shall derive intense joy. Iti, thus; are they ajnana-vimohitah, diversely deluded by non-discrimination, subject to various indiscrimination.