|| 16.8 ||

असत्यमप्रतिष्ठं ते जगदाहुरनीश्वरम्। अपरस्परसम्भूतं किमन्यत्कामहैतुकम्।।

asatyam apratiṣṭhaṁ te jagad āhur anīśvaram aparaspara-sambhūtaṁ kim anyat kāma-haitukam

asatyam (unreal) apratiṣṭham (without foundation) te (they) jagat (the world) āhuḥ (say) anīśvaram (with no God) aparaspara (without cause) sambhūtam (produced) kim anyat (what else) kāma-haitukam (caused by lust).

They say that this world is unreal, with no foundation, no God in control. They say it is produced of sex desire and has no cause other than lust.

Kṛṣṇa describes the dark cosmology of the demoniac. They believe that the world is unreal, has no foundation, and is not controlled by any God (‘Anīśvaram’). They claim that life is just a biological accident—the result of sexual desire (‘Kāma’) with no higher purpose or design. This is the ‘Accidental Universe’ theory. If there is no God and no soul, then there is no accountability. If life is just chemicals, then there is no reason not to exploit others for one’s own pleasure. This philosophy is the justification for all the cruelty and greed we see in society. By labeling the world as ‘Asatyam’ (unreal) and ‘Apratiṣṭham’ (baseless), they disconnect themselves from the sacredness of life. Kṛṣṇa warns that this worldview leads to a destructive lifestyle. When we see the universe as a machine without a master, we lose our sense of awe and our sense of responsibility toward our fellow beings.