Mūla — the verse
Gita Press numberingमोघाशा मोघकर्माणो मोघज्ञाना विचेतसः।
राक्षसीमासुरीं चैव प्रकृतिं मोहिनीं श्रिताः
moghāśhā mogha-karmāṇo mogha-jñānā vichetasaḥ
rākṣhasīm āsurīṁ chaiva prakṛitiṁ mohinīṁ śhritāḥ
Anuṣṭubh
Translation
Swami Gambhīrānanda · follows Śaṅkara-bhāṣyaPossessed of vain hopes, vain actions, vain knowledge, and senselessness, they become verily possessed of the deceptive disposition of fiends and demons.
हिन्दी अनुवाद — Swami Tejomayānanda
वृथा आशा, वृथा कर्म और वृथा ज्ञान वाले अविचारीजन राक्षसों के और असुरों के मोहित करने वाले स्वभाव को धारण किये रहते हैं।।
Pronunciation — Vaamshii
from Vaamshiiमोघा शामो घकर्मा णः
मोघज्ञा नावि चेतसः
राक्षसी मासु रीञ् चैव
प्रकृ तिम् मोहि नीं श्रिताः
॥ १२ ॥
Read each split group as one breath-unit; hyphens join pādas kept whole for the meter or a compound word. Symbols: # upadhmānīya (visarga before p/ph), % jihvāmūlīya (visarga before k/kh), ऽ avagraha (an elided a). Full method →
Word by word
padārthamogha-āśhāḥof vain hopes
mogha-karmāṇaḥof vain actions
mogha-jñānāḥof baffled knowledge
vichetasaḥdeluded
rākṣhasīmdemoniac
āsurīmatheistic
chaand
evacertainly
prakṛitimmaterial energy
mohinīmbewildered
śhritāḥtake shelter
Themes
from The Thematic Companion to the Bhagavad GītāMeaning — Questions & Solutions
from Q&A with KnA9.12Whose hopes, actions and knowledge all come to nothing — having embraced what nature?
Possessed of vain hopes, vain actions, vain knowledge, and senselessness, they become verily possessed of the deceptive disposition of fiends and demons.
The verse itself, in Swami Gambhīrānanda's rendering, is the answer. For reasoned solutions to knotty verses, browse the Q&A index.