In plain words
Their hopes are futile, their actions futile, their jñāna futile; devoid of discernment, they take refuge in the deluding nature of rākṣasas and asuras.
Word for word
Of vain hopes, of vain actions, of vain jñāna, without discernment, [they are] resorting indeed to the deluding nature of rākṣasas and asuras.
मोघाशा मोघकर्माणो मोघज्ञाना विचेतसःराक्षसीमासुरीं चैव प्रकृतिं मोहिनीं श्रिताः
Other commentaries
The commentators
▸Bhagavadgītābhāṣyam
कथम् ? —
मोघाशाः वृथा आशाः आशिषः येषां ते मोघाशाः, तथा मोघकर्माणः यानि च अग्निहोत्रादीनि तैः अनुष्ठीयमानानि कर्माणि तानि च, तेषां भगवत्परिभवात् , स्वात्मभूतस्य अवज्ञानात् , मोघान्येव निष्फलानि कर्माणि भवन्तीति मोघकर्माणः । तथा मोघज्ञानाः मोघं निष्फलं ज्ञानं येषां ते मोघज्ञानाः, ज्ञानमपि तेषां निष्फलमेव स्यात् । विचेतसः विगतविवेकाश्च ते भवन्ति इत्यभिप्रायः । किञ्च — ते भवन्ति राक्षसीं रक्षसां प्रकृतिं स्वभावम् आसुरीम् असुराणां च प्रकृतिं मोहिनीं मोहकरीं देहात्मवादिनीं श्रिताः आश्रिताः, छिन्द्धि, भिन्द्धि, पिब, खाद, परस्वमपहर, इत्येवं वदनशीलाः क्रूरकर्माणो भवन्ति इत्यर्थः, ‘असुर्या नाम ते लोकाः’(ई. उ. ३) इति श्रुतेः ॥ १२ ॥
In plain words
How so? —
Their hopes come to nothing — call them moghāśāḥ, people whose every wish is empty. And their rituals fare no better: whatever rites they perform, agnihotra and the rest, turn futile because they've disrespected the Lord who is nothing other than their own Self — disregard him, and the fruit simply doesn't come. Even their learning fails them the same way; call it what it is — knowledge that produces nothing. They end up senseless, cut off from any real discernment. And there's more: they slide into the very nature of the rākṣasas and the asuras — a nature that deludes, that insists the body is all you are — and once they've taken refuge there, you can hear it in how they talk: 'Cut! Break! Drink! Eat! Take what isn't yours!' Cruelty becomes their habit of action as much as of speech. And scripture doesn't soften the verdict: 'Demonic indeed are the worlds that await them.'
Close to the Sanskrit
How? —
Moghāśāḥ [means]: vain [are their] hopes, [that is,] wishes, — those whose [hopes are so] are moghāśāḥ. Likewise moghakarmāṇaḥ: whatever rites, beginning with the agnihotra, are performed by them — those actions — because of their disrespect toward the Blessed Lord, [that is,] because of disregard toward [him] who is one's own very Self, become futile indeed, [that is,] fruitless — thus [they are called] moghakarmāṇaḥ. Likewise moghajñānāḥ: futile, [that is,] fruitless, is the knowledge of those [people] — they are moghajñānāḥ; even their knowledge would be fruitless indeed. They become bereft of right understanding and devoid of discrimination — such is the intended sense. Moreover — they resort to the demonic nature of the rākṣasas, [that is,] their disposition, and the demonic nature of the asuras, [that is,] the deluding nature that produces delusion, which asserts the body to be the Self — [they are] resorted to, [that is,] have taken refuge in [it]; speaking habitually thus: 'Cut! Break! Drink! Eat! Seize another's property!' — they become of cruel deeds — such is the meaning — [as is stated in] the śruti: 'Demonic indeed are those worlds' (Īśa Upaniṣad 3).