In plain words
bound by hundreds of cords of expectation, devoted to desire and anger, they strive unjustly to accumulate wealth for sensual enjoyment.
Word for word
Bound by hundreds of cords of hope, devoted to desire and anger, they strive for hoards of wealth unjustly, for the enjoyment of desires.
आशापाशशतैर्बद्धाः कामक्रोधपरायणाःईहन्ते कामभोगार्थम् अन्यायेनार्थसञ्चयान्
Other commentaries
The commentators
▸Bhagavadgītābhāṣyam· bhāṣya
आशापाशशतैः आशा एव पाशाः तच्छतैः बद्धाः नियन्त्रिताः सन्तः सर्वतः आकृष्यमाणाः, कामक्रोधपरायणाः कामक्रोधौ परम् अयनम् आश्रयः येषां ते कामक्रोधपरायणाः, ईहन्ते चेष्टन्ते कामभोगार्थं कामभोगप्रयोजनाय न धर्मार्थम् , अन्यायेन परस्वापहरणादिना इत्यर्थः ; किम् ? अर्थसञ्चयान् अर्थप्रचयान् ॥ १२ ॥
In plain words
Tangled in hundreds of ropes made of hope -- because hopes themselves are the ropes -- bound and restrained by hundreds of them, dragged around from every side at once. Given over completely to desire and anger, since those two are the only refuge they know. They strive, they push themselves, purely to enjoy their desires, never for the sake of what's right -- through unfair means, by seizing what belongs to others, that's what is meant. Striving for what? Piles of wealth, heap upon heap.
Close to the Sanskrit
'Bound by hundreds of nooses of hope' -- hopes themselves are nooses; bound by hundreds of those, i.e. restrained, being so, dragged about from every side. 'Given over to desire and anger' -- desire and anger are the supreme resort, the refuge, of whom -- they [are] 'given over to desire and anger'; 'they strive' -- 'they exert themselves,' for the sake of enjoying desires, i.e. for the purpose of enjoying sense-pleasure, not for the sake of dharma -- through unrighteous means, such as seizing others' property, that is the meaning. For what? Accumulations of wealth, hoards of wealth.