Chapter 16The Divine and the Demoniac Natures DefinedVerse 18

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Anvaya

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Commentaries of the Four Authorized Vaisnava Sampradayas

as confirmed in the Garga Samhita Canto 10, Chapter 61, Verses 23, 24, 25, 26
Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya:


Visnuswami

Sridhara Swami's Commentary

Here Lord Krishna describes the gross disregard the demoniac have for prescribed Vedic procedures which have been established for the benefit of all creation. The demoniac full of self-conceit, intoxicated by power and addicted to lust and greed totally disregard, disrespect and even despise the Supreme Lord who is situated within their hearts as paramatma the omnipresent supreme soul and the hearts of all living entities everywhere in creation. These demoniac, scheming, cavilling, evil beings always try their utmost to degrade the fundamentals of family and religion and destroy the moral fabric of society as they seek to destroy and usurp the very foundations of humanity. The imitative rituals performed by the demoniac are pretentious and without sincerity. They are a degradation for everyone and give no benefit to anyone. Such empty ritualistic procedures which are devoid of adherence to the ordinances and injunctions of the Vedic scriptures, contrarily causes contamination and deterioration to the collective consciousness of the planet wherein such activities are enacted. Because the demoniac ritualistic procedures results in injury to the innate consciousness of all beings and since paramatma is all pervading in all sentient beings Lord Krishna uses the word pradvisantah meaning they despise Him who exists within themselves due to their unmitigated assault on all living entities as well as their futile attempts to usurp creation.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya:


Madhvacarya

Madhvacarya's Commentary

Lord Krishna speaks the words mam atma-para-dehesu pradvisanto meaning the demoniac despise the Supreme Lord abiding within the eteric heart of their own bodies as well as the bodies of others as paramatma the Supreme Soul. The evil and abominable actions executed by the free will of those possessing a demoniac nature is never directed, motivated or influenced by the Supreme Lord. According to the absolute authority of the Vedic scriptures, the Sama Veda states it would be the height of ignorance and foolishness to consider all actions to be under the auspices of the Supreme Lord when He has expressly bequeathed freewill to humans and other higher developed beings to give then the choice to surrender to Him with devotion. The Supreme Lord would never decree it any other way to force a living entity to be devoted to Him. Every action that one commits certainly has a returning reaction of retribution; but the recipient of that reaction is only the one who physically or in special cases mentally causes a physical effect to manifest.

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya:


Ramanuja

Ramanuja's Commentary

Here Lord Krishna describes more telltale signs and characteristics of the demoniac. The word ahankara means egotistic thinking they are independent of the Supreme Lord The word darpam means insolence, thinking that they as demons are all important. Pradvishantah means despise, the envious demoniac openly despise the Supreme Lord.

Even though the Supreme Lord is atma-para-devesu or situated within them and all living entities as the immortal supreme soul, the demoniac endeavour in earnest most spitefully to cause great evil to all creatures. The demoniac exhibit overt malice and aggressiveness against anything righteous and determinedly oppose the Supreme Lord at every opportunity in every way they can. They take great pains to degrade moral values, encourage depraved activities and destroy the family unit. They propagate that god does not exist, that creation came from a random mixture of chemicals and that there is nothing existing after this life so it is better to eat, drink and be merry without cessation. They concoct many doctrines, conduct many seminars and establish many schools of thought to negate the idea of the existence of a singular consciousness, a Supreme being or Supreme Lord that is the creator and supreme controller of all creation. This is the demoniacs gross folly and unredeemable sin is that they despise the Supreme Lord Krishna who is the origin of their very existence and the creator of the complete cosmic and material manifestations.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya:


Nimbaditya

Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary

The demoniac form of worship is completely contrary to the injunctions and ordinances of the Vedic scriptures. This is because as previously described the demoniac mentality and degraded activities are only based upon their bodily conception and false ego. The demoniac think that they are their physical body possessed of five senses and cannot imagine that there is a difference. The demoniac are vile, malicious, cruel, belligerent and insolent. They enjoy finding faults in everything righteous and in subverting the virtues and attributes of the pious. Although the demoniac possess no righteous qualities themselves they still consider themselves superior and cannot tolerate insults. The demoniac are full of anger and will not hesitate to use brutal force to maim and kill others. They are inextricably addicted to lust, greed and sense gratification and when opposed by obstacles the demoniac become enraged causing intense agony to others as well as to their own selves and by this disregard, disrespect and displease the Supreme Lord Krishna who abides within their etheric heart and the etheric heart of all sentient beings as the innermost witness of all their thoughts and actions. The demoniac spitefully transgress the ordinances and injunctions of the Vedic scriptures and insidiously attempt to destroy the fundamental principles of creation established for the benefit of all living entities and do everything in their power to drag humanity down to their immoral, depraved and degraded level of existence directedly straight to hell.

Thus ends commentaries of chapter 16, verse 18 of the Srimad Bhagavad-Gita.

Verse 18


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