BHAGAVAD-GITA 16:7

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 16:7

 

pravrttim ca nivrttim ca

jana na vidur asurah

na saucam napi cacaro

na satyam tesu vidyate

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

pravrttim--acting properly; ca--also; nivrttim--not acting improperly;

ca--and; janah--persons; na--never; viduh--know; asurah--of demoniac

quality; na--never; saucam--cleanliness; na--nor; api--also; ca--and;

acarah--behavior; na--never; satyam--truth; tesu--in them;

vidyate--there is.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Those who are demoniac do not know what is to be done and what is not

to be done. Neither cleanliness nor proper behavior nor truth is found

in them.

 

PURPORT

 

In every civilized human society there is some set of scriptural rules

and regulations which is followed from the beginning. Especially among

the Aryans, those who adopt the Vedic civilization and who are known

as the most advanced civilized peoples, those who do not follow the

scriptural injunctions are supposed to be demons. Therefore it is

stated here that the demons do not know the scriptural rules, nor do

they have any inclination to follow them. Most of them do not know

them, and even if some of them know, they have not the tendency to

follow them. They have no faith, nor are they willing to act in terms

of the Vedic injunctions. The demons are not clean, either externally

or internally. One should always be careful to keep his body clean by

bathing, brushing teeth, shaving, changing clothes, etc. As far as

internal cleanliness is concerned, one should always remember the holy

names of God and chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The demons neither like

nor follow all these rules for external and internal cleanliness.

 

As for behavior, there are many rules and regulations guiding human

behavior, such as the Manu-samhita, which is the law of the human

race. Even up to today, those who are Hindu follow the Manu-samhita.

Laws of inheritance and other legalities are derived from this book.

Now, in the Manu-samhita it is clearly stated that a woman should not

be given freedom. That does not mean that women are to be kept as

slaves, but they are like children. Children are not given freedom,

but that does not mean that they are kept as slaves. The demons have

now neglected such injunctions, and they think that women should be

given as much freedom as men. However, this has not improved the

social condition of the world. Actually, a woman should be given

protection at every stage of life. She should be given protection by

the father in her younger days, by the husband in her youth, and by

the grownup sons in her old age. This is proper social behavior

according to the Manu-samhita. But modern education has artificially

devised a puffed-up concept of manly life, and therefore marriage is

practically now an imagination in human society. Nor is the moral

condition of woman very good now. The demons, therefore, do not accept

any instruction which is good for society, and because they do not

follow the experience of great sages and the rules and regulations

laid down by the sages, the social condition of the demoniac people is

very miserable.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.