BHAGAVAD-GITA 16:20

February 3, 2003

BHAGAVAD-GITA 16:20

asurim yonim apanna

mudha janmani janmani

mam aprapyaiva kaunteya

tato yanty adhamam gatim

WORD FOR WORD

asurim--demoniac; yonim--species; apannah--gaining; mudhah--the

foolish; janmani janmani--in birth after birth; mam--Me;

aprapya--without achieving; eva--certainly; kaunteya--O son of Kunti;

tatah--thereafter; yanti--go; adhamam--condemned; gatim--destination.

TRANSLATION

Attaining repeated birth amongst the species of demoniac life, O son

of Kunti, such persons can never approach Me. Gradually they sink down

to the most abominable type of existence.

PURPORT

It is known that God is all-merciful, but here we find that God is

never merciful to the demoniac. It is clearly stated that the demoniac

people, life after life, are put into the wombs of similar demons,

and, not achieving the mercy of the Supreme Lord, they go down and

down, so that at last they achieve bodies like those of cats, dogs and

hogs. It is clearly stated that such demons have practically no chance

of receiving the mercy of God at any stage of later life. In the Vedas

also it is stated that such persons gradually sink to become dogs and

hogs. It may be then argued in this connection that God should not be

advertised as all-merciful if He is not merciful to such demons. In

answer to this question, in the Vedanta-sutra we find that the Supreme

Lord has no hatred for anyone. The placing of the asuras, the demons,

in the lowest status of life is simply another feature of His mercy.

Sometimes the asuras are killed by the Supreme Lord, but this killing

is also good for them, for in Vedic literature we find that anyone who

is killed by the Supreme Lord becomes liberated. There are instances

in history of many asuras--Ravana, Kamsa, Hiranyakasipu--to whom the

Lord appeared in various incarnations just to kill them. Therefore

God's mercy is shown to the asuras if they are fortunate enough to be

killed by Him.

permission.

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