Demonic tendency

Expressions researched:
"demonic tendencies" |"demonic tendency"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

Although there are certain restrictive rules and regulations regarding animal sacrifice for particular purposes in the Vedas, people of demonic tendency still took to animal sacrifice without reference to the Vedic principles.

BG 4.7, Purport:

From the Bhāgavatam we understand that Lord Buddha is the incarnation of Kṛṣṇa who appeared when materialism was rampant and materialists were using the pretext of the authority of the Vedas. Although there are certain restrictive rules and regulations regarding animal sacrifice for particular purposes in the Vedas, people of demonic tendency still took to animal sacrifice without reference to the Vedic principles. Lord Buddha appeared to stop this nonsense and to establish the Vedic principles of nonviolence. Therefore each and every avatāra, or incarnation of the Lord, has a particular mission, and they are all described in the revealed scriptures. No one should be accepted as an avatāra unless he is referred to by scriptures. It is not a fact that the Lord appears only on Indian soil. He can manifest Himself anywhere and everywhere, and whenever He desires to appear. In each and every incarnation, He speaks as much about religion as can be understood by the particular people under their particular circumstances. But the mission is the same—to lead people to God consciousness and obedience to the principles of religion. Sometimes He descends personally, and sometimes He sends His bona fide representative in the form of His son, or servant, or Himself in some disguised form.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Suppose one is addicted to fish-eating or meat-eating. So the Vedas do not reject him also. He gives him direction that "You... All right, you can eat meat, but not you can start slaughterhouse. You can sacrifice one goat in the presence of goddess Kālī, and then you can eat."

Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (Reading) "Only the Lord can manufacture a system of religion. The Vedas are also accepted as originally spoken by the Lord Himself to Brahmā from within his heart. Therefore the principles of religion are the direct orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These principles are clearly indicated throughout the Bhagavad-gītā. The purpose of the Vedas is to establish such principles under the order of the Supreme Lord, and the Lord directly orders at the end of the Bhagavad-gītā that the highest principle of religion is to surrender unto Him only and nothing more. The Vedic principles are to push one toward complete surrender unto Him and whenever such principles are disturbed by the demons, the Lord appears. From the Bhāgavatam we understand that Lord Buddha is the incarnation of Kṛṣṇa who appeared when materialism was rampant and materialists were using the pretext of the authority of the Vedas. Although there are certain restrictive rules and regulations regarding animal sacrifice for particular purposes in the Vedas, people of demonic tendency still took to animal sacrifice without reference to the Vedic principles. Lord Buddha..."

Prabhupāda: Just like still animal sacrifice... Not only the followers of Vedas, every religion—animal is killed or sacrificed under certain religious rituals, in the lower stage. In the higher stage there is no such animal sacrifice. Just like this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, there is no ritualistic process as animal sacrifice. But the Vedas, they will include everyone. Suppose one is addicted to fish-eating or meat-eating. So the Vedas do not reject him also. He gives him direction that "You... All right, you can eat meat, but not you can start slaughterhouse. You can sacrifice one goat in the presence of goddess Kālī, and then you can eat." That means restriction. Goddess Kālī cannot be worshiped daily. So at least, he is forbidden to eat daily, meat. That is the idea.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

"If I say 'Kṛṣṇa,' oh, then I'll be in trouble." This is the demonic tendency.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.107-109 -- San Francisco, February 15, 1967:

Satsvarūpa: "I am the origin of all. From Me all proceeds. Knowing this, the wise worship Me, endowed with conviction."

Prabhupāda: You see. He's the origin of everything. Now, if somebody says, "Oh, what's the commentation there?" What is that commentation? Is there any commentation or simply translation?

Satsvarūpa: Shall I read that?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Satsvarūpa: Read the commentation?

Prabhupāda: No, that particular verse, ahaṁ sarvasya... Is there any commentation?

Satsvarūpa: Yes, there is.

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Satsvarūpa: "The teacher speaks now as the Lord. As..."

Prabhupāda: "Teacher." Still, he'll not say "Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa-phobia. (laughter) You see? He's always thinking, "If I say 'Kṛṣṇa,' oh, then I'll be in trouble." This is the demonic tendency, and that is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ duṣkṛtino narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). The rascals and the lowest of the mankind, narādhama, and the asses and the, I mean, the nonsense—mūḍha—means ass, simply work for others. He has no self-interest. Ass. So mūḍha. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ. "A person who is as rascal as an ass," mūḍhāḥ, na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ duṣkṛtina, "and always engaged in sinful activities, and the lowest of the mankind and demon, he does not," I mean to say, "surrender unto Me, accept Me." Oh, there are many educated persons... Just like Dr. Radhakrishnan, he also says, he also, "Not to Kṛṣṇa." Then what about his education?

General Lectures

What is the āsuri-bhāva, demonic tendency? The demonic tendency is that "I am God." That is called demonic tendency, falsely thinking that "I am God." In spite of all education, they have not the little sense that how he becomes a God.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 7, 1971:

Not anybody can understand Bhagavad-gītā. It is not possible if he does not follow the principles adopted by Arjuna. Bhakto 'si priyo 'si me (BG 4.3). That is the way of studying Bhagavad-gītā. Otherwise, those who are duṣkṛtina, they will take advantage of Bhagavad-gītā for making their business and flatter some other duṣkṛtina miscreants also to mislead them. Because other miscreants, they want to be misled, the asuras. Āsuri-bhāvam āśritāḥ. What is the āsuri-bhāva, demonic tendency? The demonic tendency is that "I am God." That is called demonic tendency, falsely thinking that "I am God." In spite of all education, they have not the little sense that how he becomes a God. Here is God, Kṛṣṇa. We have got His activities. He married sixteen thousand wives, and He constructed sixteen thousand palaces, and He expanded Himself into sixteen thousand forms. Here is one God. And you are or I am sitting here; I cannot expand up to my apartment also, and how I am expecting to be called as God? These are the test. But these people are popular because certain class of men, āsuri-bhāva, they also want to be cheated like that.

Philosophy Discussions

Yes. He is divine by nature. He is covered by nondivine, by māyā. That is our philosophy.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: Māyā is woman. You can compare like that, darkness. Kṛṣṇa sūrya-sama māyā andhakāra (CC Madhya 22.31). So as soon as there is sunshine, there is no more darkness. Similarly, when, as soon as there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no more that state of unconsciousness or dreaming. (indistinct) conscious.

Śyāmasundara: He says that all human entities have a mixture of divine and demonic tendencies.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He is divine by nature. He is covered by nondivine, by māyā. That is our philosophy. He's in a (indistinct). Just like this same example: the man is living, there is breathing, but he has no consciousness. Just like you put electric in that (indistinct), how you call, (indistinct). So similarly, by the influence of māyā, we have forgotten ourself, our spiritual nature.

Simply we have to take it practically. But the people are so foolish that instead of taking the standard way of living, they are manufacturing on account of their demonic tendency.

Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Hobbes:

Prabhupāda: The kṣatriyas in India, they claim. And that is a fact, because we see that Sūrya, sun-god, is the original kṣatriya. From him came Manu, Vaivasvata Manu. This is the age of Vaivasvata Manu, and from him came his son, Ikṣvāku. So by the paramparā system, if we take Kṛṣṇa's instruction... Kṛṣṇa's instruction is already there. If the governments all over the world take Kṛṣṇa's instruction, then every government will be perfect and there will be no disturbance of peace and happiness. That will be perfect world. Kṛṣṇa has given instruction in all fields of activities. Simply we have to take it practically. But the people are so foolish that instead of taking the standard way of living, they are manufacturing on account of their demonic tendency. They, the head of the state, they are degraded, either individually or collectively, so how there can be good government? If they become perfect according to the instruction of God, then everything will be perfect.