View source for Papam means sinful activities, and punyam is pious. So people should consider, in every activity, whether it is papam or punyam, whether it is virtuous or sinful activities

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[[Category:Meaning of Sanskrit Words]]
[[Category:Sinful Activities]]
[[Category:Pious Activities]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Should]]
[[Category:Consider]]
[[Category:Every]]
[[Category:Whether It Is]]
[[Category:Virtuous Activities]]
[[Category:Pages Needing Audio - SHARMISTHA]]
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<h2>Lectures</h2>
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<h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
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Pāpam means sinful activities, and puṇyam is pious. So people should consider, in every activity, whether it is pāpam or puṇyam, whether it is virtuous or sinful activities. But the asuras, they do not know. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca na vidur asurā janāḥ (BG 16.7). Those who are asuras, they do not care what is sinful or what is right. "I like it; I must do it." This is asura. There is no reference to the authorities, whether the action which I am going to do, whether it is pious or impious.
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[[Vanisource:730726 - Lecture BG 01.36 - London|730726 - Lecture BG 01.36 - London]]
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Prabhupāda: So, pāpam evam. Pāpam means sinful activities, and puṇyam is pious. So people should consider, in every activity, whether it is pāpam or puṇyam, whether it is virtuous or sinful activities. But the asuras, they do not know. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca na vidur asurā janāḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 16.7 (1972)|BG 16.7]]). Those who are asuras, they do not care what is sinful or what is right. "I like it; I must do it." This is asura. There is no reference to the authorities, whether the action which I am going to do, whether it is pious or impious.

Because by impious activities I will be degraded. Adho gacchanti tamasaḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 14.18 (1972)|BG 14.18]]). Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthāḥ. If we become addicted to sinful activities, the result will be we shall be degraded. But they do not know. Even so-called religious priest, they support killing, astonished. Killing is impious, sinful activity, but in the name of religion, killing is also going on. If someone says, "It is my religion to cut throat," will it be accepted very nice thing? Sometimes . . . just like here is the war. This is also religious war. But still, discrimination. Arjuna, because he is a Vaiṣṇava, a Vaiṣṇava means devatā, demigod. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva āsuras tad viparyayaḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 16.6 (1972)|BG 16.6]]). What is the difference between deva and asura? Who is called a devata, and who is called a asura? There are two kinds of men. One class is called deva, devata. The other class is called asura. Devāsura.

So there is always fight between deva and asura. Now, at the present moment, the number of asuras have increased. Formerly the number of devatās were greater. So Arjuna is devatā because he is viṣṇu-bhakta. Dvau bhūta-sargau loke daiva āsura eva ca ([[Vanisource:BG 16.6 (1972)|BG 16.6]]). There are two classes of men within this creation. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daivaḥ. Those who are devotees of Lord Viṣṇu, they are called devatā, just like the demigods like Indra, Candra, Sūrya and many others. There are thirty-three crores of devatās in the higher planetary system. They are all viṣṇu-bhakta. They will abide by the orders of Viṣṇu and Vaiṣṇava. Just like Indra: he is devatā.

There was fight between Hiraṇyakaśipu and the Indra's party. So when Hiraṇyakaśipu was defeated, naturally the . . . afterward, if the other party is defeated, the victorious party makes some . . . so many aggression, especially aggression of women. That is still current. Innocent women, they are very much harassed after the war by the victorious party. You know, the soldiers are given freedom to rape the women and plunder the property. So many things they have. So when Hiraṇyakaśipu was defeated, all the devatās, they did not make such aggression, but the wife of Hiraṇyakaśipu—Kāyadhu, I think—she was arrested by Indra and was taken. She was crying, just usual, woman. But she was being dragged by Indra.

So Nārada was passing. Now, he said: "What are you doing this?" "No, there is no question of harassing this woman. But I am taking her in my custody because she is pregnant, and the child is begotten by asura, Hiraṇyakaśipu. Therefore I shall wait for the birth of the child, and as soon as she gives birth, I will kill that child." Yes. So Nārada said: "No, no. That child is not asura child. He is coming, a great devotee, mahā-bhāgavata, of Kṛṣṇa." Because Nārada knew that when . . . not before. After all, he knew. But before also, he knew. Because they are saintly person, they can understand that "Here is a child is coming who will be a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa." So mahā-bhāgavata. So "Don't try that. You don't take her to your custody. Better give her in my custody. I shall take care."

So immediately he abided by the order of Nārada. Immediately. He released. And not only released, circumambulated the woman: "Oh, here is a mahā-bhāgavata in the womb of this woman. So let us offer our obeisances." This is Vaiṣṇava. As soon as understood that "There is a Vaiṣṇava mahā-bhāgavata in the womb of this woman. She is to be respected, offered obeisances." This is called Vaiṣṇava. But the asura would not do that. Asura would not do that. That is the difference between devatā and asura.
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