Demoniac (BG lectures)

Expressions researched:
"demoniac" |"demoniac's" |"demonic" |"demonically" |"demonlike"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.4-5 -- London, July 10, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa wanted to gather all the demoniac power in that Battlefield of Kurukṣetra and kill them. That was His plan.

Lecture on BG 1.10 -- London, July 12, 1973:

Military strength for self-aggrandizement is demoniac. Military strength is required to rule over the kingdom but not to misuse them for aggression to others' country or others' kingdom. That was not allowed.

Lecture on BG 1.41-42 -- London, July 29, 1973:

Week or fortnight, for one fortnight. So the idea is that if the forefather in the family has not achieved a proper life... Sometimes due to sinful activities, too much attachment, a man becomes ghost. Ghost, there is ghosts. Bhūta preta piśāca. Not only this life, demonic life, but after death also, there are ghostly lives. They do not get this gross body. They remain in the subtle body, mind, intelligence, and ego.

Lecture on BG 2.6 -- London, August 6, 1973:

Those who are demons, those who are sinful, nature's law is to place him in such condition that he will become more and more a demon so that he will never be able to understand what is God. This is nature's law. If you want to forget God, then God will put you in such a condition that you can never understand what is God. That is demonic life. That time is also coming. At the present moment, still a few men are interested, what is God. Arto arthārtī jijñāsu jñānī (CC Madhya 24.95). But time is coming ahead when there will be no sense to understand God.

Lecture on BG 2.7 -- London, August 7, 1973:

Prahlāda Mahārāja says: durlabhaṁ manuṣyaṁ janma adhruvam arthadam (SB 7.6.1). He was preaching amongst his class friends. He was born in a demonic family, Hiraṇyakaśipu. And his class friends, also, of the same category. So Prahlāda Mahārāja was advising them: "My dear brothers, let us cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness." So other boys, what do they know about Kṛṣṇa conscious...? Prahlāda Mahārāja is liberated from the very birth.

Lecture on BG 2.8 -- London, August 8, 1973:

Just like we have got many enemies. Because we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, there are so many critics and so many enemies also. They do not like. So this is always. Now the number has increased. Formerly, there were some. Now there are many. So therefore indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokam. When these demons, the population, demonic population increases, then vyākulaṁ lokam. People become perplexed. Indrāri vyākulaṁ lokaṁ mṛdayanti yuge yuge. So when, at that time, Kṛṣṇa comes.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- London, August 17, 1973:

Nowhere you cannot be God. God is one. Nobody can be equal or above Him. Everyone must be subordinate to God. Therefore those who are not learned—foolish people—they are trying to be happy in this material world by adjustment and becoming himself God. This is atheism and this is demoniac tendency. But those who are advanced in knowledge, they know that "We are eternally servant of God; we cannot become God. Better to remain servant of God; that is our happiness."

Lecture on BG 2.15 -- London, August 21, 1973:

Demons, when they get power, they think that "I have got it, I have earned it. It is my thing. Who can challenge me?" But he forgets that everything can be withdrawn within a second by the powerful. That is demoniac. And Vaiṣṇava, devotee means although he is very, very powerful, he never thinks that "I am powerful." He thinks that "I am acting simply by the order of the powerful." This is the difference.

Lecture on BG 2.39 -- London, September 12, 1973:

A devotee thinks like that, whereas a demon or an enemy of Kṛṣṇa, he's always thinking of... This is the difference between demon and devotee. Demon is thinking how to wipe out, how to banish Kṛṣṇa, how to kill Kṛṣṇa. They don't want Kṛṣṇa. That is demonic. So therefore they do not know that a demonic person is always suffering. That is due to his forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. But because he is demon, he is continuing the business.

Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966:

So Lord comes down. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām (BG 4.8). His special purpose of coming down as incarnation is to save the sādhus because sādhus are always persecuted by the demons, the demonic class, the atheist class. They are always prepared to persecute the sādhus. The Lord comes—paritrāṇāya sādhūnām—just to protect the sādhus or the saintly persons, and vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, and to vanquish the miscreants. That is the mission.

Lecture on BG 4.6-8 -- New York, July 20, 1966:

So when Lord comes, He has three functions. He gives protection to the saintly persons. He vanquishes the, I mean to say, irresponsible or irreligious or demonic persons, and He establishes the real religion, real religion. Dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge. He comes down not only once, but He comes down many, many times, many, many times. Because the, this material world is such.

Lecture on BG 6.1-4 -- New York, September 2, 1966:

There is a nice story of a great devotee, Bali Mahārāja. Bali Mahārāja was a very powerful king and he conquered over the heavenly planets. So the denizens of the heavenly planets, they appealed to the Supreme Lord to save them, that "We are now conquered by the demonic king, Bali Mahārāja." So Bali Mahārāja... And Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa took the shape of a dwarf and went to Bali Mahārāja for begging as a brāhmaṇa boy.

Lecture on BG 6.35-45 -- Los Angeles, February 20, 1969:

If you want divine life, if you want spiritual elevation back to Godhead, back to home, that means eternal life, blissful life full of knowledge, then we have to train ourselves in divine consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That you can very easily do by association. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. If you keep divine association, then your consciousness is made divine. And if you keep hellish association, demonic association, then your consciousness is trained up in that way.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, March 12, 1970:

The demonic nature is that. "I am God. I am everything." So we have to become very cautious, you see, because my material existence means I have got the tinge of demonic nature. And as soon as I get some impetus from another demon, I become again demon. Again I become demon. And then out of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, March 12, 1970:

And because we do not explain demonic explanation, that "I am God, you are God," people do not like. Just like the other day the question was... They explained in different... They like that explanation because demonic. People are generally demonic, more or less. One may be fifty percent demon, another may be eighty percent demon, but everyone in this material world is a demon.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, April 27, 1974:

You give your own thesis in a different way. But these people, they take advantage of the popularity of Bhagavad-gītā and interpret in a different way according to their own whims. Therefore people do not understand what is Kṛṣṇa. That is the difficulty. And the purpose of Bhagavad-gītā is to understand Kṛṣṇa. And all the so-called scholars' and politicians' commentary is to banish Kṛṣṇa or to kill Kṛṣṇa—the Kaṁsa's policy. The Kaṁsa was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, how to kill Him. This is called demonic endeavor. So that will not help you.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971:

When Kṛṣṇa was born, there was a Kaṁsa who was planning how to kill Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa was born, you know that? So Kṛṣṇa... To kill Kṛṣṇa... There is a section of men who want to kill Kṛṣṇa always. They are called demons, or rākṣasas. So the rākṣasas... More or less, everyone in this material world are demons. But those who are intelligent, from this demonic life they come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Others who do not come God consciousness, they remain demons, and their business is just like Kaṁsa, Rāvaṇa, simply making plan how to kill God or kill Kṛṣṇa. That's all. "There is no God." That is their propaganda. "I am God." That's all. So these demonic elements are always there. You have to do your own business. That's all.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- London, March 10, 1975:

Because in the Kali-yuga they are so fallen, even they are demons, they are third-class, fourth-class demons. (laughter) So they need not be killed. They are already killed. Their mode of life, their atmosphere, they are always dead. Just like we see so many demons. So what is there to kill them? They are already killed. They have no life. So this killing process in Kali-yuga is to kill their demonic propensities. And how to kill that demonic propensities? By spreading Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. This is astra.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- London, March 10, 1975:

If He is killing some demons, He is giving him protection. He stops his demonic activities further, to implicate himself in more trouble. Therefore when Kṛṣṇa kills one demon, that means He saves him. He saves him. The Absolute, this is Absolute. Either He protects His devotee or kills the demon, the result is the same. Therefore He is called Absolute. So in this age, Kali-yuga, to kill the demons means to stop their demonic activities by the astra, kīrtana, hari-saṅkīrtana, which is spread by His associates.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- London, March 10, 1975:

The living entity is eternal. How he can be killed? Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). So to kill means to kill his demonic nature. Otherwise how he can be killed? Ya imam... There is a verse that anyone who knows that the living entity is never killed and... A living entity does not kill anyone; neither a living entity is ever killed. One who knows this, he knows. So that is the position. So killing does not mean that killing the living entity. That is not possible. Na jāyate na mriyate vā. Killing means to kill his demonic activities. Stop. Killing means stop acting.

Lecture on BG 7.11-16 -- New York, October 7, 1966:

One who is devotee of the Supreme Lord, he is called demigod. He also becomes god. And one who defies the authority of the Supreme Lord, he is called demon. So the demon and the gods are always there. Some are... But number of gods are very small, but there are. So here, āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritaḥ, one who has acquired that demoniac quality, challenging the authority of the Supreme Lord, they are asura, asura. Asura means demons. So the demons and the fools and the lowest of the mankind and whose knowledge has been plundered by the illusory energy and who is impious, oh, they cannot go to God. It is impossible.

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Vrndavana, April 17, 1975:

The karmīs will say that "You work hard, and get the result and enjoy. Why you are going to the temple to pray?" This is the philosophy of the Communists. "Why should you go to the church? Why should you go to the temple? Forget all these things. Work hard, earn money and enjoy life." But that is demonic. Because there is envy against God, they are demons. So the science of God or science of Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa-tattva, is never disclosed or revealed amongst the nondevotees demons.

Lecture on BG 12.13-14 -- Bombay, May 12, 1974:

You cannot send the chāga-nārāyaṇa, goat-nārāyaṇa, to the slaughterhouse and allow the daridra-nārāyaṇa to eat the meat. This is not bhakta's business. This is demonic. Bhakta's business is... Here it is clearly stated, adveṣṭā sarva-bhūtānām. You should be equally kind to everyone, to the daridras, to the dhanīs also. Here everyone is daridra because everyone is lacking knowledge. So nobody is rich. Here the so-called rich is also daridra because he has no knowledge. And the so-called daridra is also daridra.

Lecture on BG 13.14 -- Bombay, October 7, 1973:

Rāvaṇa. "Bring Rāma's wife, Lakṣmījī, Sītā." This is demonic. He was a great devotee of Lord Śiva, but a demon, first-class demon, rākṣasa. Therefore it is said, harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. Even though he was a devotee of Lord Śiva, because he was not a Vaiṣṇava, therefore he had no good qualification.

Lecture on BG 16.2-7 -- Bombay, April 8, 1971:

These qualities have been discussed. They are called daiva, godly qualities. And nongodly qualities, demonic qualities:

dambho darpo 'bhimānaś ca

krodhaḥ pāruṣyam eva ca

ajñānaṁ cābhijātasya

pārtha sampadam āsurīm

Then He explains that "If you develop your godly characteristics, then you make progress toward liberation." Daivī sampad vimokṣāya (BG 16.5). Vimokṣa. Vimokṣa means liberation. This word vimokṣa is very significant. Mokṣa means liberation. And why this word vi? Vi means viśeṣa, specifically. Specifically mokṣa. There are two kinds of mokṣas.

Lecture on BG 16.2-7 -- Bombay, April 8, 1971:

Just like these boys and girls have become liberated from all bad habits. Daivī sampad vimokṣāya. Daivī sampad vimokṣāya nibandhāyāsurī matā. And if you develop demonic qualities, then you become more and more entangled in this material existence. It is very risky. We are thinking that "Let me enjoy this life to my best capacity," as the atheist class of people think, but they do not know how much risk they are taking.

Lecture on BG 16.2-7 -- Bombay, April 8, 1971:

So here Kṛṣṇa is encouraging Arjuna, mā śucaḥ: "Don't think that because I am engaging you to fight, don't think that you are demonic person." Because generally, people take, when one fights, he is considered to be violent demon. But Kṛṣṇa has already encouraged Arjuna to fight, but here he says that "These are the godly qualities." Apaiśunam, nonviolence, ahiṁsā kṣāntir ārjavam, ahiṁsā. These things have been stated.

Lecture on BG 16.2-7 -- Bombay, April 8, 1971:

So here also the same example can be cited, that Kṛṣṇa says personally, mā śucaḥ sampadaṁ daivīm abhijāto 'si bhārata. My dear Arjuna, don't be worried that you are in the demonic situation. Your situation is daivika, godly. Why it is godly? Because although Arjuna was fighting, it was violent, because the fight was on account of Kṛṣṇa, therefore it is good.

Lecture on BG 16.2-7 -- Bombay, April 8, 1971:

"I have very vividly described what are the godly characteristics. Now I shall explain to you what are the demonic characteristics." Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ (BG 16.7). Who is a demon? A demon's first qualification is he does not know what is, I mean to say, real duty, or what one should do and what one should not do. (break) ...pravṛtti. Pravṛtti and nivṛtti. There are two kinds of activities, pravṛtti. So if one does not know what kind of activities one can accept and what kind of activities one should reject, if he does not know, then he is a asura, demon.

Lecture on BG 16.4 -- Hawaii, January 30, 1975:

We have discussed last night some of the divine characteristics, and abhayaṁ sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ, like that, sixteen divine characteristics. And here the demonic characteristics. We can understand a thing by analysis of characteristics. In the chemical laboratory, things are tested by characteristics. Just like this chemical: "Color is like this. Shape is like this. Then taste is like this. Then chemical reaction is like this." They are stated for each and every chemical, and we can understand the purity by the characteristic.

Lecture on BG 16.4 -- Hawaii, January 30, 1975:

By the characteristics we can understand who is a godly man and who is a demonic man. So they are stated. And the next verse is that daivī sampad vimokṣāya. If one has these divine characteristics, then he is eligible for going to the spiritual world. Vimokṣāya. Daivī sampad vimokṣāya nibandhāya āsurī matā (BG 16.5). But these demonic characteristic, dambho darpaḥ abhimānaś ca pāruṣyam ajñānaṁ sampad āsurī, if we develop this kind of characteristic, then it is our material bondage.

Lecture on BG 16.4 -- Hawaii, January 30, 1975:

We are, ourself, the cause. There is no other cause. Simply we have to develop either this demonic characteristic or the divine characteristic. So human life is meant for developing divine characteristic, not this demonic char... Demonic characteristic is already there. Just like dambhaḥ. A dog has also pride: "I am this dog, grr." (laughter) "I am fox terrier. I am this. I am that." So dambhaḥ is there even in the dog, even in the lower animal, even in the cat. But the divine characteristic, "Oh, I am so low," Tṛṇād api sunīcena, "I am lower than the grass. I am lower than the grass"... This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching.

Lecture on BG 16.4 -- Hawaii, January 30, 1975:

Just like there was Hiraṇyakaśipu and there was Prahlāda. Prahlāda was being supplied spiritual advancement of life, necessities, and Hiraṇyakaśipu was being supplied for demonic status of life. So it is Kṛṣṇa's pleasure that whatever you want, you can get it. You get all advantage by Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 16.4 -- Hawaii, January 30, 1975:

Therefore, his supplies are very immediate, and the demonic supply, that will depend on his work, karma. It will depend on the karma. And devotee's supply, because this is bhakti, it is immediately there. That is the difference. Kṛṣṇa says that. Ye tu bhajanti māṁ prītyā teṣu te mayi. There are millions of living beings.

Lecture on BG 16.4 -- Hawaii, January 30, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa says that "You give up this demonic engagement and surrender to Me." That is Kṛṣṇa's desire. But if you do not agree with Kṛṣṇa's desire, if you want to enjoy your own desire, then also, Kṛṣṇa is also pleased, He will supply you the necessities. But that is not very good. We should agree to Kṛṣṇa's desires. We should not allow our desires, demonic desires, to grow. That is called tapasya. Our desires we should sacrifice. That is called sacrifice.

Lecture on BG 16.4 -- Hawaii, January 30, 1975:

The divine characteristic and the demonic characteristic. Both of them are there, now you have to select which one you want. If you actually want to love Kṛṣṇa, then take this divine characteristic. There is no cause of helplessness. You can... Just like amānitvam. Here it is said, dambhaḥ, adambhitvam. Adambhitvam, without any dambhaḥ. Here it is said, abhayaṁ sattva-saṁśuddhir jñāna-yoga-vyavasthitiḥ. So you can practice this. That is devotional life. You have to practice this.

Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Hawaii, January 31, 1975:

So sampatti, two kinds of sampatti, divine sampatti and demonic sampatti. Demonic sampatti also described,

dambho darpo 'bhimānaś ca

krodhaḥ pāruṣyam eva ca

ajñānaṁ cābhijātasya

pārtha sampadam āsurīm

Now, asura, the adjective is āsurīm. So āsurīm and daivīm, two sampattis are there. They are open before you. Now you take up whatever you like. It is up to you. It is not forbidden that daivī sampatti is meant for a class of men and āsurī sampatti is meant for another class of men, no. Kṛṣṇa is open to everyone.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- Hawaii, February 2, 1975:

One class is called daiva, or divine, divine nature, and the other class is called demonic nature, āsura. So in Viṣṇu-Purāṇa there is also reference to this context where it is said,

dvau bhūta-sargau loke 'smin

daiva āsura eva ca

viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva

asuras tad-viparyayaḥ

(BG 16.6)

Daiva means generally viṣṇu-bhakta. Viṣṇu means the Supreme Lord who is all-pervasive. Everywhere He is present. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, He is Viṣṇu also in His Paramātmā feature.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- South Africa, October 18, 1975:

Prabhupāda: Everything comes from Kṛṣṇa.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Even the demoniac qualities?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). When Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the origin of everything," so the demonic quality is also coming from Kṛṣṇa. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). If you want to become a demon, Kṛṣṇa will supply the quality. You become first-class demon. Without Kṛṣṇa's help you cannot become even demon. It is said, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: (BG 15.15) "I am situated in everyone's heart." Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ. (aside:) What did you get by, while I speaking, taking photograph? I repeatedly ask you. You are obstinate.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- South Africa, October 18, 1975:

Prabhupāda: If he's a devotee, he's not demon at all, if he's devotee.

Devotee (2): But he may have some demoniac qualities?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That, if he is seriously devotee, that demonic qualities will disappear very soon. Kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30), kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā. Just like electric fan is moving, and you make the switch off. Still you will find, it is moving. But that movement will stop very soon because switch is off. Similarly, a devotee, if it is sometimes found that he is demonic, that demonic, if he is sincerely a devotee, that demonic qualities will go very soon.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hawaii, February 3, 1975:

We have already discussed the characteristic of divine nature and the characteristic of demonic nature. In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa this is also confirmed. Dvau bhūta-sargau loke daiva āsura eva ca (BG 16.6). There are two kinds of people all over the universe. There is asuraloka and devaloka, planet. So devāsura fight. That is going on perpetually, daiva and āsura, demonic nature and divine nature.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hawaii, February 3, 1975:

Even in our country, in India, the government do not like us because nowadays, everywhere practically, the demonic people being very much increased, the government is also demonic. So they do not like people in divine nature. They will tolerate all kinds of noise, barking of the dogs, the motor car passing, the aeroplane on overhead. But as soon as there is kīrtana, they're disturbed. They'll tolerate so many different types of noise, but they'll not tolerate kīrtana. That is from the very beginning.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hawaii, February 3, 1975:

In New York, when we started this movement, so in the morning, at seven o'clock, we used to hold our class, and there was little sound. Immediately the tenants from upwards, they'll come down and complain. Sometimes they will call for police. And on the street, Second Avenue, there is always big, big trucks and motor cars going on, heavy sound. Then in your country the garbage carrier sound, the digging sound. So many sound they'll tolerate. And as soon, "Hare Kṛṣṇa," "Oh, it is intolerable." (laughter) This is demonic, the demonic. They'll not hear. Because that will do good to them by hearing, they'll not accept it.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hawaii, February 3, 1975:

And, say, in 1969 I was guest in the house of John Lennon in London. So there was a ghost in... It was a big plot. There was a guest house. So they complained, "Sir, here is ghost." So I advised them to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and the ghost went away. Yes. This is fact. When there is Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting, these ghostly, demonic living entities, they'll not be able to stay there. They'll go away.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hawaii, February 3, 1975:

So two classes of men, demonic and divine. So divine nature has been explained in various ways from the very beginning. Now Kṛṣṇa is explaining about the demonic nature. The first characteristic of demonic nature is they do not know what should be the pravṛtti and what should be nivṛtti, proper and improper action. Improper action is mentioned here, beginning, that na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāraḥ (BG 16.7), not cleanliness. Cleanliness is essential. "Cleanliness is next to Godliness."

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hawaii, February 3, 1975:

Just like in the Bible, the first injunction is "Thou shall not kill." This means the people were, in those days, at least people who were all around Christ, they were very much expert in killing. Otherwise why he says first, "Thou shall not kill"? So this injunction must be followed. Unfortunately they first of all killed Jesus Christ: "You are speaking 'Thou shall not kill'? I shall kill you." Just see. This is the position. "So what is my fault? You want to kill me?" "Because you are speaking of God, therefore we shall kill you." And actually it actually happened. This is demonic.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hawaii, February 3, 1975:

So this is demonic nature. They will simply try to suppress Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement because these symptoms are there, na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāro na satyaṁ teṣu vidyate. There is no truthfulness. They do not know what is ultimate truth.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hawaii, February 3, 1975:

So, na satyaṁ teṣu vidyate. The demonic people, they do not have the truth. Only on false theory, the Darwin's theory... We have commented upon Darwin's theory also in our book, Scientific Basis of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. Dr. Svarūpa Dāmodara Brahmacārī, he has written a small booklet. He has criticized Darwin very strongly, that he is a speculator. A speculator cannot give you truth. That is not possible.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Tokyo, January 28, 1975:

Prabhupāda: This is demonic. Now any question? (pause) This demonic conclusion will not help us. Then we shall remain in ignorance; there is no knowledge. Any question? Can you put any question on behalf of the demons? (laughter)

Trivikrama: Well, I am very expert at the demon mentality, but I'm afraid you've destroyed all arguments that I might put forth.

Prabhupāda: Any of our friends, Japanese friends here?

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Hawaii, February 4, 1975:

This is the verdict of the asuras. We have discussed the characteristics of asuras for the last two days. Now, gradually, Kṛṣṇa is explaining the demonic characteristic. He has explained the divine characteristic extensively before this. Now He is explaining what are the demonic characteristics. So, nāpi cācāraḥ. They even do not know how to live nicely.

Lecture on BG 16.9 -- Hawaii, February 5, 1975:

So, on the basis of this vision, that "there is no God, there is no background of this material creation, this material creation is false..." There are so many other conclusions of the demonic people. Demon and atheist, the same thing. So Kṛṣṇa says, on this blind vision, etāṁ dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya. Accepting these are the basic principles of this material creation. Etāṁ dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya naṣṭa ātmānaḥ. Lost their spiritual consciousness. Naṣṭa means lost. Ātmānaḥ means the soul, the Supersoul.

Lecture on BG 16.9 -- Hawaii, February 5, 1975:

Just like a servant. If he cooks and enjoys himself without offering to the master, then what is his position? That is sinful position. Similarly, anyone, the demons, they have no sense of God. They do not like to offer. They want to eat anything nonsense, like hogs and dogs, and... That is demonic life.

Lecture on BG 16.9 -- Hawaii, February 5, 1975:

You are engaged in some research work, tapasya, for what purpose? Now, finding out some deadly bone. A very big scholar, very big research student... So that is called asura. He has got some scientific knowledge, but he's busy to find out a nuclear weapon, how to kill other enemies. This is the research work. No. That is demonic. The same knowledge can be utilized for finding out God. That is mahātmā. This is the difference.

Lecture on BG 16.9 -- Hawaii, February 5, 1975:

You may have some particular knowledge. Suppose you are expert singer. Very good, but if you earn your money for fulfilling your sense desires, that is demonic. But you know the art, how to sing. If you very melodiously sing Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then you are demigod. The same thing can be utilized both ways. Anything.

Lecture on BG 16.9 -- Hawaii, February 5, 1975:

Because māyā is there, he forgot it. He took so many benediction, but he did not take this benediction, that "Even God cannot kill me." That he forgot. Therefore, ultimately, with all his intelligence, he failed to become immortal. So these are all demoniac activities. The divine activities, they are different. So Kṛṣṇa is describing here that etāṁ dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya. They manufacture so many demonic ideas, but real idea they forget. Real idea is "God is great; I am small. Therefore I am eternal servant of God," Simple thing. "God is great." Everyone says, "God is great," but he is trying to be as great as God. How it is possible?

Lecture on BG 16.9 -- Hawaii, February 5, 1975:

God is not insignificant. That is demonic idea. Therefore it is called etāṁ dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya. Their vision is not very correct. Etāṁ dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya naṣṭa ātmānaḥ. Naṣṭa means lost, lost. Just like if you are lost of your intelligence, you can talk all nonsense. Naṣṭātmānaḥ. "There is no God" means naṣṭātmānaḥ. He's not very intelligent. He has lost his intelligence.

Lecture on BG 16.10 -- Hawaii, February 6, 1975:

Without light, without air, without rain or water, how we can live? So we are completely dependent, but on account of false prestige, less intelligence, we are thinking that we are free, we can... "I am God. I can do anything." This is demonic attitude. Completely being dependent, as soon as the death comes, immediately we have to leave this position. "Sir, let me stay for one hour more." "No, not even a minute." This is our position.

Lecture on BG 16.10 -- Hawaii, February 6, 1975:

But unfortunately, instead of taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa, we have taken shelter of lusty desire. This is demonic. Therefore it is said, kāmam āśritya duṣpūram. Duṣpūram... Duḥ. Duḥ means very difficult, and pūram means satisfaction. Duṣpūram. We have taken shelter of lusty desires which will never be satisfied. This is our position.

Lecture on BG 16.11-12 -- Hawaii, February 7, 1975:

So Kṛṣṇa spoke all these words five thousand years ago. Apart from taking account of millions of years, because nature's law is the same, so even in those days, five thousand years ago, you'll find the demonic people as they are now. These words about the demons... There were demons like Rāvaṇa and Hiraṇyakaśipu, Kaṁsa. So many demons there were, historical demons.

Lecture on BG 16.11-12 -- Hawaii, February 7, 1975:

Therefore, if you practice instead of thinking like the demons, how to gratify senses... That is the demonic thought. They are concerned with this body. If you think of Kṛṣṇa, how to serve Him, that is your perfection of life. Because you'll think at the time of death of Kṛṣṇa. Ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). That is the perfection of life.

Lecture on BG 16.11-12 -- Hawaii, February 7, 1975:

Thinking must be there, but if you think of this body—how to keep it very comfortably, how to enjoy senses, how to have more money, how to have more men or women, how to see naked dance, how to do, how to this, how to this—then you are demon. And at the time of death, naturally we shall think of. Then I get again demonic life or animal life or tree life.

Lecture on BG 16.13-15 -- Hawaii, February 8, 1975:

So the Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand. They are thinking that "Why these people are taking so much trouble, dancing jumping?" They cannot under... Therefore they feel displeasure. They feel disturbance because they are not purified. So āśā-pāśa-śatair baddhāḥ. The demonic principle is to become bound up by their desires, but if you are on the spiritual platform, then all your desires means loving service to the Lord.

Lecture on BG 16.13-15 -- Hawaii, February 8, 1975:

Simply I want to serve You. Simply I want to serve You." So in these three verses everything is... Word meanings are there. So these are the demonic propensities, and the very thing can be changed into devotional service, and then we become devotee or demigod. So I am going tomorrow. So here you shall try to become devotee, not to think like demons. That will not help us.

Lecture on BG 18.67-69 -- Ahmedabad, December 9, 1972:

Because Bhagavad-gītā is very popular book of profound knowledge, everyone is trying to prove his own theory through the medium of Bhagavad-gītā, excluding Kṛṣṇa. This is going on. They want to kill Kṛṣṇa, demonic. Anyone who is trying to kill Kṛṣṇa, he's a demon. So to warn the devotees from these demons, this śloka was spoken by Kṛṣṇa Himself.