‘Deva’ and ‘Asura’ ---- MeaningBr.up.1.3.1.S.B—devaas’cha
asuras’cha------------------- atyanta-yatna-saadhyaa hi sa. The
devas and the asuras are the organs of speech, etc, of Prajaapati himself. They
become devas when they shine
under the influence of thoughts and actions as laid down in the
scriptures, while those very organs become asuras
when they are under the influence of natural thoughts and actions,
based only on perception and inference and directed merely towards
visible, material ends. They are called asuras
because they delight only in their own senses, or because they are
other than gods (or suras). The
devas are fewer in number than the asuras, because, as we know, the organs have a stronger tendency
towards thoughts and actions that are natural than towards those that
are prescribed by the scriptures, for the former lead to visible,
material ends. The tendency to adhere to the prescriptions of the
scriptures is rare, because it is attainable only by great and sincere
effort. Ch.up.1.2.1.S.B---
devaaH diivyateH dyotanaarthasya---
indriyavr.ttayaH eva. The
word ‘deva’ is derived
from the root ‘div’ in the
sense of shining. (This root has many meanings). It therefore means the
functions of the organs when they are illumined by the scriptures. The asuras
are the natural, unillumined (ignorant) activities of the organs,
opposed to the devas, because
of being engrossed in the enjoyment of sense-objects. From time
immemorial a war, as it were, has been going on in the minds of all
individual beings, between the gods and the demons, with each side
intent on defeating the other. iis’aavaasya
up. 4. S.B—dyotanaat devaaH --- Here
the word ‘devaaH’ means
the organs of knowledge such as the eyes. Br.
up. 5.2.3.S.B--- athavaa na devaa asuraa vaa------------ kruuraaH cha dr.s’yante. Or,
there are no gods or asuras other
than men. Those among men who are lacking in self-control, but are
otherwise endowed with many good qualities, are the gods. Those who are
particularly greedy are men, while those who are cruel and given to
injuring others are the asuras. So
members of the same species, man, are given the titles of god, man and
demon according to the predominance of the three gunas in them. The
instructions given by Prajapati in this section are therefore meant for
all men.
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