GItA verse XVI-8

[Aditya, the Cheerful Hindu Skeptic]

"Narayan R.Joshi" <giravani at JUNO.COM> has written as follows:

>To the best of my knowledge, the verse 8 of Chapter16 of GItA describes the
>view of people of AasurI category. The words Daiva and Aasura are
>adjectives to the various people. Aasura people think that this world is
>created without any reason and it is without the God, the creator and hence
>only use of this world is enjoyment. This is the view of Aasura people
>only , not of DaivI people. Among people all are included, such as Sura,
>Asura, Deva, Daitya, DAnava,Manu.sya,Gandharva, Kinnara,Yaksha, RAkshasa,
>NAga, Sarpa,VAnara, SuparNa etc. Devotee PralhAda belonged to Asura people
>but he was of DaivI category because he was devotee of NArAyaNA. The same
>is true of Rakshasa Bibhi.saNa, brother of RAvaNa.Thanks.
Gita is not unique in labeling nonbelievers  with the most obnoxious
adjectives and epithets and therefore betrays its own human origin.

It is easy to see that Deva and Asurs were two different sects who hated the
guts of each other just like communists and capitalists of this day. To the
followers of Asur or Ahur , the word Dev or Devil is as repugnant as Asur is
to the followers of the Dev.

You cannot take the label  given by one to its enemy to define the true
nature of the enemy.


Have a peaceful and joyous day.
Aditya Mishra
Primary email: a018967t at bc.seflin.org
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Random thought of the day:
        Happiness isn't something you experience; it's something you remember. ... Oscar Levant