Category:Describing Demons
Theme Analysis
This category compiles Śrīla Prabhupāda's profound explanations on the identity and symptoms of the asuras. The quotes emphasize that a demon is defined not merely by physical form, but by a rebellious mentality that refuses to acknowledge the supremacy of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Even those who are highly educated, like Rāvaṇa, or modern politicians who lack ātma-tattva, are described as demons if they oppose the divine will. The text also clarifies that being an asura is a state of being captivated by material ignorance and impersonalism, which leads to a life without a spiritual solution.
The Definition of Asuric: The primary symptom of a demon is the tendency to refute the Supreme Personality of Godhead and disobey His laws, regardless of one's social standing or education.
Knowledge Without Devotion: Figures like Kaṁsa and Rāvaṇa possessed vast material knowledge or Vedic scholarship, yet they are described as demons because they lacked Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Captivation by Ignorance: Demons are described as mūḍha-dhīyaḥ, meaning their intelligence is captivated by the glaring but false beauty of the material energy.
The Fate of the Demoniac: Those who follow the asuric path of accumulating wealth for its own sake or adhering to impersonalism are condemned to a life of theorizing without ever reaching a spiritual conclusion.
Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Describing Demons - Symptoms of the Demoniac Mentality.
Pages in category "Describing Demons"
The following 18 pages are in this category, out of 18 total.
A
- Although Hiranyakasipu was a demon, he is described here (SB 7.8.11) by the added word sri. Why? The answer is that fortunately he had such a great devotee son as Prahlada Maharaja
- Although Kamsa is described as a demon, he had good knowledge of the affairs of atma-tattva, the truth of the self
- Although Mayavadi sannyasis may offer respects to other sannyasis and address them as Narayana, they do not go to a Narayana temple and offer respects. These Mayavadi sannyasis are always condemned and are described as demons
- Asuric tendency means to refute the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All the asuras... Just like Ravana. Ravana is described as raksasa, asura. What was his fault? His fault was that he did not care for Rama
I
- If we study that the asuras, their symptoms are described... So asuras are condemned. They cannot have any happiness. They'll simply go on theorizing. There is no solution, so one has to become deva
- In the sastras we find many brahmanas and ksatriyas who acted as demons and have been described as demons. According to the verdict of the sastras, one has to be understood according to his symptoms
P
- Persons who are under the impression that the Absolute Truth is impersonal are described as asuras, which means one who does not know the ultimate feature of the Absolute Truth. BG 1972 purports
- Prahlada Maharaja, in his prayers, has described the transcendental qualities of the Lord and has also described how the various abodes of the demigods and demons, regardless of how materially opulent, are destroyed by the mere direction of the Lord
R
- Ravana was a very big Vedic scholar also. But one thing, that he was against Rama... And for this disqualification he is still described as asura, raksasa
- Ravana, for example, was a great devotee of Lord Siva, but he is described as an asura. Similarly, Hiranyakasipu is described as a great devotee of Lord Brahma, yet he was also an asura
T
- The asuras are described here as mudha-dhiyah, meaning that they are captivated by ignorance, just like the ass. The demons were captivated by the false, glaring beauty of this material form, and thus they embraced her (the evening twilight)
- The asuras are generally strongly built, as described here, and therefore their mental condition is very sound, and their prowess is also extraordinary
- There is no need to accumulate money in the bank merely to increase one's bank balance. Such a mentality is described in Bhagavad-gita (BG 16.13) as asuric, demoniac