Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

Bg 16.7

pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca
janā na vidur āsurāḥ
na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāro
na satyaṁ teṣu vidyate

Synonyms: 

pravṛttim — acting properly; ca — also; nivṛttim — not acting improperly; ca — and; janāḥ — persons; na — never; viduḥ — know; āsurāḥ — of demoniac quality; na — never; śaucam — cleanliness; na — nor; api — also; ca — and; ācāraḥ — behavior; na — never; satyam — truth; teṣu — in them; vidyate — there is.

Translation: 

Those who are demoniac do not know what is to be done and what is not to be done. Neither cleanliness nor proper behavior nor truth is found in them.

pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca, acting properly and acting improperly 

janā na vidur āsurāḥ, the demonic people na vidur, they do not know.

na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāro, they do not have cleanliness nor they have proper behavior 

na satyaṁ teṣu vidyate, and there is no truthfulness among them also

So Krishna described first and foremost their behavior is not guided, what guides the behavior, the behavior is guided by scripture, when behavior is guided by scripture then we can be acting properly as a sick patient is to be guided by Doctor’s guideline, similarly we are all sick in material existence and scriptures are given to help guide us so that we can recover spiritually. 

So pravṛtti and nivṛtti scriptures tell us do to certain things and to avoid certain things. Dos and Don’ts. The demonic people don’t care for them, 

Scriptures tells us Vishnu Bhaktas Smrito Devo Asurstas ta paravarya 

Vishnu Bhaktas Smrito Devo, who are devatas? Those who are devotees of Lord Vishnu. And those who are opposite to Lord Vishnu they are demons.

Lord Vishnu sometimes comes in this material world, those who oppose them are demons similarly those who oppose words of Lord Vishnu are also demoniac quality. 

Those who are devotees at present may not be liberated.

Is it that everybody who is not divine are demoniac? 

In Ramayana war was between divine and demonic but in Mahabharat war was between humans and humans and Rakshyas were on both the sides, although Duryodhana was a human but he was having demonic mentality. With demoniac mentality also there are people who are overly demoniac and people who are influenced, many people are Godless today (from this life’s perspective), they may not wanted to be Godless, but they are because they are living in a socio culture environment where they are not given knowledge of the scripture.

Manual helps us use the product at their best similarly scriptures. 

Srila Prabhupada has given some of the principles of Manu Samhita, which is we have to live with the guidelines given by God, he didn’t try to directly implement Manu Samhita because the society culture is very much different today. If Manu Samhita is not understood in proper context they it will give different meaning related to cast and gender.

Srila Bahkti Vinod Thakur has also said at present the Manu Samhita which is available today is manipulated by Brahmins.

End of transcription.