Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

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

Bg 16.18

ahaṅkāraṁ balaṁ darpaṁ
kāmaṁ krodhaṁ ca saṁśritāḥ
mām ātma-para-deheṣu
pradviṣanto ’bhyasūyakāḥ

Synonyms: 

ahaṅkāram — false ego; balam — strength; darpam — pride; kāmam — lust; krodham — anger; ca — also; saṁśritāḥ — having taken shelter of; mām — Me; ātma — in their own; para — and in other; deheṣu — bodies; pradviṣantaḥ — blaspheming; abhyasūyakāḥ — envious.

Translation: 

Bewildered by false ego, strength, pride, lust and anger, the demons become envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is situated in their own bodies and in the bodies of others, and blaspheme against the real religion.

So here in one verse Krishna is describing various qualities present in demoniac 

ahaṅkāraṁ, false ego or arrogance, 

ahaṅkāraṁ balaṁ darpaṁ
so the ungodly the demoniac they delight in brandishing their strength and bragging about their power, they think that physical or political power is the ultimate source of power. They don’t understand about the spiritual power or divine power, that is higher than all this, 

darpaṁ is showing off. 

kāmaṁ krodhaṁ ca saṁśritāḥ, we discussed about Kama Krodha earlier also Kama Krodha Parayana, which is talked about in 16.12, several times Krishna has talked about Kama Krodha, 

saṁśritāḥ, śritāḥ means ashrayah, to take shelter, so instead of taking shelter of Krishna they take shelter of material things, of all these negative emotions, generally shelter can be taken from physical to emotional to spiritual.

Physical is like when there is a heavy rain we take shelter of a tree or shack or some house so when I go there I basically protecting myself. So these shack can protect me and can also provide me some comfort. 

So they take shelter of these things and so their shelter is completely misdirected. 

mām ātma-para-deheṣu, 

So from here Krishna brings Mam in this chapter, till now Mam has not come 17 verses prior to this. So it will come in 18, 19, 20 prominently. 

So Krishna has talked about the qualities of divine and demoniac but He has not talked about their relationship with Him.

So even we look at the divine qualities He has not talked about Bhakti as divine qualities, because qualities which are talked about here is material qualities. Abhijatasya Bharata.

Srila Prabhupada called them transcendental qualities in verse 1-3 in the sense that these can help one to move towards transcendence. But divine and demoniac they are basically features of our material nature, at the spiritual nature a soul is always devoted to Sri Krishna. So a soul cannot be demoniac. So Krishna has talked about qualities in terms of Varan and Ashram. He has not talked about Bhakti. He has not talked about the relationship of godly with Him. Similarly He has not talked about the relationship of demoniac with Him till now in this chapter. 

So in 16.18.c He says mām ātma-para-deheṣu, mām is I, ātma-para-deheṣu is present in their hearts and in the hearts of others. As Supersoul. 

pradviṣanto ’bhyasūyakāḥ, pradviṣanto, is their envious, they blaspheme out of envy. So here Krishna comes to the main point that there attitude towards Him is very unfortunate. It is very negative. 

Envy may be inside also but blaspheme is when it comes out as verbal criticism. Unreasonable irrational insensitive and harsh catenation.  That is blaspheme. 

So now what is the relevance of saying mām ātma-para-deheṣu? 

In 5.29 Krishna said that Suhridam Serva Bhutam Jyatva Mam Shantim Rakshayasi, He is the well-wisher of all living beings. 

Also in previous chapter He has said how He is in the heart of all living beings:

Servas CaAham Hridaya sanivisto in 15.15

So I am the well-wisher of all so I am even the well-wiser of demoniac people but they envious Me they blaspheme Me. They are envious of Me who is the well-wisher of all living beings including them. 

Krishna knows everything about Vedaham Samtitani and He also knows what is best for us. This world is like a hospital and least we can do is have hospitable towards Doctors and not hostile towards him.

So pradviṣanto ’bhyasūyakāḥ, these people are envious towards Krishna.

Purport: he puts forward false arguments against the existence of God and denies the scriptural authority… If he has an enemy who might check the advancement of his sensual activities, he makes plans to cut him down by his own power…

As people don’t care for anything else except their own enjoyment.

End of transcription.