Demons

When we hear the word Demon, we think of mythical creatures with ugly features, belonging to some other world, who do utterly mean things. That might all be true. Krishna however explains certain qualities of a Demon.

Its the qualities and actions that make a person demon, not the external physical experience. Let us look inside our hearts to gauge our demoniac quotient.

For your benefit and mine, here I compile a few of the characteristics of demons from the Bhagavad Gita verses that I studied sometime back.

1. The demoniac man knows no limit to his desire to acquire money.
2. He does not hesitate to act in any sinful way for illegal gratification.
3. He believes in his own strength, and he does not know that whatever he is gaining is due to his past good deeds.
4. Anyone who comes into competition with such a demoniac man is his enemy.
5. Each demoniac person thinks that he can live at the sacrifice of all others.
6. Demoniac preacher tells his followers: "Why are you seeking God elsewhere? You are all yourselves God! Whatever you like, you can do. Don't believe in God. Throw away God. God is dead."
7. The demoniac accept that the enjoyment of the senses is the ultimate goal of life.
8. But one who is demoniac has no knowledge of Vedic scripture, nor has he any faith; therefore he feels free to do anything for sense enjoyment, regardless of the consequences.
9. They make a show of performing sacrifices, or they worship the demigods, or manufacture their own God.