Prabhupada:

dvau bhuta-sargau loke 'smin
daiva asura eva ca
daivo vistarasaḥ; prokta
asuraṁ partha me srṇu
[Bg. 16.6]

There are two classes of men within this world, daiva asura eva ca. One class of men is called daiva, devata, or the demigod, and the other class asura. Sura means civilized, and asura means not civilized. Kirata-huṇandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira-sumbha yavanaḥ; khasadayaḥ; [SB 2.4.18]. These are amongst the noncivilized men.

Formerly the kings of Bharatavarṣa, India, they used to kill these uncivilized men. Bad example. They did not follow the Vedic civilization, so the king's order was that they should be killed. If they are too much prominent... Just like they are hunting in the forest. So these... There is history among, about King Bharata, King Bharata, under whose name this planet is called Bharatavarṣa. No, not that Bharata. There are three Bharatas. One Bharata is the son of Ṛṣabhadeva. Another Bharata is the son of Maharaja Duṣyanta. Another Bharata is the younger brother of Lord Ramacandra. Out of these three Bharatas, the son of Ṛṣabhadeva is the person after whose name this planet is called Bharatavarṣa. So another Bharata was the son of Maharaja Duṣyanta. He was very powerful, supposed to be or partial incarnation of God. So in his life he would not allow the uncivilized men to exist. He was king. He used to kill them. Why uncivilized men? Even the kṣatriyas, if they are not ruling properly according to the kṣatriyas... Kṣatriyas are supposed to be the ruler of the world. But if they are deviating from their duties, Parasurama, the brahmaṇa, would kill them. On the whole, in the Vedic civilization everyone should be in order. That was the set-up.

Nobody can act independently, killing the human civilization. That was not possible. Maharaja Prthu was personally checking whether people were following the varṇasrama-dharma. A brahmaṇa must follow the brahminical rules and regulation. Otherwise he would not be allowed to call himself a brahmaṇa. Similarly, kṣatriyas, vaisyas, sudras. This is called secular state. Secular state does not mean everyone is irresponsible. You must be responsible for your particular type of duty, and the government has to see it, that everyone is doing that. That is secular state. Lord Ramacandra, when He returned from the forest... In His absence Bharata was ruling, and when Bharata requested Lord Ramacandra to take charge of the kingdom, Lord Ramacandra was ready but He first of all examined whether the citizens were following the varṇasrama-dharma. When He was satisfied that the citizens were following the varṇasrama-dharma, then He took charge of the kingdom and began to maintain them just like father.

This is the relationship between the government and the citizens. The citizens must be law-abiding, and the government must rule over them just like father. Father is not unaffectionate. Father is affectionate, and even the father chastises the son, that is not out of affection; that is also affection. So that was the relationship. So the asuras, they do not know this. Only the devatas, they know. There are two kinds of men. Dvau bhuta-sargau loke asmin daiva asuraḥ; [Bg. 16.6]. So Krṣṇa says, daivo vistarasaḥ; proktaḥ;. Krṣṇa has already explained in the beginning which are the qualification of the devata, and what are the qualification of the asuras... So qualification of the devatas,

abhayaṁ sattva-saṁsuddhir
jñana-yoga-vyavasthitiḥ;
danaṁ damas ca yajñas ca
svadhyayas tapa arjavam

ahiṁsa satyam akrodhas
tyagaḥ; santir apaisunam
daya bhuteṣv aloluptvaṁ
mardavaṁ hrir acapalam

tejaḥ; kṣama dhrtiḥ; saucam
adroho natimanita
bhavanti sampadaṁ daivim
abhijatasya bharata

These are the qualification, daiva-sampada. Abhayam. One should be fearless. Who can become fearless? One of the qualification of conditioned soul is fearfulness. Only a person who is advanced in Krṣṇa consciousness, he can become fearless. And sattva-saṁsuddhi. Sattva-saṁsuddhi. Our, this sattva, existentional position is impure, diseased. Therefore we die, again take birth. Asunti(?). So sattva-saṁsuddhi. One should try to purify his existence. For that purpose there is necessity of tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putraka yena suddhyet sattvam [SB 5.5.1]. Tapasya means austerity. If you want to cure your disease, then you must follow some austerities, rules and regulation. One man is suffering from diarrhea. If he is allowed to eat whatever he likes, then he will never be cured. He must observe fasting for few days; then it will be cured. So this is sattva-saṁsuddhi.

So we are put into this cycle of birth and death. If we don't correct it... Correct means we shall be less attached to the material enjoyment. So long we are attached to material enjoyment, we have to transmigrate from one type of body to another. So daivi-sampada means those who are devatas, their first business is how to rectify this diseased condition of life, repetition of birth and death. Everything is there. Sattva-saṁsuddhir jñana. This requires jñana, knowledge. Unless I know what is my position, why I am dying, what is death... This requires jñana. Jñanaṁ vijñanam astikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.42]. That means you have to become a brahmaṇa. Then you will have complete knowledge. Abhayaṁ sattva-saṁsuddhir jñana, yoga, jñana-yoga. Vyavasthitiḥ;, danam. Those who are kṣatriyas, vaisyas, they should give in charity. That is also one of the sattva-saṁsuddhiḥ;. Damas ca. To control over the mind and the senses. Yajñas ca: perform the yajña, hari-saṅkirtana in this age. Yajñas ca svadhyayaḥ;. Must read Vedic literature. Tapa arjavam. Tapasya, austerity, arjavam, very frank and no duplicity, arjavam. Danam ahiṁsa, not unnecessarily, not to become envious. (end)

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