कालो महान् व्यतीयाय ब्रह्मशापमुपेयुषः ॥२०॥
evam aiśvarya-mattasya
dá¹›ptasyocchÄstra-vartinaḥ
kÄlo mahÄn vyatÄ«yÄya
brahma-Å›Äpam upeyuá¹£aḥ
evam - thus; aiÅ›varya-mattasya - of one who was intoxicated by opulences; dá¹›ptasya - greatly proud; ut-Å›Ästra-vartinaḥ - transgressing the regulative principles mentioned in the Å›Ästras; kÄlaḥ - duration of time; mahÄn - a great; vyatÄ«yÄya - passed; brahma-Å›Äpam - a curse by exalted brÄhmaṇas; upeyuá¹£aḥ - having obtained.
HiraṇyakaÅ›ipu thus passed a long time being very much proud of his opulences and transgressing the laws and regulations mentioned in the authoritative Å›Ästras. He was therefore subjected to a curse by the four KumÄras, who were great brÄhmaṇas.
There have been many instances in which demons, after achieving material opulences, have become extremely proud, so much so that they have transgressed the laws and regulations given in the authoritative Å›Ästras. HiraṇyakaÅ›ipu acted in this way. As stated in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (16.23):
yaḥ Å›Ästra-vidhim utsá¹›jya
vartate kÄma-kÄrataḥ
na sa siddhim avÄpnoti
na sukhaá¹ na parÄá¹ gatim
“He who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination.†The word Å›Ästra refers to that which controls our activities. We cannot violate or transgress the laws and regulative principles mentioned in the Å›Ästras. Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ repeatedly confirms this.
tasmÄc chÄstraá¹ pramÄṇaá¹ te
kÄryÄkÄrya-vyavasthitau
jñÄtvÄ Å›Ästra-vidhÄnoktaá¹
karma kartum ihÄrhasi
“One should understand what is duty and what is not duty by the regulations of the scriptures. Knowing such rules and regulations, one should act so that he may gradually be elevated.†(Bg. 16.24) One should act according to the direction of the Å›Ästra, but the material energy is so powerful that as soon as one becomes materially opulent, he begins to transgress the Å›Ästric laws. As soon as one transgresses the laws of Å›Ästra, he immediately enters upon the path of destruction.
