History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c91.228

v7.c91.228

The Gītā (in chapter 16) speaks of two classes of people, viz. those born to godlike endowments and those born with demoniac qualities and describes the latter in verses 7-20. Some of the verses probably indicate that the reference is to atheists and the like; for verse 8 states 'they say that the world is devoid of truth (i. e. contains nothing that one can believe), devoid of any fixed principle (such as virtue and vice), devoid of a Ruler, and is produced by union brought about by lust and nothing else'. After describing their thoughts and aspirations the Gītā winds up 'these perform sacrifices which are so in name only with hypocrisy and against the prescribed procedure; they hate me in their own bodies and in those of others; these impure and cruel enemies I continually throw down in demoniac wombs; coming into demoniac wombs and being deluded, in each birth they go to vilest states without ever coming to me'. This is entirely different from what the Padma and other Purāṇas say about Pāśupatas, Pāñcarātras and about non-Vaiṣṇavas.