Text 29]
Creation of the Universal Form
243
beings, because of their nature in the mode of passion, live on the earth in company with their subordinates.
PURPORT
In  Bhagavad-gītā  (14.14-15) it is said that those who are highly developed in the mode of goodness are promoted to the higher, heavenly planetary system, and those who are overpowered by the mode of passion are situated in the middle planetary systems, the earth and similar planets. But those who are surcharged with the mode of ignorance are degraded to the lower planetary systems or to the animal kingdom. The demigods are highly developed in the mode of goodness, and thus they are situated in the heavenly planets. Below human beings are the animals, although some of them mingle with human society; cows, horses, dogs, etc., are habituated to live under the protection of human beings.
The word  ātyantikena  is very significant in this verse. By development of the mode of goodness of material nature one can become situated in the heavenly planets. But by excessive development of the modes of passion and ignorance, the human being indulges in killing the animals who are meant to be protected by mankind. Persons who indulge in unnecessary animal killing have excessively developed in the modes of passion and ignorance and have no hope of advancing to the mode of goodness; they are destined to be degraded to lower statuses of life. The planetary systems are calculated as upper and lower in terms of the classes of living entities who live there.
TEXT 29
तार्तीयेन स्वभावेन भगवन्नाभिमाश्रिताः । उभयोरन्तरं व्योम ये रुद्रपार्षदां गणाः ॥२९॥
tārtīyena sva-bhāvena   bhagavan nābhim āśritāḥ   ubhayor antaram vyoma   ye rudra-pārṣadām gaṇāḥ
tārtīyena —by excessive development of the third mode of material nature, the mode of ignorance;  sva-bhāvena —by such nature;  bhagavat-nābhim —the abdominal navel of the gigantic form of the Personality of Godhead;  āśritāḥ —those who are so situated;  ubhayoḥ —between the two;  antaram —in between;  vyoma —the sky;  ye —all of them;  rudra-pārṣadām —associates of Rudra;  gaṇāḥ —population.