186
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 7, Ch. 4]
PURPORT
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  śāstras . Hiraṇyakaśipu acted in this way. As stated in  Bhagavad-gītā  (16.23):
yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ na sa siddhim avāpnoti na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim
“He who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination.” The word  śāstra  refers to that which controls our activities. We cannot violate or transgress the laws and regulative principles mentioned in the  śāstras .  Bhagavad-gītā  repeatedly confirms this.
tasmāc chāstraṁ pramāṇaṁ te kāryākārya-vyavasthitau jñātvā śāstra-vidhānoktaṁ karma kartum ihārhasi
“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  śāstra , but the material energy is so powerful that as soon as one becomes materially opulent, he begins to transgress the  śāstric  laws. As soon as one transgresses the laws of  śāstra , he immediately enters upon the path of destruction.
TEXT 21
तस्योग्रदण्डसंविग्राः सर्वे लोकाः सपालकाः ।
अन्यत्रालब्धशरणाः शरणं ययुरच्युतम् ॥२१॥