The Roads of the Foolish and the Wise 59

called devas because they also become like God,
whereas those who defy the authority of the Su-
preme are called asuras or demons. These two classes
are always found in human society.

Just as there are four types of miscreants who
never surrender to Krsna, there are four types of
fortunate men who worship Him, and they are
categorized in the next verse:

catur-vidha bhajante mam
Janah sukrtino ’rjuna

jiani ca bharatarsabha

“O best among the Bharatas [Arjuna], four kinds of
. pious men render devotional service unto Me—the
distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and
he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.”
(Bg. 7.16)

This material world is full of distress, and both
the pious and impious are subject to it. The cold of
winter treats everyone alike. It does not care for the
pious or impious, the rich or the poor. The difference
between the pious and the impious, however, is that
the pious man thinks of God when he is in his miser-
able condition. Often when a man is distressed, he
will go to church and pray, “Oh my Lord, I am in
difficulty. Please help me.” Although he is praying
for some material necessity, such a man is still to be
considered pious because he has come to God in his
distress. Similarly, a poor man may go to church and
pray, “My dear Lord, please give me some money.”
On the other hand, the inquisitive are usually intelli-
