82 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 7, Ch. 2
Krsna in enjoyment and have thus been sent here to be conditioned by
material nature in different degrees. In the material world a so-called
family is a combination of several persons in one home to fulfill the
terms of their imprisonment. As criminal prisoners scatter as soon as
their terms are over and they are released, all of us who have temporarily
assembled as family members will continue to our respective destina-
tions. Another example given is that family members are like straws car-
ried together by the waves of a river. Sometimes such straws mix
together in whirlpools, and later, dispersed again by the same waves,
they float alone in the water.

Although Hiranyakasipu was a demon, he had Vedic knowledge and
understanding. Thus the advice given to his family members— his sister-
in-law, mother and nephews—was quite sound. The demons are con-
sidered highly elevated in knowledge, but because they do not use their
good intelligence for the service of the Lord, they are called demons. The
demigods, however, act very intelligently to satisfy the Supreme Per-
sonality of Godhead. This is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.13)
as follows:

atah pumbhir dvija-srestha
varnasrama-vibhagasah
svanusthitasya dharmasya
samsiddhir hari-tosanam
“O best among the twiceborn, it is therefore concluded that the highest
perfection one can achieve, by discharging his prescribed duties
[dharma] according to caste divisions and orders of life, is to please the
Lord Hari.” To become a demigod or to become godly, whatever one’s oc-
cupation, one must satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TEXT 22
FRET ATATETT: ei Ta: TATRA |
PASAT feoag ATT FT ETT
nitya dtmavyayah suddhah
sarvagah sarva-vit parah
