January 22, 2014: The gods (devas), the humans (manavas) and the demons(asuras) are all children of Prajapathi Brahma, the Creator and Lord of the Beings. They are called the three offspring of Prajapathi. They all have peculiar and distinct qualities and play significant roles in the creation of God. We cannot say strictly that one is superior to the other because they all have their own strengths and weaknesses. The gods are pleasure oriented. They seek happiness through the activity of the mind and the senses. They are divine beings of light, who remain on the side of God and take delight in guiding and helping people. They live in the heaven and are always immersed in endless pleasure. The demons are beings of darkness. They are pain oriented. They indulge in cruel and insensitive actions to inflict pain and Misery upon others and often upon themselves. They live in the nether worlds of utter darkness and from there plan their attacks upon gods and other beings. They are driven by intense hatred against the gods and are always at war with them to regain control of the Worlds. The lord of the gods is Indra, the mighty ruler of the heavens, whose weapon is the lightning and who brings rains to the earth through his control over the clouds. The demons constantly look for an opportunity to unseat him from his position and take control of the heaven, often with the help of higher divinities like Lord Vishnu or Lord Siva, whom they try to appease through extreme austerities and intense devotion. The asura bhakti or the devotion of the demons is different from daiva bhakti or the devotion of the gods. The former is more intense, extreme and selfish and egoistic in its Intent and purpose, whereas the latter is purer, more gentle, selfless and unconditional. But God, being who He is, does not show any distinction between the two. He responds to both equally and grants them their wishes according to the degree of their devotion. His neutral stand often creates problems for the beings of various worlds, as the asuras, emboldened by the powers they obtain from God, go berserk, like intoxicated bulls and create confusion and consternation. The human beings are also the children of Brahma. They are a class apart. They are the connecting link between the gods and the demons, with the qualities of both of them. In addition, they are also made in the image of Purusha, the Cosmic Being Himself. Thus while the gods are immortal and enjoy endless pleasure and while the demons have uncontrollable strength and reckless pride to do whatever they want, the human beings, though mortal and subject to severe limitations and weaknesses, are alone qualified to experience the bliss of the eternal self and ascend to the world of Brahman.

 So it is said that neither the gods nor the demons can ascend to higher planes by themselves without entering the earth plane and taking birth as human beings. The demons and the gods therefore take us very seriously and keep us constantly under their radar.

                                                                --- Excerpts from Sri Garikipati Narasimha rao’s preaching