Bhagavad Gita Chapter 16 Verse 7 भगवद् गीता अध्याय 16 श्लोक 7 प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च जना न विदुरासुराः। न शौचं नापि चाचारो न सत्यं तेषु विद्यते।।16.7।। English Translation - Swami Gambirananda 16.7 Neither do the demoniacal persons under-stand what is to be done and what is not to be done; nor does purity, or even good conduct or truthfulness exist in them. English Translation - Swami Sivananda 16.7 The demoniacal know not what to do and what to refrain from; neither purity, nor right conduct nor truth is found in them. English Translation - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan 16.7. The demoniac men do not know the origin and the withdrawal; neither purity, nor good conduct, nor truth does exist in them. English Commentary - Swami Sivananda 16.7 प्रवृत्तिम् action? च and? निवृत्तिम् inaction? च and? जनाः men? न not? विदुः know? आसुराः the demoniac? न not? शौचम् purity? न not? अपि also? च and? आचारः (right) conduct? न not? सत्यम् truth? तेषु in them? विद्यते is.Commentary The demoniacal do not understand the nature of action and inaction (right abstinence). The idea of a Self apart from the body? doing nothing (actionless) but imply watching the play of the Gunas is something incomprehensible to them. They have no consideration for the interest of others. They work for the sake of their bodies or sensual enjoyment. They are greedy? selfish and cruel. Therefore? they have neither good conduct nor good behaviour. They are untruthful? unjust and impure. They do not know what actions they should do in order to attain the goal of life or end of human existence? nor from what actions they should refrain to ward off,evil.Those who are endowed with demoniacal alities are sunk in the mire of ignorance. They are totally ignorant of what is prescribed or what is prohibited action. They have not the least idea of what purity or cleanliness is. Their actions are crooked. They know neither right Pravritti nor right Nivritti. They have no idea of virtue or vice or of scriptural injunctions or prohibitions. They will never speak loving words. They are hypocrites and liars. English Translation of Sanskrit Commentary By Sri Shankaracharya's 16.7 Na, niether; do the asurah, demoniacal; janah, persons; viduh, understand; pravritim, what is to be done with regard to that which is a means to the human ends; and nivirttim, what is not to be done, the opposite of that (former) and from which source of evil one should desist. Nor only do they not know what is to be done and what is not to be done, na, nor; does saucam, purity; na api, or even; acarah, good conduct; or satyam, truthfulness; vidyate, exist; tesu, in them. The demons are verily bereft of purity and good conduct; they are deceitful and given to speaking lies. Further, English Translation of Commentary - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan 16.7 Pravrttim etc. Origin : i.e. wherefrom this [universe] is born. Withdrawal : i.e. into what this gets dissolved. English Translation of Ramanuja's Sanskrit Commentary 16.7 The demoniac men do not know the path of action and renunciation, viz., the Vedic Dharma that leads to prosperity and final release. Cleanliness is the competence for performing Vedic rites as established in the Sastras. That cleanliness, be it external or internal, is alien to the demoniac. Nor right conduct, viz., that right conduct such as twilight prayers (Sandhya-vandana) etc., by means of which this internal and external cleanliness arises - even that right conduct is alien to them. For it is declared in: He who does not perform twilight prayers, is always unholy and is unfit for any rites (Daksha Sm., 2.23). Likewise, truth is not found among them, viz., that truthful speech, which is conducive to the welfare of beings and which is in accordance with ones actual knowledge, does not characterise them. Moreover: Commentary - Chakravarthi Ji Pravrttim means dharma and nivrttim means adharma. Rudra Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary Those of demoniac nature do not know how to perform righteous actions neither do they know how to refrain from unrighteous activities. Therefore Lord Krishna discloses that they are completely void of any purity, righteous behaviour and truthfulness. Brahma Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary Shri Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary The word pravritti is the performance of proper actions which means engaging in Vedically authorised activities as dharma or righteousness which leads to realms of spiritual beatitude and moksa or liberation from material existence. Nivrriti is refraining from engaging in activities which lead to bondage. The demons known also as asuras meaning those without spiritual illumination and lack of spiritual insight have no scope for fathoming spiritual principles. Saucam means cleanliness both internally and externally. The demons are always polluted by their depraved thoughts and contaminated by their degraded actions and hence never clean. Acharya means exemplary behaviour and excellent conduct such as performing japa or repetitively chanting Lord Krishnas holy names or sankirtan congregationally chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Also always observing ekadasi which is fasting from all grains and beans on the 11th day of the waxing and waning moons and the daily performance of sandhya vandana which is gayatri mantras given by the spiritual master that are chanted silently at the three junctures of the day: dawn, noon and dusk. The Daksa-smritti beginning sandhya hinot suci nityam states: One who omits the performance of sandhya is always impure, unholy and unfit for any spiritual duties. The word satyam means truth and denotes that which is spoken or written in total conformity with factual reality. Such qualities as these have never been heard of or seen to be present in those of demoniac nature. Kumara Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary The word pravritti is the performance of proper actions which means engaging in Vedically authorised activities as dharma or righteousness which leads to realms of spiritual beatitude and moksa or liberation from material existence. Nivrriti is refraining from engaging in activities which lead to bondage. The demons known also as asuras meaning those without spiritual illumination and lack of spiritual insight have no scope for fathoming spiritual principles. Saucam means cleanliness both internally and externally. The demons are always polluted by their depraved thoughts and contaminated by their degraded actions and hence never clean. Acharya means exemplary behaviour and excellent conduct such as performing japa or repetitively chanting Lord Krishnas holy names or sankirtan congregationally chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Also always observing ekadasi which is fasting from all grains and beans on the 11th day of the waxing and waning moons and the daily performance of sandhya vandana which is gayatri mantras given by the spiritual master that are chanted silently at the three junctures of the day: dawn, noon and dusk. The Daksa-smritti beginning sandhya hinot suci nityam states: One who omits the performance of sandhya is always impure, unholy and unfit for any spiritual duties. The word satyam means truth and denotes that which is spoken or written in total conformity with factual reality. Such qualities as these have never been heard of or seen to be present in those of demoniac nature. Transliteration Bhagavad Gita 16.7Pravrittim cha nivrittim cha janaa na viduraasuraah; Na shaucham naapi chaachaaro na satyam teshu vidyate. Word Meanings Bhagavad Gita 16.7pravṛittim—proper actions; cha—and; nivṛittim—improper actions; cha—and; janāḥ—persons; na—not; viduḥ—comprehend; āsurāḥ—those possessing demoniac nature; na—neither; śhaucham—purity; na—nor; api—even; cha—and; āchāraḥ—conduct; na—nor; satyam—truthfulness; teṣhu—in them; vidyate—exist