The Yoga of the Division between the Divine and the Non-Divine

Krishna establishes the framework: 'dvau bhūta-sargau'—two types of created beings exist in this world. 'Daiva'—divine, 'āsura'—demonic. These aren't separate species or fixed categories—they're qualities that exist in all beings. You can have divine qualities or demonic qualities, or both. Krishna notes: 'daivo vistaraśaḥ prokta'—the divine has been described at length (in verses 16.1-16.3). Now: 'āsuraṁ pārtha me śṛṇu'—hear from Me about the demonic. This verse sets up the deeper exploration of demonic nature that follows. Krishna is about to explain not just what demonic qualities are, but how they manifest, how they think, what they believe, and where they lead. Understanding both is essential: you need to know what to cultivate and what to avoid.