Text 13
iti te bhartṛ-nirdeśam
ādāya śirasādṛtāḥ
tathā prajānāṁ kadanaṁ
vidadhuḥ kadana-priyāḥ
iti — thus; te — they; bhartṛ — of the master; nirdeśam — the direction; ādāya — receiving; śirasā — with their heads; ādṛtāḥ — respecting; tathā — so also; prajānām — of all the citizens; kadanam — persecution; vidadhuḥ — executed; kadana-priyāḥ — who are expert in persecuting others.
Thus the demons, being fond of disastrous activities, took Hiraṇyakaśipu’s instructions on their heads with great respect and offered him obeisances. According to his directions, they engaged in envious activities directed against all living beings.
The followers of demoniac principles, as described here, are thoroughly envious of the general populace. In the present day, scientific advancement exemplifies such envy. The discovery of nuclear energy has been disastrous to people in general because demons all over the world are manufacturing nuclear weapons. The word kadana-priyāḥ is very significant in this regard. The demoniac persons who want to kill the Vedic culture are extremely envious of the feeble citizens, and they act in such a way that ultimately their discoveries will be inauspicious for everyone (jagato ’hitāḥ). The Sixteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā fully explains how the demons engage in sinful activities for the destruction of the populace.