Shloka
प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च जना न विदुरासुराः |
न शौचं नापि चाचारो न सत्यं तेषु विद्यते ||१६-७||Transliteration
pravṛttiṃ ca nivṛttiṃ ca janā na vidurāsurāḥ .
na śaucaṃ nāpi cācāro na satyaṃ teṣu vidyate ||16-7||Translations
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.
Shri Purohit Swami
16.7 The godless do not know how to act or how to renounce. They have neither purity nor truth. They do not understand the right principles of conduct.
Sri Abhinav Gupta
16.7 Pravrttim etc. Origin : i.e. wherefrom this [universe] is born. Withdrawal : i.e. into what this gets dissolved.
Sri Ramanuja
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 one’s actual knowledge, does not characterise them.
Moreover:
Sri Shankaracharya
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,
Swami Adidevananda
16.7 The demoniac men know neither action nor renunciation. Cleanliness is not in them, nor even right conduct, nor truth.
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.
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.
Commentaries
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.