Chapter 16: Daivāsura-sampad-vibhāga-yoga: / Verse 4

While divine qualities are lofty, sublime and benevolent, demonical ones are harsh, cruel and destructive to oneself and others alike. To be strong, resourceful and graceful is desirable. But to pretend to be so is harmful, dangerous. And yet such false display is characteristic of the vicious. The society will always have a place for them. One has to learn to manage them discreetly.

To be respectable in the eyes of others is great. But to pretend respectability without the requisite qualities or enrichments, is entirely different. The demonic people will lavishly display false respectability.

Arrogance and pride are their constant associates. Hypocrisy, posing to be what they are not, is equally their characteristic. Harshness in speech, action and thought mark their behaviour everywhere. Hatred, intolerance and delusion are their chosen delight. Krishna empowers the seeker to deal with all these āsura traits discreetly.