True self-interest is recognizing your eternal nature as God's servant, not pursuing temporary sense gratification through designated bodies.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.7.46 [Partial Recording] — March 22, 1967, San Francisco 670322SB-SAN FRANCISCO [14:53 Minutes] Prabhupāda: ...kiyān deha-bhṛto 'surāḥ niṣekādiṣv avasthāsu kliśyamānasya karmabhiḥ [SB 7.7.46] [My dear friends, O sons of the asuras, the living entity receives different types of bodies according to his previous fruitive activities. Thus he is seen to suffer with reference to his particular body in all conditions of life, beginning with his infusion into the womb. Please tell me, therefore, after full consideration, what is the living entity's actual interest in fruitive activities, which result in hardship and misery?] Prahlāda Mahārāja instructing his friends, all small children, about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He is instructing so many things.
We have been discussing this subject matter for the last few days. Now he's placing before them for submitting, for consideration. "My dear friends," deha-bhṛtām, "those who have accepted this material body," asura... Asura means demons. He also belonged to the family, atheistic family.
His father was great atheist, and all his friends... Because his father was king, so all his friends happened to be the citizens of that atheistic kingdom. So all of them are being addressed as asura. Asura means demons, godless.
There are two kinds of people, asura and sura, or deva and asura. So who are asuras and who are devas? Devas means godly, and asura means nongodly, or atheistic. In the Vedic literature you'll find there are definition that there are two kinds of people.
Dvau bhūta-sargau loke daiva āsura eva ca [Bg. 16.6]. [O son of Pṛthā, in this world there are two kinds of created beings. One is called the divine and the other demonic. I have already explained to you at length the divine qualities. Now hear from Me of the demoniac.] There are two kinds of people in this world: viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva.
And who are... Daiva means godly. Who are godly? Viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ, those who are devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are called godly.
And āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ [Padma Purāṇa]. [There are two classes of men in the created world. One consists of the demoniac and the other of the godly. The devotees of Lord Viṣṇu are the godly, whereas those who are just the opposite are called demons.] Tad-viparyayaḥ means just the opposite number. What is the opposite number?