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प्रमादात् स्वाभाविकब्रह्मभावप्रच्यवनात् अनात्मनि देहादावात्मभावात् असुराः विरोचनप्रभृतयः पराभवन् पराभूताः ।तथा च श्रुतिः— ‘अनुपलभ्यात्मानम्’ इत्यारभ्य ‘देवा वा असुरा वा ते पराभविष्यन्ति’ इत्यन्तेन ।तथा अप्रमादात् स्वाभाविकचित्सदानन्दाद्वितीयब्रह्मात्मनावस्थानात् ब्रह्मभूताः सुराश्च इन्द्रादयः ।तथा च श्रुतिः— ‘तं वा एतं देवा आत्मानमुपासते तस्माच्च तेषां सर्वे लोकाः आप्ताः सर्वे च कामाः’ इत्यादिना ।अथवा, असुषु प्राणेषु इन्द्रियेष्वेव रमन्त इत्यसुराः अनात्मविदो वैषयिकाः प्राणिनोऽसुराः ।ते स्वाभाविकब्रह्मभावमतिक्रम्य अनात्मनि देहादावात्मभावमापन्नाः पराभवन् तिर्यगादियोनिमापन्नाः ।तथा च बृहदारण्यकोपनिषत्— ‘तस्मान्न प्रमाद्येत्’ इत्याद्यारभ्य ‘यथा वै ताः देवाः प्रजास्तिस्रोऽत्यायमायंस्तानीमानि वयांसि वङ्गावगधाश्चेरपादाः’ इति ।तथा स्वस्मिन्नात्मन्येव रमन्त इत्यात्मविदः सुराः ।तथा चोक्तम्— ‘आत्मन्येव रतिर्येषां स्वस्मिन्ब्रह्मणि चाचले ।ते सुरा इति विख्याताः सूरयश्च सुरा
In plain words
Due to heedlessness—slipping away from our natural state as brahman and mistaking the physical body for the self—demonic beings like Virocana suffered total spiritual ruin. Scripture confirms this, starting from the verse 'Failing to realize the self...' and concluding with 'Whether gods or demons, they are bound to be defeated.' Conversely, through vigilance and abiding steadfastly as the natural, conscious, blissful, non-dual brahman-self, deities like Indra attained the state of brahman itself. As scripture declares: 'Those gods meditate upon this very self; through that, all worlds and all desires are attained by them.' Alternatively, the word 'asura' can be understood as referring to those who revel exclusively in the vital breaths and sensory organs—the sensual beings ignorant of the self. Abandoning their natural abidance in brahman and identifying entirely with the body, they fell into ruin and took birth in animal wombs. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad supports this, beginning with 'Therefore one should not be negligent' and continuing through descriptions of various creatures. On the other hand, those who find their joy exclusively within the inner self are the true knowers of the self, the gods. As it is said: 'Those whose delight is in the self alone, resting in their own unmoving brahman—they are truly renowned as the wise, the suras.'
Close to the Sanskrit
From heedlessness, from falling away from the natural state of brahman, and from the conceit of self in the non-self such as the body, the asuras like Virocana were defeated and overthrown. And similarly the scripture—beginning with 'Not perceiving the self' and ending with 'Whether gods or asuras, they will be defeated.' And similarly, from heedfulness, by abiding in the nature of the natural, conscious, blissful, non-dual brahman-self, the gods led by Indra became those who have become brahman. And similarly the scripture—'And those gods meditate upon this very self, and from that all worlds and all desires are attained' and so forth. Alternatively, asuras are those who delight exclusively in the vital breaths and senses, being knowers of the non-self and sensual creatures. They, having transgressed the natural state of brahman and having taken the notion of self in the body, were defeated and attained animal and other wombs. And similarly the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad—beginning with 'Therefore one should not be negligent' and ending with 'Just as those gods having surpassed three classes of progeny, these birds, Vangas, Magadhas, and footed beings.' And those who delight in their own self alone are the knowers of the self, the suras. And thus it is said—'Those whose delight is in the self alone, in their own unmoving brahman, they are renowned as suras, the wise, and the gods.'