SB 10.4.30

TEXT 30

TEXT

@Ak(NyaR BatauRgARid"taM
tamaUcaudeR"vazA‡ava:
de"vaAna, 'aita k{(taAmaSaAR
dE"taeyaA naAitak(Aeivad"A:

akarnya bhartur gaditam

tam ūcur deva-satravaḥ

devan prati krtamarsa

daiteya nati-kovidaḥ

akarnya-after hearing; bhartuḥ-of their master; gaditam-the words or statement; tam ūcuḥ-replied to him; deva-satravaḥ-all the asuras, who were enemies of the demigods; devan-the demigods; prati-toward; krta-amarsaḥ-who were envious; daiteyaḥ-the asuras; na-not; ati-kovidaḥ-who were very expert in executing transactions.

TRANSLATION

After hearing their master's statement, the envious asuras, who were enemies of the demigods and were not very expert in their dealings, advised Kamsa as follows.

PURPORT

There are two different types of men-the asuras and the suras.

dvau bhūta-sargau loke 'smin
daiva asura eva ca
visnu-bhaktaḥ smrto daiva
asuras tad-viparyayaḥ
(Padma Purana)

Those who are devotees of Lord Visnu, Krsna, are suras, or devas, whereas those who are opposed to the devotees are called asuras. Devotees are expert in all transactions (yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana sarvair gunais tatra samasate suraḥ). Therefore they are called kovida, which means "expert." Asuras, however, although superficially showing expertise in passionate activities, are actually all fools. They are neither sober nor expert. Whatever they do is imperfect. Moghasa mogha-karmanaḥ. According to this description of the asuras given in Bhagavad-gita (9.12), whatever they do will ultimately be baffled. It was such persons who advised Kamsa because they were his chief friends and ministers.

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