Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.4.30

ākarṇya bhartur gaditaḿ

tam ūcur deva-śatravaḥ

devān prati kṛtāmarṣā

daiteyā nāti-kovidāḥ

SYNONYMS

ākarṇya — after hearing; bhartuḥ — of their master; gaditam — the words or statement; tam ūcuḥ — replied to him; deva-śatravaḥ — all the asuras, who were enemies of the demigods; devān — the demigods; prati — toward; kṛta-amarṣāḥ — who were envious; daiteyāḥ — the asuras; na — not; ati-kovidāḥ — 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 Kaḿsa as follows.

PURPORT

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

dvau bhūta-sargau loke 'smin

daiva āsura eva ca

viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ smṛto daiva

āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ

(Padma Purāṇa)

Those who are devotees of Lord Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa, are suras, or devas, whereas those who are opposed to the devotees are called asuras. Devotees are expert in all transactions (yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ). 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. Moghāśā mogha-karmāṇaḥ. According to this description of the asuras given in Bhagavad-gītā (9.12), whatever they do will ultimately be baffled. It was such persons who advised Kaḿsa because they were his chief friends and ministers.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
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