Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.4.30

ākarnya bhartur gaditam

tam ūcur deva-śatravah

devān prati kritāmarshā

daiteyā nāti-kovidāh

SYNONYMS

ākarnya — after hearing; bhartuh — of their master; gaditam — the words or statement; tam ūcuh — replied to him; deva-śatravah — all the asuras, who were enemies of the demigods; devān — the demigods; prati — toward; krita-amarshāh — who were envious; daiteyāh — the asuras; na — not; ati-kovidāh — 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 āsura eva ca

vishnu-bhaktah smrito daiva

āsuras tad-viparyayah

(Padma Purāna)

Those who are devotees of Lord Vishnu, Krishna, 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 gunais tatra samāsate surāh). 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-karmānah. 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 Kamsa because they were his chief friends and ministers.

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