Text 30
ākarṇya bhartur gaditaṁ
tam ūcur deva-śatravaḥ
devān prati kṛtāmarṣā
daiteyā nāti-kovidāḥ
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.
After hearing their master’s statement, the envious asuras, who were enemies of the demigods and were not very expert in their dealings, advised Kaṁsa as follows.
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 Kaṁsa because they were his chief friends and ministers.