Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 4 Chapter 18 Verse 16

Canto 4: Creation of the Fourth Order | Chapter 18: Pṛthu Mahārāja Milks the Earth Planet

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.18.16

daiteyā dānavā vatsaḿ

prahlādam asurarṣabham

vidhāyādūduhan kṣīram

ayaḥ-pātre surāsavam

SYNONYMS

daiteyāḥ — the sons of Diti; dānavāḥ — demons; vatsam — the calf; prahlādam — Prahlāda Mahārāja; asura — demon; ṛṣabham — the chief; vidhāya — making; adūduhan — they milked out; kṣīram — milk; ayaḥ — iron; pātre — in a pot; surā — liquor; āsavam — fermented liquids like beer.

TRANSLATION

The sons of Diti and the demons transformed Prahlāda Mahārāja, who was born in an asura family, into a calf, and they extracted various kinds of liquor and beer, which they put into a pot made of iron.

PURPORT

The demons also have their own types of beverages in the form of liquors and beers, just as the demigods use soma-rasa for their drinking purposes. The demons born of Diti take great pleasure in drinking wine and beer. Even today people of demoniac nature are very much addicted to liquor and beer. The name of Prahlāda Mahārāja is very significant in this connection. Because Prahlāda Mahārāja was born in a family of demons, as the son of Hiraṇyakaśipu, by his mercy the demons were and still are able to have their drinks in the form of wine and beer. The word ayaḥ (iron) is very significant. Whereas the nectarean soma was put in a golden pot, the liquors and beers were put in an iron pot. Because the liquor and beer are inferior, they are placed in an iron pot, and because soma-rasa is superior, it is placed in a golden pot.

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