SB 4.18.15 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

कृत्वा वत्सं सुरगणा इन्द्रं सोममदूदुहन् । हिरण्मयेन पात्रेण वीर्यमोजो बलं पय: ॥ १५ ॥

Verse text

kṛtvā vatsaṁ sura-gaṇā indraṁ somam adūduhan hiraṇmayena pātreṇa vīryam ojo balaṁ payaḥ

Synonyms

kṛtvā — making ; vatsam — calf ; sura — gaṇāḥ — the demigods ; indram — Indra, King of heaven ; somam — nectar ; adūduhan — they milked out ; hiraṇmayena — golden ; pātreṇa — with a pot ; vīryam — mental power ; ojaḥ — strength of the senses ; balam — strength of the body ; payaḥ — milk .

Translation

All the demigods made Indra, the King of heaven, into a calf, and from the earth they milked the beverage soma, which is nectar. Thus they became very powerful in mental speculation and bodily and sensual strength.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The devatās, making Indra the calf, produced nectar with power of mind, senses and body as the milk, in a pot of gold. Soma means nectar. Vīrya is mental power, oja is sense power and bala is bodily strength. This was the milk. The sons of Diti, the demons, making Prahlāda, best of the demonic family, the calf, produced liquor in an iron pot. Surā and āsava mean liquor.

Purport

In this verse the word soma means “nectar.” Soma is a kind of beverage made in the heavenly planets, from the moon to the kingdoms of the demigods in the various higher planetary systems. By drinking this soma beverage the demigods become more powerful mentally and increase their sensual power and bodily strength. The words hiraṇmayena pātreṇa indicate that this soma beverage is not an ordinary intoxicating liquor. The demigods would not touch any kind of liquor. Nor is soma a kind of drug. It is a different kind of beverage, available in the heavenly planets. Soma is far different from the liquors made for demoniac people, as explained in the next verse.