716 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 4, Ch. 18
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.
TEXT 16
aan aaa oat TETRRGTIAT |
framnggeq areas Aurea 124
daiteya danava vatsan
prahladam asura-rsabham
vidhayaddduhan ksiram
ayah-patre surdsavam

daiteyah—the sons of Diti; daénavah—demons; vatsam—the calf; prahladam
—Prahlada Maharaja; asura—demon; rsabham—the chief; vidhdya—making;
aditduhan—they milked out; ksiram— milk; ayah— iron; patre—in a pot; sura
—liquor; dsavam—fermented liquids like beer.

TRANSLATION

The sons of Diti and the demons transformed Prahlada Maharaja, 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 beverage 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 Prahlada Maharaja is very significant in this connec-
tion. Because Prahlada Maharaja was born in a family of demons, as the
son of Hiranyakasipu, by his mercy the demons were and still are able to
have their drinks in the forms of wine and beer. The word ayah (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,
itis placed in a golden pot.
