Devanagari
दैत्यान्गृहीतकलसो वञ्चयन्नुपसञ्चरै: ।
दूरस्थान् पाययामास जरामृत्युहरां सुधाम् ॥ २१ ॥
Verse text
daityān gṛhīta-kalaso
vaṣcayann upasaṣcaraiḥ
dūra-sthān pāyayām āsa
jarā-mṛtyu-harāṁ sudhām
Synonyms
daityān
—
the demons
;
gṛhīta
—
kalasaḥ — the Lord, who bore the container of nectar
;
vaṣcayan
—
by cheating
;
upasaṣcaraiḥ
—
with sweet words
;
dūra
—
sthān — the demigods, who were sitting at a distant place
;
pāyayām āsa
—
made them drink
;
jarā
—
mṛtyu — harām — which can counteract invalidity, old age and death
;
sudhām
—
such nectar .
Translation
Taking the container of nectar in Her hands, She first approached the demons, satisfied them with sweet words and thus cheated them of their share of the nectar. Then She administered the nectar to the demigods, who were sitting at a distant place, to make them free from invalidity, old age and death.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Taking the container of nectar in her hands, she first approached the demons, and cheated them by her bewildering gestures. Then she administered the nectar which destroys old age and death to the devatās, who were sitting at a distant place.
She cheated the demons by slowly moving close to them (upa) while moving her cloth, ornaments and ankle bells, covering her face, smiling shyly and moving her eyebrows. They thought she would give a little to the devatās to satisfy them and give most to the demons. This is how she cheated them. They concluded in their mind, “We are now drinking nectar with our ears, eyes and mind. The nectar from the milk ocean cannot be more than this. What is the use of the nectar? We desire simply to please her.” She then gave nectar to the devatās who were seated far off.
Purport
Mohinī-mūrti, the Personality of Godhead, gave the demigods seats at a distance. Then She approached the demons and spoke with them very graciously, so that they thought themselves very fortunate to talk with Her. Since Mohinī-mūrti had seated the demigods at a distant place, the demons thought that the demigods would get only a little of the nectar and that Mohinī-mūrti was so pleased with the demons that She would give the demons all the nectar. The words
vaṣcayann upasaṣcaraiḥ
indicate that the Lord’s whole policy was to cheat the demons simply by speaking sweet words. The Lord’s intention was to distribute the nectar only to the demigods.