O Uddhava! How is the brave Pradyumna, commander of the Yadus whom Rukmiṇī obtained from the Lord after worshiping the brāhmaṇas, and who was Cupid in his previous birth. Because of his emotions, Vidura does not ask this question in proper order (since he was younger). The leader of the troops (varuthādhipatiḥ) was in his previous birth Kāmadeva (smaram). Since Kāmadeva is a devatā and Pradyumna is acting as a human, the statement is meant as praise. However the real truth is different. Kāmadeva is Pradyumna’s vibhūti or expansion. Later in the text also, many expansions are described as equal to the Lord in telling various stories. For instance Vasudeva and Devakī are identified with Pṛśnī and Sutapā by the Lord himself. Tvam eva pūrva-sarge ’bhūḥ pṛśniḥ svāyambhuve sati: you were previously Pṛśni in Svāyambhuva’s time. (SB 10.32) This however is stated only to create astonishment within the human pastimes. Similarly in the present verse, the statement that previously Pradyumna was Kāmadeva and in verse 30 the statement that Jāmbavatī performed austerities to get Kārtikeya as her son cannot be taken literally since Jāmbavatī and Rukmiṇī are the svarūpa-śakti of the Lord, and do not need to perform sādhana to get devatās as their sons.