Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 3: “The Status Quo”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter Eighteen
SB3.18.14
TEXT 14
srjann amarsitah svasan
manyu-pracalitendriyah
asadya tarasa daityo
gadaya nyahanad dharim
SYNONYMS
srjan—giving out; amarsitah—being angry; svasan—breaths; manyu—by wrath; pracalita—agitated; indriyah—whose senses; asadya—attacking; tarasa—quickly; daityah—the demon; gadaya—with his mace; nyahanat—struck; harim—Lord Hari.
TRANSLATION
Hissing indignantly, all his senses shaken by wrath, the demon quickly sprang upon the Lord and dealt Him a blow with his powerful mace.
SB3.18.15
TEXT 15
bhagavams tu gada-vegam
visrstam ripunorasi
avancayat tirascino
yogarudha ivantakam
SYNONYMS
bhagavan—the Lord; tu—however; gada-vegam—the blow of the mace; visrstam—thrown; ripuna—by the enemy; urasi—at His breast; avancayat—dodged; tirascinah—aside; yoga-arudhah—an accomplished yogi; iva—like; antakam—death.
TRANSLATION
The Lord, however, by moving slightly aside, dodged the violent mace-blow aimed at His breast by the enemy, just as an accomplished yogi would elude death.
PURPORT
The example is given herein that the perfect yogi can overcome a deathblow although it is offered by the laws of nature. It is useless for a demon to beat the transcendental body of the Lord with a powerful mace, for no one can surpass His prowess. Those who are advanced transcendentalists are freed from the laws of nature, and even a deathblow cannot act on them. Superficially it may be seen that a yogi is attacked by a deathblow, but by the grace of the Lord he can overcome many such attacks for the service of the Lord. As the Lord exists by His own independent prowess, by the grace of the Lord the devotees also exist for His service. SB3.18.16 TEXT 16 punar gadam svam adaya bhramayantam abhiksnasah abhyadhavad dharih kruddhah samrambhad dasta-dacchadam SYNONYMS punah—again; gadam—mace; svam—his; adaya—having taken; bhramayantam—brandishing; abhiksnasah—repeatedly; abhyadhavat—rushed to meet; harih—the Personality of Godhead; kruddhah—angry; samrambhat—in rage; dasta—bitten; dacchadam—his lip. TRANSLATION The Personality of Godhead now exhibited His anger and rushed to meet the demon, who bit his lip in rage, took up his mace again and began to repeatedly brandish it about. SB3.18.17 TEXT 17 tatas ca gadayaratim daksinasyam bhruvi prabhuh ajaghne sa tu tam saumya gadaya kovido ’hanat SYNONYMS tatah—then; ca—and; gadaya—with His mace; aratim—the enemy; daksinasyam—on the right; bhruvi—on the brow; prabhuh—the Lord; ajaghne—struck; sah—the Lord; tu—but; tam—the mace; saumya—O gentle Vidura; gadaya—with his mace; kovidah—expert; ahanat—he saved himself. TRANSLATION Then with His mace the Lord struck the enemy on the right of his brow, but since the demon was expert in fighting, O gentle Vidura, he protected himself by a maneuver of his own mace. SB3.18.18 TEXT 18 evam gadabhyam gurvibhyam haryakso harir eva ca jigisaya susamrabdhav anyonyam abhijaghnatuh SYNONYMS evam—in this way; gadabhyam—with their maces; gurvibhyam—huge; haryaksah—the demon Haryaksa (Hiranyaksa); harih—Lord Hari; eva—certainly; ca—and; jigisaya—with a desire for victory; susamrabdhau—enraged; anyonyam—each other; abhijaghnatuh—they struck. TRANSLATION In this way, the demon Haryaksa and the Lord, the Personality of Godhead, struck each other with their huge maces, each enraged and seeking his own victory. PURPORT Haryaksa is another name for Hiranyaksa, the demon. SB3.18.19 TEXT 19 tayoh sprdhos tigma-gadahatangayoh ksatasrava-ghrana-vivrddha-manyvoh vicitra-margams carator jigisaya vyabhad ilayam iva susminor mrdhah SYNONYMS tayoh—them; sprdhoh—the two combatants; tigma—pointed; gada—by the maces; ahata—injured; angayoh—their bodies; ksata-asrava—blood coming out from the injuries; ghrana—smell; vivrddha—increased; manyvoh—anger; vicitra—of various kinds; margan—maneuvers; caratoh—performing; jigisaya—with a desire to win; vyabhat—it looked like; ilayam—for the sake of a cow (or the earth); iva—like; susminoh—of two bulls; mrdhah—an encounter. TRANSLATION There was keen rivalry between the two combatants; both had sustained injuries on their bodies from the blows of each other’s pointed maces, and each grew more and more enraged at the smell of blood on his person. In their eagerness to win, they performed maneuvers of various kinds, and their contest looked like an encounter between two forceful bulls for the sake of a cow. PURPORT Here the earth planet is called ila. This earth was formerly known as Ilavrta-varsa, and when Maharaja Pariksit ruled the earth it was called Bharata-varsa. Actually, Bharata-varsa is the name for the entire planet, but gradually Bharata-varsa has come to mean India. As India has recently been divided into Pakistan and Hindustan, similarly the earth was formerly called Ilavrta-varsa, but gradually as time passed it was divided by national boundaries. SB3.18.20 TEXT 20 daityasya yajnavayavasya maya- grhita-varaha-tanor mahatmanah kauravya mahyam dvisator vimardanam didrksur agad rsibhir vrtah svarat SYNONYMS daityasya—of the demon; yajna-avayavasya—of the Personality of Godhead (of whose body yajna is a part); maya—through His potency; grhita—was assumed; varaha—of a boar; tanoh—whose form; maha-atmanah—of the Supreme Lord; kauravya—O Vidura (descendant of Kuru); mahyam—for the sake of the world; dvisatoh—of the two enemies; vimardanam—the fight; didrksuh—desirous to see; agat—came; rsibhih—by the sages; vrtah—accompanied; svarat—Brahma. TRANSLATION O descendant of Kuru, Brahma, the most independent demigod of the universe, accompanied by his followers, came to see the terrible fight for the sake of the world between the demon and the Personality of Godhead, who appeared in the form of a boar. PURPORT The fight between the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the demon is compared to a fight between bulls for the sake of a cow. The earth planet is also called go, or cow. As bulls fight between themselves to ascertain who will have union with a cow, there is always a constant fight between the demons and the Supreme Lord or His representative for supremacy over the earth. Here the Lord is significantly described as yajnavayava. One should not consider the Lord to have the body of an ordinary boar. He can assume any form, and He possesses all such forms eternally. It is from Him that all other forms have emanated. This boar form is not to be considered the form of an ordinary hog; His body is actually full of yajna, or worshipful offerings. Yajna (sacrifices) are offered to Visnu. Yajna means the body of Visnu. His body is not material; therefore He should not be taken to be an ordinary boar. Brahma is described in this verse as svarat. Actually, full independence is exclusive to the Lord Himself, but as part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, every living entity has a minute quantity of independence. Each and every one of the living entities within this universe has this minute independence, but Brahma, being the chief of all living entities, has a greater potential of independence than any other. He is the representative of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and has been assigned to preside over universal affairs. All other demigods work for him; therefore he is described here as svarat. He is always accompanied by great sages and transcendentalists, all of whom came to see the bullfight between the demon and the Lord. SB3.18.21 TEXT 21 asanna-saundiram apeta-sadhvasam krta-pratikaram aharya-vikramam vilaksya daityam bhagavan sahasra-nir jagada narayanam adi-sukaram SYNONYMS asanna—attained; saundiram—power; apeta—devoid of; sadhvasam—fear; krta—making; pratikaram—opposition; aharya—unopposable; vikramam—having power; vilaksya—having seen; daityam—the demon; bhagavan—the worshipful Brahma; sahasra-nih—the leader of thousands of sages; jagada—addressed; narayanam—Lord Narayana; adi—the original; sukaram—having the form of a boar. TRANSLATION After arriving at the place of combat, Brahma, the leader of thousands of sages and transcendentalists, saw the demon, who had attained such unprecedented power that no one could fight with him. Brahma then addressed Narayana, who was assuming the form of a boar for the first time. SB3.18.22-23 TEXTS 22–23 brahmovaca esa te deva devanam anghri-mulam upeyusam vipranam saurabheyinam bhutanam apy anagasam agas-krd bhaya-krd duskrd asmad-raddha-varo ’surah anvesann apratiratho lokan atati kantakah SYNONYMS brahma uvaca—Lord Brahma said; esah—this demon; te—Your; deva—O Lord; devanam—to the demigods; anghri-mulam—Your feet; upeyusam—to those having obtained; vipranam—to the brahmanas; saurabheyinam—to the cows; bhutanam—to ordinary living entities; api—also; anagasam—innocent; agah-krt—an offender; bhaya-krt—a source of fear; duskrt—wrongdoer; asmat—from me; raddha-varah—having attained a boon; asurah—a demon; anvesan—searching; apratirathah—having no proper combatant; lokan—all over the universe; atati—he wanders; kantakah—being a pinprick for everyone. TRANSLATION Lord Brahma said: My dear Lord, this demon has proved to be a constant pinprick to the demigods, the brahmanas, the cows and innocent persons who are spotless and always dependent upon worshiping Your lotus feet. He has become a source of fear by unnecessarily harassing them. Since he has attained a boon from me, he has become a demon, always searching for a proper combatant, wandering all over the universe for this infamous purpose. PURPORT There are two classes of living entities; one is called sura, or the demigods, and the other is called asura, or the demons. Demons are generally fond of worshiping the demigods, and there are evidences that by such worship they get extensive power for their sense gratification. This later proves to be a cause of trouble to the brahmanas, demigods and other innocent living entities. Demons habitually find fault with the demigods, brahmanas and innocent, to whom they are a constant source of fear. The way of the demon is to take power from the demigods and then tease the demigods themselves. There is an instance of a great devotee of Lord Siva who obtained a boon from Lord Siva that the head of whomever he touched with his hand would come off its trunk. As soon as the boon was offered to him, the demon wanted to touch the very head of Lord Siva. That is their way. The devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead do not, however, ask any favor for sense gratification. Even if they are offered liberation, they refuse it. They are happy simply engaging in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. SB3.18.24 TEXT 24 mainam mayavinam drptam nirankusam asattamam akrida balavad deva yathasivisam utthitam SYNONYMS ma—do not; enam—him; maya-vinam—skilled in conjuring tricks; drptam—arrogant; nirankusam—self-sufficient; asat-tamam—most wicked; akrida—play with; bala-vat—like a child; deva—O Lord; yatha—as; asivisam—a serpent; utthitam—aroused. TRANSLATION Lord Brahma continued: My dear Lord, there is no need to play with this serpentine demon, who is always very skilled in conjuring tricks and is arrogant, self-sufficient and most wicked. PURPORT No one is unhappy when a serpent is killed. It is a practice among village boys to catch a serpent by the tail and play with it for some time and then kill it. Similarly, the Lord could have killed the demon at once, but He played with him in the same way as a child plays with a snake before killing it. Brahma requested, however, that since the demon was more wicked and undesirable than a serpent, there was no need to play with him. It was his wish that he be killed at once, without delay. SB3.18.25 TEXT 25 na yavad esa vardheta svam velam prapya darunah svam deva mayam asthaya tavaj jahy agham acyuta SYNONYMS na yavat—before; esah—this demon; vardheta—may increase; svam—his own; velam—demoniac hour; prapya—having reached; darunah—formidable; svam—Your own; deva—O Lord; mayam—internal potency; asthaya—using; tavat—at once; jahi—kill; agham—the sinful one; acyuta—O infallible one. TRANSLATION Brahma continued: My dear Lord, You are infallible. Please kill this sinful demon before the demoniac hour arrives and he presents another formidable approach favorable to him. You can kill him by Your internal potency without doubt. SB3.18.26 TEXT 26 esa ghoratama sandhya loka-cchambat-kari prabho upasarpati sarvatman suranam jayam avaha SYNONYMS esa—this; ghora-tama—darkest; sandhya—evening time; loka—the world; chambat-kari—destroying; prabho—O Lord; upasarpati—is approaching; sarva-atman—O Soul of all souls; suranam—to the demigods; jayam—victory; avaha—bring. TRANSLATION My Lord, the darkest evening, which covers the world, is fast approaching. Since You are the Soul of all souls, kindly kill him and win victory for the demigods. SB3.18.27 TEXT 27 adhunaiso ’bhijin nama yogo mauhurtiko hy agat sivaya nas tvam suhrdam asu nistara dustaram SYNONYMS adhuna—now; esah—this; abhijit nama—called abhijit; yogah—auspicious; mauhurtikah—moment; hi—indeed; agat—has almost passed; sivaya—for the welfare; nah—of us; tvam—You; suhrdam—of Your friends; asu—quickly; nistara—dispose of; dustaram—the formidable foe. TRANSLATION The auspicious period known as abhijit, which is most opportune for victory, commenced at midday and has all but passed; therefore, in the interest of Your friends, please dispose of this formidable foe quickly. SB3.18.28 TEXT 28 distya tvam vihitam mrtyum ayam asaditah svayam vikramyainam mrdhe hatva lokan adhehi sarmani SYNONYMS distya—by fortune; tvam—to You; vihitam—ordained; mrtyum—death; ayam—this demon; asaditah—has come; svayam—of his own accord; vikramya—exhibiting Your prowess; enam—him; mrdhe—in the duel; hatva—killing; lokan—the worlds; adhehi—establish; sarmani—in peace. TRANSLATION This demon, luckily for us, has come of his own accord to You, his death ordained by You; therefore, exhibiting Your ways, kill him in the duel and establish the worlds in peace. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Third Canto, Eighteenth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “The Battle Between Lord Boar and the Demon Hiranyaksa.”