Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 6: “Prescribed Duties for Mankind”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter Twelve
SB6.12.16
TEXT 16
pasya mam nirjitam satru
vrknayudha-bhujam mrdhe
ghatamanam yatha-sakti
tava prana-jihirsaya
SYNONYMS
pasya—look; mam—at me; nirjitam—already defeated; satru—O enemy; vrkna—cut off; ayudha—my weapon; bhujam—and my arm; mrdhe—in this fight; ghatamanam—still trying; yatha-sakti—according to my ability; tava—of you; prana—the life; jihirsaya—with the desire to take away.
TRANSLATION
O my enemy, just look at me. I have already been defeated, for my weapon and arm have been cut to pieces. You have already overwhelmed me, but nonetheless, with a desire to kill you, I am trying my best to fight. I am not at all morose, even under such adverse conditions. Therefore you should give up your moroseness and continue fighting.
PURPORT
Vrtrasura was so great and powerful that in effect he was acting as the spiritual master of Indra. Although Vrtrasura was on the verge of defeat, he was not at all affected. He knew that he was going to be defeated by Indra, and he voluntarily accepted that, but since he was supposed to be Indra’s enemy, he tried his best to kill Indra. Thus he performed his duty. One should perform his duty under all circumstances, even though one may know what the result will be. SB6.12.17 TEXT 17 prana-glaho ’yam samara isv-akso vahanasanah atra na jnayate ’musya jayo ’musya parajayah SYNONYMS prana-glahah—life is the stake; ayam—this; samarah—battle; isu-aksah—the arrows are the dice; vahana-asanah—the carriers such as the horses and elephants are the game board; atra—here (in this gambling match); na—not; jnayate—is known; amusya—of that one; jayah—victory; amusya—of that one; parajayah—defeat. TRANSLATION O my enemy, consider this battle a gambling match in which our lives are the stakes, the arrows are the dice, and the animals acting as carriers are the game board. No one can understand who will be defeated and who will be victorious. It all depends on providence. SB6.12.18 TEXT 18 sri-suka uvaca indro vrtra-vacah srutva gatalikam apujayat grhita-vajrah prahasams tam aha gata-vismayah SYNONYMS sri-sukah uvaca—Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; indrah—King Indra; vrtra-vacah—the words of Vrtrasura; srutva—hearing; gata-alikam—without duplicity; apujayat—worshiped; grhita-vajrah—taking up the thunderbolt; prahasan—smiling; tam—unto Vrtrasura; aha—said; gata-vismayah—giving up his wonder. TRANSLATION Sukadeva Gosvami said: Hearing the straightforward, instructive words of Vrtrasura, King Indra praised him and again took the thunderbolt in his hand. Without bewilderment or duplicity, he then smiled and spoke to Vrtrasura as follows. PURPORT King Indra, the greatest of the demigods, was astonished to hear the instructions of Vrtrasura, who was supposed to be a demon. He was struck with wonder that a demon could speak so intelligently. Then he remembered great devotees like Prahlada Maharaja and Bali Maharaja, who had been born in the families of demons, and thus he came to his senses. Even so-called demons sometimes have exalted devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Indra smiled reassuringly at Vrtrasura. SB6.12.19 TEXT 19 indra uvaca aho danava siddho ’si yasya te matir idrsi bhaktah sarvatmanatmanam suhrdam jagad-isvaram SYNONYMS indrah uvaca—Indra said; aho—hello; danava—O demon; siddhah asi—you are now perfect; yasya—whose; te—your; matih—consciousness; idrsi—such as this; bhaktah—a great devotee; sarva-atmana—without diversion; atmanam—to the Supersoul; suhrdam—the greatest friend; jagat-isvaram—to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. TRANSLATION Indra said: O great demon, I see by your discrimination and endurance in devotional service, despite your dangerous position, that you are a perfect devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul and friend of everyone. PURPORT As stated in Bhagavad-gita (6.22): yam labdhva caparam labham “Established in Krsna consciousness, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of the greatest difficulty.” An unalloyed devotee is never disturbed by any kind of trying circumstance. Indra was surprised to see that Vrtrasura, undisturbed, was fixed in devotional service to the Lord, for such a mentality is impossible for a demon. However, by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, anyone can become an exalted devotee (striyo vaisyas tatha sudras te ’pi yanti param gatim). An unalloyed devotee is sure to return home, back to Godhead. SB6.12.20 TEXT 20 bhavan atarsin mayam vai vaisnavim jana-mohinim yad vihayasuram bhavam maha-purusatam gatah SYNONYMS bhavan—your good self; atarsit—has surmounted; mayam—the illusory energy; vai—indeed; vaisnavim—of Lord Visnu; jana-mohinim—which deludes the mass of people; yat—since; vihaya—giving up; asuram—of the demons; bhavam—the mentality; maha-purusatam—the position of an exalted devotee; gatah—obtained. TRANSLATION You have surmounted the illusory energy of Lord Visnu, and because of this liberation, you have given up the demoniac mentality and have attained the position of an exalted devotee. PURPORT Lord Visnu is the maha-purusa. Therefore one who becomes a Vaisnava attains the position of a maha-paurusya. This position was attained by Maharaja Pariksit. It is said in the Padma Purana that the distinction between a demigod and a demon is that a demigod is a devotee of Lord Visnu whereas a demon is just the opposite: visnu-bhaktah smrto daiva asuras tad-viparyayah. Vrtrasura was considered a demon, but actually he was more than qualified as a devotee, or maha-paurusya. If one somehow becomes a devotee of the Supreme Lord, whatever his position, he can be brought to the position of a perfect person. This is possible if an unalloyed devotee tries to serve the Lord by delivering him in this way. Therefore Sukadeva Gosvami says in Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.4.18): kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa “Kiratas, Hunas, Andhras, Pulindas, Pulkasas, Abhiras, Sumbhas, Yavanas and members of the Khasa races, and even others addicted to sinful acts can be purified by taking shelter of the devotees of the Lord, for He is the supreme power. I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.” Anyone can be purified if he takes shelter of a pure devotee and molds his character according to the pure devotee’s direction. Then, even if one is a Kirata, Andhra, Pulinda or whatever, he can be purified and elevated to the position of a maha-paurusya. SB6.12.21 TEXT 21 khalv idam mahad ascaryam yad rajah-prakrtes tava vasudeve bhagavati sattvatmani drdha matih SYNONYMS khalu—indeed; idam—this; mahat ascaryam—great wonder; yat—which; rajah—influenced by the mode of passion; prakrteh—whose nature; tava—of you; vasudeve—in Lord Krsna; bhagavati—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sattva-atmani—who is situated in pure goodness; drdha—firm; matih—consciousness. TRANSLATION O Vrtrasura, demons are generally conducted by the mode of passion. Therefore, what a great wonder it is that although you are a demon, you have adopted the mentality of a devotee and have fixed your mind on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva, who is always situated in pure goodness. PURPORT King Indra wondered how Vrtrasura could have been elevated to the position of an exalted devotee. As for Prahlada Maharaja, he was initiated by Narada Muni, and therefore it was possible for him to become a great devotee, although he was born in a family of demons. For Vrtrasura, however, Indra could not detect such causes. Therefore he was struck with wonder that Vrtrasura was such an exalted devotee that he could fix his mind without deviation upon the lotus feet of Lord Krsna, Vasudeva. SB6.12.22 TEXT 22 yasya bhaktir bhagavati harau nihsreyasesvare vikridato ’mrtambhodhau kim ksudraih khatakodakaih SYNONYMS yasya—of whom; bhaktih—devotional service; bhagavati—to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; harau—Lord Hari; nihsreyasa-isvare—the controller of the supreme perfection of life, or supreme liberation; vikridatah—swimming or playing; amrta-ambhodhau—in the ocean of nectar; kim—what is the use; ksudraih—with small; khataka-udakaih—ditches of water. TRANSLATION A person fixed in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord, Hari, the Lord of the highest auspiciousness, swims in the ocean of nectar. For him what is the use of the water in small ditches? PURPORT Vrtrasura has formerly prayed (Bhag. 6.11.25), na naka-prstham na ca paramesthyam na sama-bhaumam na rasadhipatyam. “I do not want the facilities for happiness on Brahmaloka, Svargaloka or even Dhruvaloka, not to speak of this earth or the lower planets. I simply want to return home, back to Godhead.” This is the determination of a pure devotee. A pure devotee is never attracted to any exalted position within this material world. He simply wants to associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead like the inhabitants of Vrndavana—Srimati Radharani, the gopis, Krsna’s father and mother (Nanda Maharaja and Yasoda), Krsna’s friends and Krsna’s servants. He wants to associate with Krsna’s atmosphere of Vrndavana’s beauty. These are the highest ambitions of a devotee of Krsna. Devotees of Lord Visnu may aspire for a position in Vaikunthaloka, but a devotee of Krsna never aspires even for the facilities of Vaikuntha; he wants to return to Goloka Vrndavana and associate with Lord Krsna in His eternal pastimes. Any material happiness is like water in a ditch, whereas the spiritual happiness eternally enjoyed in the spiritual world is like an ocean of nectar in which a devotee wants to swim. SB6.12.23 TEXT 23 sri-suka uvaca iti bruvanav anyonyam dharma-jijnasaya nrpa yuyudhate maha-viryav indra-vrtrau yudham pati SYNONYMS sri-sukah uvaca—Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; iti—thus; bruvanau—speaking; anyonyam—to one another; dharma-jijnasaya—with a desire to know the supreme, ultimate religious principle (devotional service); nrpa—O King; yuyudhate—fought; maha-viryau—both very powerful; indra—King Indra; vrtrau—and Vrtrasura; yudham pati—both great military commanders. TRANSLATION Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: Vrtrasura and King Indra spoke about devotional service even on the battlefield, and then as a matter of duty they again began fighting. My dear King, both of them were great fighters and were equally powerful. SB6.12.24 TEXT 24 avidhya parigham vrtrah karsnayasam arindamah indraya prahinod ghoram vama-hastena marisa SYNONYMS avidhya—whirling; parigham—the club; vrtrah—Vrtrasura; karsna-ayasam—made of iron; arim-damah—who was competent to subdue his enemy; indraya—at Indra; prahinot—threw; ghoram—very fearful; vama-hastena—with his left hand; marisa—O best of kings, Maharaja Pariksit. TRANSLATION O Maharaja Pariksit, Vrtrasura, who was completely able to subdue his enemy, took his iron club, whirled it around, aimed it at Indra and then threw it at him with his left hand. SB6.12.25 TEXT 25 sa tu vrtrasya parigham karam ca karabhopamam ciccheda yugapad devo vajrena sata-parvana SYNONYMS sah—he (King Indra); tu—however; vrtrasya—of Vrtrasura; parigham—the iron club; karam—his hand; ca—and; karabha-upamam—as strong as the trunk of an elephant; ciccheda—cut to pieces; yugapat—simultaneously; devah—Lord Indra; vajrena—with the thunderbolt; sata-parvana—having one hundred joints. TRANSLATION With his thunderbolt named Sataparvan, Indra simultaneously cut to pieces Vrtrasura’s club and his remaining hand. SB6.12.26 TEXT 26 dorbhyam utkrtta-mulabhyam babhau rakta-sravo ’surah chinna-pakso yatha gotrah khad bhrasto vajrina hatah SYNONYMS dorbhyam—from the two arms; utkrtta-mulabhyam—cut from the very root; babhau—was; rakta-sravah—profusely discharging blood; asurah—Vrtrasura; chinna-paksah—whose wings are cut; yatha—just as; gotrah—a mountain; khat—from the sky; bhrastah—falling; vajrina—by Indra, the carrier of the thunderbolt; hatah—struck. TRANSLATION Vrtrasura, bleeding profusely, his two arms cut off at their roots, looked very beautiful, like a flying mountain whose wings have been cut to pieces by Indra. PURPORT It appears from the statement of this verse that sometimes there are flying mountains and that their wings are cut by the thunderbolt of Indra. Vrtrasura’s huge body resembled such a mountain. SB6.12.27-29 TEXTS 27–29 maha-prano maha-viryo maha-sarpa iva dvipam krtvadharam hanum bhumau daityo divy uttaram hanum nabho-gambhira-vaktrena leliholbana-jihvaya damstrabhih kala-kalpabhir grasann iva jagat-trayam atimatra-maha-kaya aksipams tarasa girin giri-rat pada-cariva padbhyam nirjarayan mahim jagrasa sa samasadya vajrinam saha-vahanam SYNONYMS maha-pranah—very great in bodily strength; maha-viryah—showing uncommon prowess; maha-sarpah—the biggest snake; iva—like; dvipam—an elephant; krtva—placing; adharam—the lower; hanum—jaw; bhumau—on the ground; daityah—the demon; divi—in the sky; uttaram hanum—the upper jaw; nabhah—like the sky; gambhira—deep; vaktrena—with his mouth; leliha—like a snake; ulbana—fearful; jihvaya—with a tongue; damstrabhih—with teeth; kala-kalpabhih—exactly like the time factor, or death; grasan—devouring; iva—as if; jagat-trayam—the three worlds; ati-matra—very high; maha-kayah—whose great body; aksipan—shaking; tarasa—with great force; girin—the mountains; giri-rat—the Himalaya Mountains; pada-cari—moving on foot; iva—as if; padbhyam—by his feet; nirjarayan—crushing; mahim—the surface of the world; jagrasa—swallowed; sah—he; samasadya—reaching; vajrinam—Indra, who carries the thunderbolt; saha-vahanam—with his carrier, the elephant. TRANSLATION Vrtrasura was very powerful in physical strength and influence. He placed his lower jaw on the ground and his upper jaw in the sky. His mouth became very deep, like the sky itself, and his tongue resembled a large serpent. With his fearful, deathlike teeth, he seemed to be trying to devour the entire universe. Thus assuming a gigantic body, the great demon Vrtrasura shook even the mountains and began crushing the surface of the earth with his legs, as if he were the Himalayas walking about. He came before Indra and swallowed him and Airavata, his carrier, just as a big python might swallow an elephant. SB6.12.30 TEXT 30 vrtra-grastam tam alokya saprajapatayah surah ha kastam iti nirvinnas cukrusuh samaharsayah SYNONYMS vrtra-grastam—swallowed by Vrtrasura; tam—him (Indra); alokya—seeing; sa-prajapatayah—with Lord Brahma and other prajapatis; surah—all the demigods; ha—alas; kastam—what a tribulation; iti—thus; nirvinnah—being very morose; cukrusuh—lamented; sa-maha-rsayah—with the great sages. TRANSLATION When the demigods, along with Brahma, other prajapatis and other great saintly persons, saw that Indra had been swallowed by the demon, they became very morose. “Alas,” they lamented. “What a calamity ! What a calamity !” SB6.12.31 TEXT 31 nigirno ’py asurendrena na mamarodaram gatah mahapurusa-sannaddho yogamaya-balena ca SYNONYMS nigirnah—swallowed; api—although; asura-indrena—by the best of the demons, Vrtrasura; na—not; mamara—died; udaram—the abdomen; gatah—reaching; maha-purusa—by the armor of the Supreme Lord, Narayana; sannaddhah—being protected; yoga-maya-balena—by the mystic power that Indra himself possessed; ca—also. TRANSLATION The protective armor of Narayana, which Indra possessed, was identical with Narayana Himself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Protected by that armor and by his own mystic power, King Indra, although swallowed by Vrtrasura, did not die within the demon’s belly. SB6.12.32 TEXT 32 bhittva vajrena tat-kuksim niskramya bala-bhid vibhuh uccakarta sirah satror giri-srngam ivaujasa SYNONYMS bhittva—piercing; vajrena—by the thunderbolt; tat-kuksim—the abdomen of Vrtrasura; niskramya—getting out; bala-bhit—the slayer of the demon Bala; vibhuh—the powerful Lord Indra; uccakarta—cut off; sirah—the head; satroh—of the enemy; giri-srngam—the peak of a mountain; iva—like; ojasa—with great force. TRANSLATION With his thunderbolt, King Indra, who was also extremely powerful, pierced through Vrtrasura’s abdomen and came out. Indra, the killer of the demon Bala, then immediately cut off Vrtrasura’s head, which was as high as the peak of a mountain. SB6.12.33 TEXT 33 vajras tu tat-kandharam asu-vegah krntan samantat parivartamanah nyapatayat tavad ahar-ganena yo jyotisam ayane vartra-hatye SYNONYMS vajrah—the thunderbolt; tu—but; tat-kandharam—his neck; asu-vegah—although very fast; krntan—cutting; samantat—all around; parivartamanah—revolving; nyapatayat—caused to fall; tavat—so many; ahah-ganena—by days; yah—which; jyotisam—of the luminaries like the sun and moon; ayane—in moving to both sides of the equator; vartra-hatye—at the time suitable for killing Vrtrasura. TRANSLATION Although the thunderbolt revolved around Vrtrasura’s neck with great speed, separating his head from his body took one complete year—360 days, the time in which the sun, moon and other luminaries complete a northern and southern journey. Then, at the suitable time for Vrtrasura to be killed, his head fell to the ground. SB6.12.34 TEXT 34 tada ca khe dundubhayo vinedur gandharva-siddhah samaharsi-sanghah vartra-ghna-lingais tam abhistuvana mantrair muda kusumair abhyavarsan SYNONYMS tada—at that time; ca—also; khe—in the higher planetary systems in the sky; dundubhayah—the kettledrums; vineduh—sounded; gandharva—the Gandharvas; siddhah—and the Siddhas; sa-maharsi-sanghah—with the assembly of saintly persons; vartra-ghna-lingaih—celebrating the prowess of the killer of Vrtrasura; tam—him (Indra); abhistuvanah—praising; mantraih—by various mantras; muda—with great pleasure; kusumaih—with flowers; abhyavarsan—showered. TRANSLATION When Vrtrasura was killed, the Gandharvas and Siddhas in the heavenly planets beat kettledrums in jubilation. With Vedic hymns they celebrated the prowess of Indra, the killer of Vrtrasura, praising Indra and showering flowers upon him with great pleasure. SB6.12.35 TEXT 35 vrtrasya dehan niskrantam atma-jyotir arindama pasyatam sarva-devanam alokam samapadyata SYNONYMS vrtrasya—of Vrtrasura; dehat—from the body; niskrantam—coming out; atma-jyotih—the spirit soul, which was as brilliant as the effulgence of Brahman; arim-dama—O King Pariksit, subduer of enemies; pasyatam—were watching; sarva-devanam—while all the demigods; alokam—the supreme abode, filled with the Brahman effulgence; samapadyata—achieved. TRANSLATION O King Pariksit, subduer of enemies, the living spark then came forth from Vrtrasura’s body and returned home, back to Godhead. While all the demigods looked on, he entered the transcendental world to become an associate of Lord Sankarsana. PURPORT Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains that Indra, not Vrtrasura, was actually killed. He says that when Vrtrasura swallowed King Indra and his carrier, the elephant, he thought, “Now I have killed Indra, and therefore there is no more need of fighting. Now let me return home, back to Godhead.” Thus he stopped all his bodily activities and became situated in trance. Taking advantage of the silence of Vrtrasura’s body, Indra pierced the demon’s abdomen, and because of Vrtrasura’s trance, Indra was able to come out. Now, Vrtrasura was in yoga-samadhi, and therefore although King Indra wanted to cut his throat, the demon’s neck was so stiff that Indra’s thunderbolt took 360 days to cut it to pieces. Actually it was the body left by Vrtrasura that was cut to pieces by Indra; Vrtrasura himself was not killed. In his original consciousness, Vrtrasura returned home, back to Godhead, to become an associate of Lord Sankarsana. Here the word alokam means the transcendental world, Vaikunthaloka, where Sankarsana eternally resides. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Sixth Canto, Twelfth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “Vrtrasura’s Glorious Death.”
manyate nadhikam tatah
yasmin sthito na duhkhena
gurunapi vicalyate
abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah
ye ’nye ca papa yad-apasrayasrayah
sudhyanti tasmai prabhavisnave namah