Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 6: “Prescribed Duties for Mankind”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter Twelve
Vrtrasura’s Glorious Death
SB6.12Summary
This chapter describes how Indra, the King of heaven, killed Vrtrasura despite great reluctance.
After Vrtrasura finished speaking, he released his trident against King Indra with great anger, but Indra, using his thunderbolt, which was many times more powerful than the trident, broke the trident to pieces and cut off one of Vrtrasura’s arms. Nevertheless, Vrtrasura used his remaining arm to strike Indra with an iron mace, making the thunderbolt fall from Indra’s hand. Indra, being very ashamed of this, did not pick up the thunderbolt from the ground, but Vrtrasura encouraged King Indra to pick it up and fight. Vrtrasura then spoke to King Indra as follows, instructing him very well.
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead,” he said, “is the cause of victory and defeat. Not knowing that the Supreme Lord is the cause of all causes, fools and rascals try to take credit for victory or defeat themselves, but everything is actually under the control of the Lord. No one but Him has any independence. The purusa (the enjoyer) and prakrti (the enjoyed) are under the control of the Lord, for it is by His supervision that everything works systematically. Not seeing the hand of the Supreme in every action, a fool considers himself the ruler and controller of everything. When one understands, however, that the real controller is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is freed from the relativities of the world, such as distress, happiness, fear and impurity.” Thus Indra and Vrtrasura not only fought, but also engaged in philosophical discourses. Then they began to fight again.
This time Indra was more powerful, and he severed Vrtrasura’s remaining arm. Vrtrasura then assumed a gigantic form and swallowed King Indra, but Indra, being protected by the talisman known as Narayana-kavaca, was able to protect himself even within Vrtrasura’s body. Thus he emerged from Vrtrasura’s abdomen and severed the demon’s head from his body with his powerful thunderbolt. Severing the demon’s head took one complete year to accomplish. SB6.12.1 TEXT 1 sri-rsir uvaca evam jihasur nrpa deham ajau mrtyum varam vijayan manyamanah sulam pragrhyabhyapatat surendram yatha maha-purusam kaitabho ’psu SYNONYMS sri-rsih uvaca—Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; evam—thus; jihasuh—very eager to give up; nrpa—O King Pariksit; deham—the body; ajau—in battle; mrtyum—death; varam—better; vijayat—than victory; manyamanah—thinking; sulam—trident; pragrhya—taking up; abhyapatat—attacked; sura-indram—the King of heaven, Indra; yatha—just as; maha-purusam—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kaitabhah—the demon Kaitabha; apsu—when the whole universe was inundated. TRANSLATION Sukadeva Gosvami said: Desiring to give up his body, Vrtrasura considered death in the battle preferable to victory. O King Pariksit, he vigorously took up his trident and with great force attacked Lord Indra, the King of heaven, just as Kaitabha had forcefully attacked the Supreme Personality of Godhead when the universe was inundated. PURPORT Although Vrtrasura repeatedly encouraged Indra to kill him with the thunderbolt, King Indra was morose at having to kill such a great devotee and was hesitant to throw it. Vrtrasura, disappointed that King Indra was reluctant despite his encouragement, took the initiative very forcefully by throwing his trident at Indra. Vrtrasura was not at all interested in victory; he was interested in being killed so that he could immediately return home, back to Godhead. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (4.9), tyaktva deham punar janma naiti: after giving up his body, a devotee immediately returns to Lord Krsna and never returns to accept another body. This was Vrtrasura’s interest. SB6.12.2 TEXT 2 tato yugantagni-kathora-jihvam avidhya sulam tarasasurendrah ksiptva mahendraya vinadya viro hato ’si papeti rusa jagada SYNONYMS tatah—thereafter; yuga-anta-agni—like the fire at the end of every millennium; kathora—sharp; jihvam—possessing points; avidhya—twirling; sulam—the trident; tarasa—with great force; asura-indrah—the great hero of the demons, Vrtrasura; ksiptva—throwing; maha-indraya—unto King Indra; vinadya—roaring; virah—the great hero (Vrtrasura); hatah—killed; asi—you are; papa—O sinful one; iti—thus; rusa—with great anger; jagada—be cried out. TRANSLATION Then Vrtrasura, the great hero of the demons, whirled his trident, which had points like the flames of the blazing fire at the end of the millennium. With great force and anger he threw it at Indra, roaring and exclaiming loudly, “O sinful one, thus shall I kill you!” SB6.12.3 TEXT 3 kha apatat tad vicalad graholkavan niriksya duspreksyam ajata-viklavah vajrena vajri sata-parvanacchinad bhujam ca tasyoraga-raja-bhogam SYNONYMS khe—in the sky; apatat—flying toward him; tat—that trident; vicalat—rotating; graha-ulka-vat—like a falling star; niriksya—observing; duspreksyam—unbearable to see; ajata-viklavah—not afraid; vajrena—with the thunderbolt; vajri—Indra, the holder of the thunderbolt; sata-parvana—possessing one hundred joints; acchinat—cut; bhujam—the arm; ca—and; tasya—of him (Vrtrasura); uraga-raja—of the great serpent Vasuki; bhogam—like the body. TRANSLATION Flying in the sky, Vrtrasura’s trident resembled a brilliant meteor. Although the blazing weapon was difficult to look upon, King Indra, unafraid, cut it to pieces with his thunderbolt. Simultaneously, he cut off one of Vrtrasura’s arms, which was as thick as the body of Vasuki, the King of the serpents. SB6.12.4 TEXT 4 chinnaika-bahuh parighena vrtrah samrabdha asadya grhita-vajram hanau tatadendram athamarebham vajram ca hastan nyapatan maghonah SYNONYMS chinna—cut off; eka—one; bahuh—whose arm; parighena—with a mace of iron; vrtrah—Vrtrasura; samrabdhah—being very angry; asadya—reaching; grhita—taking up; vajram—the thunderbolt; hanau—on the jaw; tatada—struck; indram—Lord Indra; atha—also; amara-ibham—his elephant; vajram—the thunderbolt; ca—and; hastat—from the hand; nyapatat—fell; maghonah—of King Indra. TRANSLATION Although one of his arms was severed from his body, Vrtrasura angrily approached King Indra and struck him on the jaw with an iron mace. He also struck the elephant that carried Indra. Thus Indra dropped the thunderbolt from his hand. SB6.12.5 TEXT 5 vrtrasya karmati-mahadbhutam tat surasuras carana-siddha-sanghah apujayams tat puruhuta-sankatam niriksya ha heti vicukrusur bhrsam SYNONYMS vrtrasya—of Vrtrasura; karma—the accomplishment; ati—very; maha—greatly; adbhutam—wonderful; tat—that; sura—the demigods; asurah—and the demons; carana—the Caranas; siddha-sanghah—and the society of Siddhas; apujayan—glorified; tat—that; puruhuta-sankatam—the dangerous position of Indra; niriksya—seeing; ha ha—alas, alas; iti—thus; vicukrusuh—lamented; bhrsam—very much. TRANSLATION The denizens of various planets, like the demigods, demons, Caranas and Siddhas, praised Vrtrasura’s deed, but when they observed that Indra was in great danger, they lamented, “Alas! Alas!” SB6.12.6 TEXT 6 indro na vajram jagrhe vilajjitas cyutam sva-hastad ari-sannidhau punah tam aha vrtro hara atta-vajro jahi sva-satrum na visada-kalah SYNONYMS indrah—King Indra; na—not; vajram—the thunderbolt; jagrhe—took up; vilajjitah—being ashamed; cyutam—fallen; sva-hastat—from his own hand; ari-sannidhau—in front of his enemy; punah—again; tam—unto him; aha—said; vrtrah—Vrtrasura; hare—O Indra; atta-vajrah—taking up your thunderbolt; jahi—kill; sva-satrum—your enemy; na—not; visada-kalah—the time for lamentation. TRANSLATION Having dropped the thunderbolt from his hand in the presence of his enemy, Indra was practically defeated and was very much ashamed. He dared not pick up his weapon again. Vrtrasura, however, encouraged him, saying, “Take up your thunderbolt and kill your enemy. This is not the time to lament your fate.” SB6.12.7 TEXT 7 yuyutsatam kutracid atatayinam jayah sadaikatra na vai paratmanam vinaikam utpatti-laya-sthitisvaram sarvajnam adyam purusam sanatanam SYNONYMS yuyutsatam—of those who are belligerent; kutracit—sometimes; atatayinam—armed with weapons; jayah—victory; sada—always; ekatra—in one place; na—not; vai—indeed; para-atmanam—of the subordinate living entities, who work only under the direction of the Supersoul; vina—except; ekam—one; utpatti—of the creation; laya—annihilation; sthiti—and maintenance; isvaram—the controller; sarva-jnam—who knows everything (past, present and future); adyam—the original; purusam—enjoyer; sanatanam—eternal. TRANSLATION Vrtrasura continued: O Indra, no one is guaranteed of being always victorious but the original enjoyer, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan. He is the cause of creation, maintenance and annihilation, and He knows everything. Being dependent and being obliged to accept material bodies, belligerent subordinates are sometimes victorious and sometimes defeated. PURPORT The Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (15.15): sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto “I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness.” When two parties fight, the fighting actually goes on under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is Paramatma, the Supersoul. Elsewhere in the Gita (3.27) the Lord says: prakrteh kriyamanani “The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by nature.” The living entities work only under the direction of the Supreme Lord. The Lord gives orders to material nature, and she arranges facilities for the living entities. The living entities are not independent, although they foolishly think themselves the doers (karta). Victory is always with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As for the subordinate living entities, they fight under the arrangement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Victory or defeat is not actually theirs; it is an arrangement by the Lord through the agency of material nature. Pride in victory, or moroseness in defeat, is useless. One should fully depend on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is responsible for the victory and defeat of all living entities. The Lord advises, niyatam kuru karma tvam karma jyayo hy akarmanah: “Perform your prescribed duty, for action is better than inaction.” The living entity is ordered to act according to his position. Victory or defeat depends on the Supreme Lord. Karmany evadhikaras te ma phalesu kadacana: “You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of actions.” One must act sincerely, according to his position. Victory or defeat depends on the Lord. Vrtrasura encouraged Indra, saying, “Don’t be morose because of my victory. There is no need to stop fighting. Instead, you should go on with your duty. When Krsna desires, you will certainly be victorious.” This verse is very instructive for sincere workers in the Krsna consciousness movement. We should not be jubilant in victory or morose in defeat. We should make a sincere effort to implement the will of Krsna, or Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and we should not be concerned with victory and defeat. Our only duty is to work sincerely, so that our activities may be recognized by Krsna. SB6.12.8 TEXT 8 lokah sapala yasyeme svasanti vivasa vase dvija iva sica baddhah sa kala iha karanam SYNONYMS lokah—the worlds; sa-palah—with their chief deities or controllers; yasya—of whom; ime—all these; svasanti—live; vivasah—fully dependent; vase—under the control; dvijah—birds; iva—like; sica—by a net; baddhah—bound; sah—that; kalah—time factor; iha—in this; karanam—the cause. TRANSLATION All living beings in all the planets of this universe, including the presiding deities of all the planets, are fully under the control of the Lord. They work like birds caught in a net, who cannot move independently. PURPORT The difference between the suras and the asuras is that the suras know that nothing can happen without the desire of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whereas the asuras cannot understand the supreme will of the Lord. In this fight, Vrtrasura is actually the sura, whereas Indra is the asura. No one can act independently; rather, everyone acts under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore victory and defeat come according to the results of one’s karma, and the judgment is given by the Supreme Lord (karmana-daiva-netrena). Since we act under the control of the Supreme according to our karma, no one is independent, from Brahma down to the insignificant ant. Whether we are defeated or victorious, the Supreme Lord is always victorious because everyone acts under His directions. SB6.12.9 TEXT 9 ojah saho balam pranam amrtam mrtyum eva ca tam ajnaya jano hetum atmanam manyate jadam SYNONYMS ojah—the strength of the senses; sahah—the strength of the mind; balam—the strength of the body; pranam—the living condition; amrtam—immortality; mrtyum—death; eva—indeed; ca—also; tam—Him (the Supreme Lord); ajnaya—without knowing; janah—a foolish person; hetum—the cause; atmanam—the body; manyate—considers; jadam—although as good as stone. TRANSLATION Our sensory prowess, mental power, bodily strength, living force, immortality and mortality are all subject to the superintendence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not knowing this, foolish people think the dull material body to be the cause of their activities. SB6.12.10 TEXT 10 yatha darumayi nari yatha patramayo mrgah evam bhutani maghavann isa-tantrani viddhi bhoh SYNONYMS yatha—just as; daru-mayi—made of wood; nari—a woman; yatha—just as; patra-mayah—made of leaves; mrgah—an animal; evam—thus; bhutani—all things; maghavan—O King Indra; isa—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tantrani—depending upon; viddhi—please know; bhoh—O sir. TRANSLATION O King Indra, as a wooden doll that looks like a woman or as an animal made of grass and leaves cannot move or dance independently, but depends fully on the person who handles it, all of us dance according to the desire of the supreme controller, the Personality of Godhead. No one is independent. PURPORT This is confirmed in Caitanya-caritamrta (Adi 5.142): ekale isvara krsna, ara saba bhrtya “Lord Krsna alone is the supreme controller, and all others are His servants. They dance as He makes them do so.” We are all servants of Krsna; we have no independence. We are dancing according to the desire of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but out of ignorance and illusion we think we are independent of the supreme will. Therefore it is said: isvarah paramah krsnah “Krsna, who is known as Govinda, is the supreme controller. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, for He is the prime cause of all causes.” (Brahma-samhita 5.1) SB6.12.11 TEXT 11 purusah prakrtir vyaktam atma bhutendriyasayah saknuvanty asya sargadau na vina yad-anugrahat SYNONYMS purusah—the generator of the total material energy; prakrtih—the material energy or material nature; vyaktam—the principles of manifestation (mahat-tattva); atma—the false ego; bhuta—the five material elements; indriya—the ten senses; asayah—the mind, intelligence and consciousness; saknuvanti—are able; asya—of this universe; sarga-adau—in the creation, etc.; na—not; vina—without; yat—of whom; anugrahat—the mercy. TRANSLATION The three purusas—Karanodakasayi Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Ksirodakasayi-Visnu—the material nature, the total material energy, the false ego, the five material elements, the material senses, the mind, the intelligence and consciousness cannot create the material manifestation without the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. PURPORT As confirmed in the Visnu Purana, parasya brahmanah saktis tathedam akhilam jagat: whatever manifestations we experience are nothing but various energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These energies cannot create anything independently. This is also confirmed by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gita (9.10): mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram. “This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kunti, and it is producing all moving and unmoving living beings.” Only under the direction of the Lord, the Supreme Person, can prakrti, which is manifested in twenty-four elements, create different situations for the living entity. In the Vedas the Lord says: madiyam mahimanam ca “Since everything is a manifestation of My energy, I am known as Parabrahman. Therefore everyone should hear from Me about My glorious activities.” The Lord also says in Bhagavad-gita (10.2), aham adir hi devanam: “I am the origin of all the demigods.” Therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the origin of everything, and no one is independent of Him. Srila Madhvacarya also says, anisa jiva-rupena: the living entity is anisa, never the controller, but is always controlled. Therefore when a living entity becomes proud of being an independent isvara, or god, that is his foolishness. Such foolishness is described in the following verse. SB6.12.12 TEXT 12 avidvan evam atmanam manyate ’nisam isvaram bhutaih srjati bhutani grasate tani taih svayam SYNONYMS avidvan—one who is foolish, without knowledge; evam—thus; atmanam—himself; manyate—considers; anisam—although totally dependent on others; isvaram—as the supreme controller, independent; bhutaih—by the living entities; srjati—He (the Lord) creates; bhutani—other living entities; grasate—He devours; tani—them; taih—by other living beings; svayam—Himself. TRANSLATION A foolish, senseless person cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although always dependent, he falsely thinks himself the Supreme. If one thinks, “According to one’s previous fruitive actions, one’s material body is created by the father and mother, and the same body is annihilated by another agent, as another animal is devoured by a tiger,” this is not proper understanding. The Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself creates and devours the living beings through other living beings. PURPORT According to the conclusion of the philosophy known as karma-mimamsa, one’s karma, or previous fruitive activity, is the cause of everything, and therefore there is no need to work. Those who arrive at this conclusion are foolish. When a father creates a child, he does not do so independently; he is induced to do so by the Supreme Lord. As the Lord Himself says in Bhagavad-gita (15.15), sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca: “I am in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness.” Unless one receives dictation from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who sits within everyone’s heart, one cannot be induced to create anything. Therefore the father and mother are not the creators of the living entity. According to the living entity’s karma, fruitive activities, he is put into the semen of the father, who injects the living entity into the womb of the mother. Then according to the body of the mother and father (yatha-yoni yatha-bijam), the living entity accepts a body and takes birth to suffer or enjoy. Therefore the Supreme Lord is the original cause of one’s birth. Similarly, the Supreme Lord is the cause of one’s being killed. No one is independent; everyone is dependent. The true conclusion is that the only independent person is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. SB6.12.13 TEXT 13 ayuh srih kirtir aisvaryam asisah purusasya yah bhavanty eva hi tat-kale yathanicchor viparyayah SYNONYMS ayuh—longevity; srih—opulence; kirtih—fame; aisvaryam—power; asisah—benedictions; purusasya—of the living entity; yah—which; bhavanti—arise; eva—indeed; hi—certainly; tat-kale—at that proper time; yatha—just as; anicchoh—of one not desiring; viparyayah—reverse conditions. TRANSLATION Just as a person not inclined to die must nonetheless give up his longevity, opulence, fame and everything else at the time of death, so, at the appointed time of victory, one can gain all these when the Supreme Lord awards them by His mercy. PURPORT It is not good to be falsely puffed up, saying that by one’s own effort one has become opulent, learned, beautiful and so on. All such good fortune is achieved through the mercy of the Lord. From another point of view, no one wants to die, and no one wants to be poor or ugly. Therefore, why does the living entity, against his will, receive such unwanted troubles? It is due to the mercy or chastisement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead that one gains or loses everything material. No one is independent; everyone is dependent on the mercy or chastisement of the Supreme Lord. There is a common saying in Bengal that the Lord has ten hands. This means that He has control everywhere—in the eight directions and up and down. If He wants to take everything away from us with His ten hands, we cannot protect anything with our two hands. Similarly, if He wants to bestow benedictions upon us with His ten hands, we cannot factually receive them all with our two hands; in other words, the benedictions exceed our ambitions. The conclusion is that even though we do not wish to be separated from our possessions, sometimes the Lord forcibly takes them from us; and sometimes He showers such benedictions upon us that we are unable to receive them all. Therefore either in opulence or in distress we are not independent; everything is dependent on the sweet will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. SB6.12.14 TEXT 14 tasmad akirti-yasasor jayapajayayor api samah syat sukha-duhkhabhyam mrtyu-jivitayos tatha SYNONYMS tasmat—therefore (because of being fully dependent on the pleasure of the Supreme Personality of Godhead); akirti—of defamation; yasasoh—and fame; jaya—of victory; apajayayoh—and defeat; api—even; samah—equal; syat—one should be; sukha-duhkhabhyam—with the distress and happiness; mrtyu—of death; jivitayoh—or of living; tatha—as well as. TRANSLATION Since everything is dependent on the supreme will of the Personality of Godhead, one should be equipoised in fame and defamation, victory and defeat, life and death. In their effects, represented as happiness and distress, one should maintain oneself in equilibrium, without anxiety. SB6.12.15 TEXT 15 sattvam rajas tama iti prakrter natmano gunah tatra saksinam atmanam yo veda sa na badhyate SYNONYMS sattvam—the mode of goodness; rajah—the mode of passion; tamah—the mode of ignorance; iti—thus; prakrteh—of the material nature; na—not; atmanah—of the spirit soul; gunah—the qualities; tatra—in such a position; saksinam—an observer; atmanam—the self; yah—anyone who; veda—knows; sah—he; na—not; badhyate—is bound. TRANSLATION One who knows that the three qualities—goodness, passion and ignorance—are not qualities of the soul but qualities of material nature, and who knows that the pure soul is simply an observer of the actions and reactions of these qualities, should be understood to be a liberated person. He is not bound by these qualities. PURPORT As the Lord explains in Bhagavad-gita (18.54): brahma-bhutah prasannatma “One who is transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.” When one attains self-realization, the brahma-bhuta stage, one knows that whatever happens during his life is due to the contamination of the modes of material nature. The living being, the pure soul, has nothing to do with these modes. In the midst of the hurricane of the material world, everything changes very quickly, but if one remains silent and simply observes the actions and reactions of the hurricane, he is understood to be liberated. The real qualification of the liberated soul is that he remains Krsna conscious, undisturbed by the actions and reactions of the material energy. Such a liberated person is always jubilant. He never laments or aspires for anything. Since everything is supplied by the Supreme Lord, the living entity, being fully dependent on Him, should not protest or accept anything in terms of his personal sense gratification; rather, he should receive everything as the mercy of the Lord and remain steady in all circumstances.
mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
yare yaiche nacaya, se taiche kare nrtya
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
sarva-karana-karanam
parabrahmeti sabditam
vetsyasy anugrhitam me
samprasnair vivrtam hrdi
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param