Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 7: “The Science of God”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Chapter Eight

SB7.8.34

TEXT 34

tatah sabhayam upavistam uttame

nrpasane sambhrta-tejasam vibhum

alaksita-dvairatham atyamarsanam

pracanda-vaktram na babhaja kascana

SYNONYMS

tatah—thereafter; sabhayam—in the assembly house; upavistam—seated; uttame—on the best; nrpa-asane—throne (upon which King Hiranyakasipu used to sit); sambhrta-tejasam—in full effulgence; vibhum—the Supreme Lord; alaksita-dvairatham—whose challenger or enemy was not seen; ati—very much; amarsanam—fearsome (due to His anger); pracanda—terrible; vaktram—face; na—not; babhaja—worshiped; kascana—anyone.

TRANSLATION

Manifesting a full effulgence and a fearsome countenance, Lord Nrsimha, being very angry and finding no contestant to face His power and opulence, then sat down in the assembly hall on the excellent throne of the king. Because of fear and obedience, no one could come forward to serve the Lord directly.

PURPORT

When the Lord sat on the throne of Hiranyakasipu, there was no one to protest; no enemy came forward on behalf of Hiranyakasipu to fight with the Lord. This means that His supremacy was immediately accepted by the demons. Another point is that although Hiranyakasipu treated the Lord as his bitterest enemy, he was the Lord’s faithful servant in Vaikuntha, and therefore the Lord had no hesitation in sitting on the throne that Hiranyakasipu had so laboriously created. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura remarks in this connection that sometimes, with great care and attention, great saintly persons and rsis offer the Lord valuable seats dedicated with Vedic mantras and tantras, but still the Lord does not sit upon those thrones. Hiranyakasipu, however, had formerly been Jaya, the doorkeeper at the Vaikuntha gate, and although he had fallen because of the curse of the brahmanas and had gotten the nature of a demon, and although he had never offered anything to the Lord as Hiranyakasipu, the Lord is so affectionate to His devotee and servant that He nonetheless took pleasure in sitting on the throne that Hiranyakasipu had created. In this regard it is to be understood that a devotee is fortunate in any condition of his life.

SB7.8.35

TEXT 35

nisamya loka-traya-mastaka-jvaram

tam adi-daityam harina hatam mrdhe

praharsa-vegotkalitanana muhuh

prasuna-varsair vavrsuh sura-striyah

SYNONYMS

nisamya—hearing; loka-traya—of the three worlds; mastaka-jvaram—the headache; tam—him; adi—the original; daityam—demon; harina—by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; hatam—killed; mrdhe—in battle; praharsa-vega—by an outburst of ecstasy; utkalita-ananah—whose faces blossomed; muhuh—again and again; prasuna-varsaih—with showers of flowers; vavrsuh—rained; sura-striyah—the wives of the demigods.

TRANSLATION

Hiranyakasipu had been exactly like a fever of meningitis in the head of the three worlds. Thus when the wives of the demigods in the heavenly planets saw that the great demon had been killed by the personal hands of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, their faces blossomed in great joy. The wives of the demigods again and again showered flowers from heaven upon Lord Nrsimhadeva like rain.

SB7.8.36

TEXT 36

tada vimanavalibhir nabhastalam

didrksatam sankulam asa nakinam

suranaka dundubhayo ’tha jaghnire

gandharva-mukhya nanrtur jaguh striyah

SYNONYMS

tada—at that time; vimana-avalibhih—with different types of airplanes; nabhastalam—the sky; didrksatam—desirous of seeing; sankulam—crowded; asa—became; nakinam—of the demigods; sura-anakah—the drums of the demigods; dundubhayah—the kettledrums; atha—as well; jaghnire—were sounded; gandharva-mukhyah—the chiefs of Gandharvaloka; nanrtuh—began to dance; jaguh—sang; striyah—heavenly society women.

TRANSLATION

At that time, the airplanes of the demigods, who desired to see the activities of the Supreme Lord, Narayana, crowded the sky. The demigods began beating drums and kettledrums, and upon hearing them the angelic women began to dance, while the chiefs of the Gandharvas sang sweetly.

SB7.8.37-39

TEXTS 37–39

tatropavrajya vibudha

brahmendra-girisadayah

rsayah pitarah siddha

vidyadhara-mahoragah

manavah prajanam patayo

gandharvapsara-caranah

yaksah kimpurusas tata

vetalah saha-kinnarah

te visnu-parsadah sarve

sunanda-kumudadayah

murdhni baddhanjali-puta

asinam tivra-tejasam

idire nara-sardulam

natiduracarah prthak

SYNONYMS

tatra—there (in the sky); upavrajya—coming (in their respective airplanes); vibudhah—all the different demigods; brahma-indra-girisa-adayah—headed by Lord Brahma, King Indra and Lord Siva; rsayah—the great saintly sages; pitarah—the inhabitants of Pitrloka; siddhah—the residents of Siddhaloka; vidyadhara—the residents of Vidyadharaloka; maha-uragah—the residents of the planets where great serpents reside; manavah—the Manus; prajanam—of the living entities (on different planets); patayah—the chiefs; gandharva—the residents of Gandharvaloka; apsara—the residents of the angelic planet; caranah—the residents of Caranaloka; yaksah—the Yaksas; kimpurusah—the Kimpurusas; tata—O dear one; vetalah—the Vetalas; saha-kinnarah—along with the Kinnaras; te—they; visnu-parsadah—the personal associates of Lord Visnu (in the Vaikunthalokas); sarve—all; sunanda-kumuda-adayah—headed by Sunanda and Kumuda; murdhni—on their heads; baddha-anjali-putah—with folded hands; asinam—who was sitting on the throne; tivra-tejasam—exposing His great spiritual effulgence; idire—offered respectful worship; nara-sardulam—unto the Lord, who had appeared as half man and half lion; na ati-duracarah—coming near; prthak—individually.

TRANSLATION

My dear King Yudhisthira, the demigods then approached the Lord. They were headed by Lord Brahma, King Indra and Lord Siva and included great saintly persons and the residents of Pitrloka, Siddhaloka, Vidyadhara-loka and the planet of the snakes. The Manus approached, and so did the chiefs of various other planets. The angelic dancers approached, as did the Gandharvas, the Caranas, the Yaksas, the inhabitants of Kinnaraloka, the Vetalas, the inhabitants of Kimpurusa-loka, and the personal servants of Visnu like Sunanda and Kumuda. All of them came near the Lord, who glowed with intense light. They individually offered their obeisances and prayers, their hands folded at their heads.

SB7.8.40

TEXT 40

sri-brahmovaca

nato ’smy anantaya duranta-saktaye

vicitra-viryaya pavitra-karmane

visvasya sarga-sthiti-samyaman gunaih

sva-lilaya sandadhate ’vyayatmane

SYNONYMS

sri-brahma uvaca—Lord Brahma said; natah—bowed down; asmi—I am; anantaya—unto the unlimited Lord; duranta—very difficult to find an end to; saktaye—who possesses different potencies; vicitra-viryaya—having varieties of prowess; pavitra-karmane—whose actions have no reaction (even though doing contrary things, He remains without contamination by the material modes); visvasya—of the universe; sarga—creation; sthiti—maintenance; samyaman—and annihilation; gunaih—by the material qualities; sva-lilaya—very easily; sandadhate—performs; avyaya-atmane—whose personality never deteriorates.

TRANSLATION

Lord Brahma prayed: My Lord, You are unlimited, and You possess unending potencies. No one can estimate or calculate Your prowess and wonderful influence, for Your actions are never polluted by the material energy. Through the material qualities, You very easily create the universe, maintain it and again annihilate it, yet You remain the same, without deterioration. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

PURPORT

The activities of the Lord are always wonderful. His personal servants Jaya and Vijaya were confidential friends, yet they were cursed, and they accepted bodies of demons. Again, in the family of one such demon, Prahlada Maharaja was caused to take birth to exhibit the behavior of an exalted devotee, and then the Lord accepted the body of Nrsimhadeva to kill that same demon, who by the Lord’s own will had taken birth in a demoniac family. Therefore, who can understand the Lord’s transcendental activities? Not to speak of understanding the transcendental activities of the Lord, no one can understand even the activities of His servants. In Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 23.39) it is said, tanra vakya, kriya, mudra vijneha na bhujhaya: no one can understand the activities of the Lord’s servants. Therefore, what to speak of the activities of the Lord? Who can understand how Krsna is benefiting the entire world? The Lord is addressed as duranta-sakti because no one can understand His potencies and how He acts.

SB7.8.41

TEXT 41

sri-rudra uvaca

kopa-kalo yugantas te

hato ’yam asuro ’lpakah

tat-sutam pahy upasrtam

bhaktam te bhakta-vatsala

SYNONYMS

sri-rudrah uvaca—Lord Siva offered his prayer; kopa-kalah—the right time for Your anger (for the purpose of annihilating the universe); yuga-antah—the end of the millennium; te—by You; hatah—killed; ayam—this; asurah—great demon; alpakah—very insignificant; tat-sutam—his son (Prahlada Maharaja); pahi—just protect; upasrtam—who is surrendered and standing nearby; bhaktam—devotee; te—of Your Lordship; bhakta-vatsala—O my Lord, who are so affectionate to Your devotee.

TRANSLATION

Lord Siva said: The end of the millennium is the time for Your anger. Now that this insignificant demon Hiranyakasipu has been killed, O my Lord, who are naturally affectionate to Your devotee, kindly protect his son Prahlada Maharaja, who is standing nearby as Your fully surrendered devotee.

PURPORT

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the creator of the material world. There are three processes in creation—namely creation, maintenance and finally annihilation. During the period of annihilation, at the end of each millennium, the Lord becomes angry, and the part of anger is played by Lord Siva, who is therefore called Rudra. When the Lord appeared in great anger to kill Hiranyakasipu, everyone was extremely afraid of the Lord’s attitude, but Lord Siva, knowing very well that the Lord’s anger is also His lila, was not afraid. Lord Siva knew that he would have to play the part of anger for the Lord. Kala means Lord Siva (Bhairava), and kopa refers to the Lord’s anger. These words, combined together as kopa-kala, refer to the end of each millennium. Actually the Lord is always affectionate toward His devotees, even though He may appear very angry. Because He is avyayatma—because He never falls down—even when angry the Lord is affectionate toward His devotees. Therefore Lord Siva reminded the Lord to act like an affectionate father toward Prahlada Maharaja, who was standing by the Lord’s side as an exalted, fully surrendered devotee.

SB7.8.42

TEXT 42

sri-indra uvaca

pratyanitah parama bhavata trayata nah sva-bhaga

daityakrantam hrdaya-kamalam tad-grham pratyabodhi

kala-grastam kiyad idam aho natha susrusatam te

muktis tesam na hi bahumata narasimhaparaih kim

SYNONYMS

sri-indrah uvaca—Indra, the King of heaven, said; pratyanitah—recovered; parama—O Supreme; bhavata—by Your Lordship; trayata—who are protecting; nah—us; sva-bhagah—shares in the sacrifices; daitya-akrantam—afflicted by the demon; hrdaya-kamalam—the lotuslike cores of our hearts; tat-grham—which is actually Your residence; pratyabodhi—it has been illuminated; kala-grastam—devoured by time; kiyat—insignificant; idam—this (world); aho—alas; natha—O Lord; susrusatam—for those who are always engaged in the service; te—of You; muktih—liberation from material bondage; tesam—of them (the pure devotees); na—not; hi—indeed; bahumata—thought very important; nara-simha—O Lord Nrsimhadeva, half lion and half human being; aparaih kim—then what is the use of other possessions.

TRANSLATION

King Indra said: O Supreme Lord, You are our deliverer and protector. Our shares of sacrifices, which are actually Yours, have been recovered from the demon by You. Because the demoniac king Hiranyakasipu was most fearsome, our hearts, which are Your permanent abode, were all overtaken by him. Now, by Your presence, the gloom and darkness in our hearts have been dissipated. O Lord, for those who always engage in Your service, which is more exalted than liberation, all material opulence is insignificant. They do not even care for liberation, not to speak of the benefits of kama, artha and dharma.

PURPORT

In this material world there are two kinds of people—the devatas (demigods) and the asuras (demons). Although the demigods are attached to material enjoyment, they are devotees of the Lord who act according to the rules and regulations of the Vedic injunctions. During the reign of Hiranyakasipu, everyone was disturbed in the routine duties of Vedic civilization. When Hiranyakasipu was killed, all the demigods, who had always been disturbed by Hiranyakasipu, felt relief in their general way of life.

Because the government in Kali-yuga is full of demons, the living conditions of devotees are always disturbed. Devotees cannot perform yajna, and thus they cannot partake of the remnants of food offered in yajna for the worship of Lord Visnu. The hearts of the demigods are always filled with fear of the demons, and therefore they cannot think of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The engagement of the demigods is to think of the Lord always within the cores of their hearts. The Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (6.47):

yoginam api sarvesam
mad gatenantaratmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah

“And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.” The demigods fully absorb themselves in meditation upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead to become perfect yogis, but because of the presence of demons, their hearts are filled with the activities of the demons. Thus their hearts, which are meant to be the abode of the Supreme Lord, are practically occupied by the demons. All the demigods felt relieved when Hiranyakasipu was dead, for they could easily think of the Lord. They could then receive the results of sacrifices and become happy even though in the material world.

SB7.8.43

TEXT 43

sri-rsaya ucuh

tvam nas tapah paramam attha yad atma-tejo

yenedam adi-purusatma-gatam sasarktha

tad vipraluptam amunadya saranya-pala

raksa-grhita-vapusa punar anvamamsthah

SYNONYMS

sri-rsayah ucuh—the great sages said; tvam—You; nah—our; tapah—austerity; paramam—topmost; attha—instructed; yat—which; atma-tejah—Your spiritual power; yena—by which; idam—this (material world); adi-purusa—O supreme original Personality of Godhead; atma-gatam—merged within Yourself; sasarktha—(You) created; tat—that process of austerity and penance; vipraluptam—stolen; amuna—by that demon (Hiranyakasipu); adya—now; saranya-pala—O supreme maintainer of those who need to be sheltered; raksa-grhita-vapusa—by Your body, which You accept to give protection; punah—again; anvamamsthah—You have approved.

TRANSLATION

All the saintly persons present offered their prayers in this way: O Lord, O supreme maintainer of those sheltered at Your lotus feet, O original Personality of Godhead, the process of austerity and penance, in which You instructed us before, is the spiritual power of Your very self. It is by austerity that You create the material world, which lies dormant within You. This austerity was almost stopped by the activities of this demon, but now, by Yourself appearing in the form of Nrsimhadeva, which is meant just to give us protection, and by killing this demon, You have again approved the process of austerity.

PURPORT

The living entities wandering within the jurisdiction of the 8,400,000 species of life get the opportunity for self-realization in the human form and gradually in such other elevated forms as those of the demigods, Kinnaras and Caranas, as will be described below. In the higher statuses of life, beginning from human life, the main duty is tapasya, or austerity. As Rsabhadeva advised His sons, tapo divyam putraka yena sattvam suddhyet. To rectify our material existence, austerity (tapasya) is absolutely necessary. However, when people in general come under the control of a demon or a demoniac ruling power, they forget this process of tapasya and gradually also become demoniac. All the saintly persons, who were generally engaged in austerity, felt relieved when Hiranyakasipu was killed by the Lord in the form of Nrsimhadeva. They realized that the original instruction concerning human life—that it is meant for tapasya for self-realization—was reaffirmed by the Lord when He killed Hiranyakasipu.

SB7.8.44

TEXT 44

sri-pitara ucuh

sraddhani no ’dhibubhuje prasabham tanujair

dattani tirtha-samaye ’py apibat tilambu

tasyodaran nakha-vidirna-vapad ya arcchat

tasmai namo nrharaye ’khila-dharma-goptre

SYNONYMS

sri-pitarah ucuh—the inhabitants of Pitrloka said; sraddhani—the performances of the sraddha ceremony (offering of food grains to dead forefathers by a particular process); nah—our; adhibubhuje—enjoyed; prasabham—by force; tanujaih—by our sons and grandsons; dattani—offered; tirtha-samaye—at the time of bathing in the holy places; api—even; apibat—drank; tila-ambu—offerings of water with sesame seeds; tasya—of the demon; udarat—from the abdomen; nakha-vidirna—pierced by the nails of the hand; vapat—the skin of the intestines of which; yah—He who (the Personality of Godhead); arcchat—obtained; tasmai—unto Him (the Supreme Personality of Godhead); namah—respectful obeisances; nr-haraye—who has appeared as half lion and half man (Nrhari); akhila—universal; dharma—religious principles; goptre—who maintains.

TRANSLATION

The inhabitants of Pitrloka prayed: Let us offer our respectful obeisances unto Lord Nrsimhadeva, the maintainer of the religious principles of the universe. He has killed Hiranyakasipu, the demon who by force enjoyed all the offerings of the sraddha ceremonies performed by our sons and grandsons on the anniversaries of our death and who drank the water with sesame seeds offered in holy places of pilgrimage. By killing this demon, O Lord, You have taken back all this stolen property from his abdomen by piercing it with Your nails. We therefore wish to offer our respectful obeisances unto You.

PURPORT

It is the duty of all householders to offer food grains to all their departed forefathers, but during the time of Hiranyakasipu this process was stopped; no one would offer sraddha oblations of food grains to the forefathers with great respect. Thus when there is a demoniac rule, everything concerning the Vedic principles is turned upside down, all the religious ceremonies of yajna are stopped, the resources meant to be spent for yajna are taken away by the demoniac government, everything becomes chaotic, and consequently the entire world becomes hell itself. When the demons are killed by the presence of Nrsimhadeva, everyone feels comfortable, irrespective of the planet upon which he lives.

SB7.8.45

TEXT 45

sri-siddha ucuh

yo no gatim yoga-siddham asadhur

aharsid yoga-tapo-balena

nana darpam tam nakhair vidadara

tasmai tubhyam pranatah smo nrsimha

SYNONYMS

sri-siddhah ucuh—the inhabitants of Siddhaloka said; yah—the person who; nah—our; gatim—perfection; yoga-siddham—achieved by mystic yoga; asadhuh—most uncivilized and dishonest; aharsit—stole away; yoga—of mysticism; tapah—and austerities; balena—by the power; nana darpam—proud due to wealth, opulence and strength; tam—him; nakhaih—by the nails; vidadara—pierced; tasmai—unto him; tubhyam—unto You; pranatah—bowed down; smah—we are; nrsimha—O Lord Nrsimhadeva.

TRANSLATION

The inhabitants of Siddhaloka prayed: O Lord Nrsimhadeva, because we belong to Siddhaloka, we automatically achieve perfection in all eight kinds of mystic power. Yet Hiranyakasipu was so dishonest that by the strength of his power and austerity, he took away our powers. Thus he became very proud of his mystic strength. Now, because this rogue has been killed by Your nails, we offer our respectful obeisances unto You.

PURPORT

On earth there are many yogis who can exhibit some feeble mystic power by manufacturing pieces of gold like magic, but the inhabitants of the planet Siddhaloka are actually extremely powerful in mysticism. They can fly from one planet to another without airplanes. This is called laghima-siddhi. They can actually become very light and fly in the sky. By a severe type of austerity, however, Hiranyakasipu excelled all the inhabitants of Siddhaloka and created disturbances for them. The residents of Siddhaloka were also beaten by the powers of Hiranyakasipu. Now that Hiranyakasipu had been killed by the Lord, the inhabitants of Siddhaloka also felt relieved.

SB7.8.46

TEXT 46

sri-vidyadhara ucuh

vidyam prthag dharanayanuraddham

nyasedhad ajno bala-virya-drptah

sa yena sankhye pasuvad dhatas tam

maya-nrsimham pranatah sma nityam

SYNONYMS

sri-vidyadharah ucuh—the inhabitants of Vidyadhara-loka prayed; vidyam—mystic formulas (by which one can appear and disappear); prthak—separately; dharanaya—by various meditations within the mind; anuraddham—attained; nyasedhat—stopped; ajnah—this fool; bala-virya-drptah—puffed up by bodily strength and his ability to conquer anyone; sah—he (Hiranyakasipu); yena—by whom; sankhye—in battle; pasu-vat—exactly like an animal; hatah—killed; tam—unto Him; maya-nrsimham—appearing as Lord Nrsimhadeva by the influence of His own energy; pranatah—fallen; sma—certainly; nityam—eternally.

TRANSLATION

The inhabitants of Vidyadhara-loka prayed: Our acquired power to appear and disappear in various ways according to varieties of meditation was banned by that foolish Hiranyakasipu because of his pride in his superior bodily strength and his ability to conquer others. Now the Supreme Personality of Godhead has killed him just as if the demon were an animal. Unto that supreme pastime form of Lord Nrsimhadeva, we eternally offer our respectful obeisances.

SB7.8.47

TEXT 47

sri-naga ucuh

yena papena ratnani

stri-ratnani hrtani nah

tad-vaksah-patanenasam

dattananda namo ’stu te

SYNONYMS

sri-nagah ucuh—the inhabitants of Nagaloka, who look like serpents, said; yena—by which person; papena—the most sinful (Hiranyakasipu); ratnani—the jewels on our heads; stri-ratnani—beautiful wives; hrtani—taken away; nah—our; tat—his; vaksah-patanena—by the piercing of the chest; asam—of all the women (who were kidnapped); datta-ananda—O Lord, You are the source of the pleasure; namah—our respectful obeisances; astu—let there be; te—unto You.

TRANSLATION

The inhabitants of Nagaloka said: The most sinful Hiranyakasipu took away all the jewels on our hoods and all our beautiful wives. Now, since his chest has been pierced by Your nails, You are the source of all pleasure to our wives. Thus we together offer our respectful obeisances unto You.

PURPORT

No one is peaceful if his wealth and wife are forcibly taken away. All the inhabitants of Nagaloka, which is situated below the earthly planetary system, were in great anxiety because their wealth had been stolen and their wives kidnapped by Hiranyakasipu. Now, Hiranyakasipu having been killed, their wealth and wives were returned, and their wives felt satisfied. The inhabitants of various lokas, or planets, offered their respectful obeisances unto the Lord because they were relieved by the death of Hiranyakasipu. Disturbances similar to those created by Hiranyakasipu are now taking place all over the world because of demoniac governments. As stated in the Twelfth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, the men of the governments of Kali-yuga will be no better than rogues and plunderers. Thus the populace will be harassed on one side by scarcity of food and on another by heavy taxation by the government. In other words, the people in most parts of the world in this age are harassed by the ruling principles of Hiranyakasipu.

SB7.8.48

TEXT 48

sri-manava ucuh

manavo vayam tava nidesa-karino

ditijena deva paribhuta-setavah

bhavata khalah sa upasamhrtah prabho

karavama te kim anusadhi kinkaran

SYNONYMS

sri-manavah ucuh—all the Manus offered their respectful obeisances by saying; manavah—the leaders of the universal affairs (especially in connection with giving knowledge to humanity about how to live lawfully under the protection of the Supreme Personality of Godhead); vayam—we; tava—of Your Lordship; nidesa-karinah—the carriers of the orders; diti-jena—by Hiranyakasipu, the son of Diti; deva—O Lord; paribhuta—disregarded; setavah—whose laws of morality concerning the varnasrama system in human society; bhavata—by Your Lordship; khalah—the most envious rascal; sah—he; upasamhrtah—killed; prabho—O Lord; karavama—shall we do; te—Your; kim—what; anusadhi—please direct; kinkaran—Your eternal servants.

TRANSLATION

All the Manus offered their prayers as follows: As Your order carriers, O Lord, we, the Manus, are the law-givers for human society, but because of the temporary supremacy of this great demon, Hiranyakasipu, our laws for maintaining varnasrama-dharma were destroyed. O Lord, now that You have killed this great demon, we are in our normal condition. Kindly order us, Your eternal servants, what to do now.

PURPORT

In many places in Bhagavad-gita, the Supreme Lord, Krsna, refers to the varnasrama-dharma of four varnas and four asramas. He teaches people about this varnasrama-dharma so that all of human society can live peacefully by observing the principles for the four social divisions and four spiritual divisions (varna and asrama) and thus make advancement in spiritual knowledge. The Manus compiled the Manu-samhita. The word samhita means Vedic knowledge, and manu indicates that this knowledge is given by Manu. The Manus are sometimes incarnations of the Supreme Lord and sometimes empowered living entities. Formerly, many long years ago, Lord Krsna instructed the sun-god. The Manus are generally sons of the sun-god. Therefore, while speaking to Arjuna about the importance of Bhagavad-gita, Krsna said, imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam vivasvan manave praha: [Bg. 4.1] “This instruction was given to Vivasvan, the sun-god, who in turn instructed his son Manu.” Manu gave the law known as Manu-samhita, which is full of directions based on varna and asrama concerning how to live as a human being. These are very scientific ways of life, but under the rule of demons like Hiranyakasipu, human society breaks all these systems of law and order and gradually becomes lower and lower. Thus there is no peace in the world. The conclusion is that if we want real peace and order in the human society, we must follow the principles laid down by the Manu-samhita and confirmed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna.

SB7.8.49

TEXT 49

sri-prajapataya ucuh

prajesa vayam te paresabhisrsta

na yena praja vai srjamo nisiddhah

sa esa tvaya bhinna-vaksa nu sete

jagan-mangalam sattva-murte ’vatarah

SYNONYMS

sri-prajapatayah ucuh—the great personalities who created the various living beings offered their prayers by saying; praja-isah—the prajapatis created by Lord Brahma, who have created generations of living entities; vayam—we; te—of You; para-isa—O Supreme Lord; abhisrstah—born; na—not; yena—by whom (Hiranyakasipu); prajah—living entities; vai—indeed; srjamah—we create; nisiddhah—being forbidden; sah—he (Hiranyakasipu); esah—this; tvaya—by You; bhinna-vaksah—whose chest has been split; nu—indeed; sete—lies down; jagat-mangalam—for the auspiciousness of the whole world; sattva-murte—in this transcendental form of pure goodness; avatarah—this incarnation.

TRANSLATION

The prajapatis offered their prayers as follows: O Supreme Lord, Lord of even Brahma and Siva, we, the prajapatis, were created by You to execute Your orders, but we were forbidden by Hiranyakasipu to create any more good progeny. Now the demon is lying dead before us, his chest pierced by You. Let us therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto You, whose incarnation in this form of pure goodness is meant for the welfare of the entire universe.

SB7.8.50

TEXT 50

sri-gandharva ucuh

vayam vibho te nata-natya-gayaka

yenatmasad virya-balaujasa krtah

sa esa nito bhavata dasam imam

kim utpathasthah kusalaya kalpate

SYNONYMS

sri-gandharvah ucuh—the inhabitants of Gandharvaloka (who are usually engaged as musicians of the heavenly planets) said; vayam—we; vibho—O Lord; te—Your; nata-natya-gayakah—dancers and singers in dramatic performances; yena—by whom; atmasat—under subjection; virya—of his valor; bala—and bodily strength; ojasa—by the influence; krtah—made (brought); sah—he (Hiranyakasipu); esah—this; nitah—brought; bhavata—by Your Lordship; dasam imam—to this condition; kim—whether; utpathasthah—anyone who is an upstart; kusalaya—for auspiciousness; kalpate—is capable.

TRANSLATION

The inhabitants of Gandharvaloka prayed: Your Lordship, we ever engage in Your service by dancing and singing in dramatic performances, but this Hiranyakasipu, by the influence of his bodily strength and valor, brought us under his subjugation. Now he has been brought to this low condition by Your Lordship. What benefit can result from the activities of such an upstart as Hiranyakasipu?

PURPORT

By being a very obedient servant of the Supreme Lord, one becomes extremely powerful in bodily strength, influence and effulgence, whereas the fate of demoniac upstarts is ultimately to fall down like Hiranyakasipu. Hiranyakasipu and persons like him may be very powerful for some time, but the obedient servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead like the demigods remain powerful always. They are victorious over the influence of Hiranyakasipu by the grace of the Supreme Lord.

SB7.8.51

TEXT 51

sri-carana ucuh

hare tavanghri-pankajam

bhavapavargam asritah

yad esa sadhu-hrc-chayas

tvayasurah samapitah

SYNONYMS

sri-caranah ucuh—the inhabitants of the Carana planet said; hare—O Lord; tava—Your; anghri-pankajam—lotus feet; bhava-apavargam—the only shelter for becoming free from the contamination of material existence; asritah—sheltered at; yat—because; esah—this; sadhu-hrt-sayah—stake in the hearts of all honest persons; tvaya—by Your Lordship; asurah—the demon (Hiranyakasipu); samapitah—finished.

TRANSLATION

The inhabitants of the Carana planet said: O Lord, because You have destroyed the demon Hiranyakasipu, who was always a stake in the hearts of all honest men, we are now relieved, and we eternally take shelter of Your lotus feet, which award the conditioned soul liberation from materialistic contamination.

PURPORT

The Supreme Personality of Godhead in His transcendental form of Narahari, Nrsimhadeva, is always ready to kill the demons, who always create disturbances in the minds of honest devotees. To spread the Krsna consciousness movement, devotees have to face many dangers and impediments all over the world, but a faithful servant who preaches with great devotion to the Lord must know that Lord Nrsimhadeva is always his protector.

SB7.8.52

TEXT 52

sri-yaksa ucuh

vayam anucara-mukhyah karmabhis te mano-jnais

ta iha diti-sutena prapita vahakatvam

sa tu jana-paritapam tat-krtam janata te

narahara upanitah pancatam panca-vimsa

SYNONYMS

sri-yaksah ucuh—the inhabitants of the Yaksa planet prayed; vayam—we; anucara-mukhyah—the chief among Your many servants; karmabhih—by services; te—unto You; mano-jnaih—very pleasing; te—they; iha—at the present moment; diti-sutena—by Hiranyakasipu, the son of Diti; prapitah—forced to engage as; vahakatvam—the palanquin carriers; sah—he; tu—but; jana-paritapam—the miserable condition of everyone; tat-krtam—caused by him; janata—knowing; te—by You; nara-hara—O Lord in the form of Nrsimha; upanitah—is put to; pancatam—death; panca-vimsa—O twenty-fifth principle (the controller of the other twenty-four elements).

TRANSLATION

The inhabitants of Yaksaloka prayed: O controller of the twenty-four elements, we are considered the best servants of Your Lordship because of rendering services pleasing to You, yet we engaged as palanquin carriers by the order of Hiranyakasipu, the son of Diti. O Lord in the form of Nrsimhadeva, You know how this demon gave trouble to everyone, but now You have killed him, and his body is mixing with the five material elements.

PURPORT

The Supreme Lord is the controller of the ten senses, the five material elements, the five sense objects, the mind, the intelligence, the false ego and the soul. Therefore He is addressed as panca-vimsa, the twenty-fifth element. The inhabitants of the Yaksa planet are supposed to be the best of all servants, but Hiranyakasipu engaged them as palanquin carriers. The entire universe was in trouble because of Hiranyakasipu, but now that Hiranyakasipu’s body was mixing with the five material elements—earth, water, fire, air and sky—everyone felt relief. Upon Hiranyakasipu’s death, the Yaksas were reinstated in their original service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus they felt obliged to the Lord and offered their prayers.

SB7.8.53

TEXT 53

sri-kimpurusa ucuh

vayam kimpurusas tvam tu

maha-purusa isvarah

ayam kupuruso nasto

dhik-krtah sadhubhir yada

SYNONYMS

sri-kimpurusah ucuh—the inhabitants of Kimpurusa-loka said; vayam—we; kimpurusah—the inhabitants of Kimpurusa-loka, or insignificant living entities; tvam—Your Lordship; tu—however; maha-purusah—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; isvarah—the supreme controller; ayam—this; ku-purusah—most sinful person, Hiranyakasipu; nastah—slain; dhik-krtah—being condemned; sadhubhih—by the saintly persons; yada—when.

TRANSLATION

The inhabitants of Kimpurusa-loka said: We are insignificant living entities, and You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller. Therefore how can we offer suitable prayers unto You? When this demon was condemned by devotees because they were disgusted with him, he was then killed by You.

PURPORT

The cause of the Supreme Lord’s appearance upon this earth is stated in Bhagavad-gita (4.7–8) by the Lord Himself:

yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham

[Bg. 4.7]

paritranaya sadhunam
vinasaya ca duskrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge

[Bg. 4.8]

“Whenever and wherever there is a decrease in religious principles and a predominant rise in irreligion, at that time I descend Myself. To deliver the pious and annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself, millennium after millennium.” The Lord appears in order to execute two kinds of activities—to kill the demons and to protect the devotees. When the devotees are too disturbed by the demons, the Lord certainly appears in different incarnations to give the devotees protection. The devotees following in the footsteps of Prahlada Maharaja should not be disturbed by the demoniac activities of the nondevotees. Rather, they should stick to their principles as sincere servants of the Lord and rest assured that the demoniac activities directed against them will not be able to stop their devotional service.

SB7.8.54

TEXT 54

sri-vaitalika ucuh

sabhasu satresu tavamalam yaso

gitva saparyam mahatim labhamahe

yas tam anaisid vasam esa durjano

dvistya hatas te bhagavan yathamayah

SYNONYMS

sri-vaitalikah ucuh—the inhabitants of Vaitalika-loka said; sabhasu—in great assemblies; satresu—in the arenas of sacrifice; tava—Your; amalam—without any spot of material contamination; yasah—reputation; gitva—singing; saparyam—respectful position; mahatim—great; labhamahe—we achieved; yah—he who; tam—that (respectful position); anaisit—brought under; vasam—his control; esah—this; durjanah—crooked person; dvistya—by great fortune; hatah—killed; te—by You; bhagavan—O Lord; yatha—exactly like; amayah—a disease.

TRANSLATION

The inhabitants of Vaitalika-loka said: Dear Lord, because of chanting Your spotless glories in great assemblies and arenas of sacrifice, we were accustomed to great respect from everyone. This demon, however, usurped that position. Now, to our great fortune, You have killed this great demon, exactly as one cures a chronic disease.

SB7.8.55

TEXT 55

sri-kinnara ucuh

vayam isa kinnara-ganas tavanuga

ditijena vistim amunanukaritah

bhavata hare sa vrjino ’vasadito

narasimha natha vibhavaya no bhava

SYNONYMS

sri-kinnarah ucuh—the inhabitants of the Kinnara planet said; vayam—we; isa—O Lord; kinnara-ganah—the inhabitants of the Kinnara planet; tava—Your; anugah—faithful servants; diti-jena—by the son of Diti; vistim—service without remuneration; amuna—by that; anukaritah—caused to perform; bhavata—by You; hare—O Lord; sah—he; vrjinah—most sinful; avasaditah—destroyed; narasimha—O Lord Nrsimhadeva; natha—O master; vibhavaya—for the happiness and opulence; nah—of us; bhava—You please be.

TRANSLATION

The Kinnaras said: O supreme controller, we are ever-existing servants of Your Lordship, but instead of rendering service to You, we were engaged by this demon in his service, constantly and without remuneration. This sinful man has now been killed by You. Therefore, O Lord Nrsimhadeva, our master, we offer our respectful obeisances unto You. Please continue to be our patron.

SB7.8.56

TEXT 56

sri-visnu-parsada ucuh

adyaitad dhari-nara-rupam adbhutam te

drstam nah saranada sarva-loka-sarma

so ’yam te vidhikara isa vipra-saptas

tasyedam nidhanam anugrahaya vidmah

SYNONYMS

sri-visnu-parsadah ucuh—the associates of Lord Visnu in Vaikunthaloka said; adya—today; etat—this; hari-nara—of half lion and half human being; rupam—form; adbhutam—very wonderful; te—Your; drstam—seen; nah—of us; sarana-da—the everlasting bestower of shelter; sarva-loka-sarma—which brings good fortune to all the various planets; sah—he; ayam—this; te—of Your Lordship; vidhikarah—order carrier (servant); isa—O Lord; vipra-saptah—being cursed by the brahmanas; tasya—of him; idam—this; nidhanam—killing; anugrahaya—for the special favor; vidmah—we understand.

TRANSLATION

The associates of Lord Visnu in Vaikuntha offered this prayer: O Lord, our supreme giver of shelter, today we have seen Your wonderful form as Lord Nrsimhadeva, meant for the good fortune of all the world. O Lord, we can understand that Hiranyakasipu was the same Jaya who engaged in Your service but was cursed by brahmanas and who thus received the body of a demon. We understand that his having now been killed is Your special mercy upon him.

PURPORT

Hiranyakasipu’s coming to this earth and acting as the Lord’s enemy was prearranged. Jaya and Vijaya were cursed by the brahmanas Sanaka, Sanat-kumara, Sanandana and Sanatana because Jaya and Vijaya checked these four Kumaras. The Lord accepted this cursing of His servants and agreed that they would have to go to the material world and would then return to Vaikuntha after serving the term of the curse. Jaya and Vijaya were very much perturbed, but the Lord advised them to act as enemies, for then they would return after three births; otherwise, ordinarily, they would have to take seven births. With this authority, Jaya and Vijaya acted as the Lord’s enemies, and now that these two were dead, all the Visnudutas understood that the Lord’s killing of Hiranyakasipu was special mercy bestowed upon them.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Seventh Canto, Eighth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “Lord Nrsimhadeva Slays the King of the Demons.”

Next chapter (SB 7.9)