Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 8: “Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter Eleven
SB8.11.24
TEXT 24
sarvatah sara-kutena
sakram saratha-sarathim
chadayam asur asurah
pravrt-suryam ivambudah
SYNONYMS
sarvatah—all around; sara-kutena—by a dense shower of arrows; sakram—Indra; sa-ratha—with his chariot; sarathim—and with his chariot driver; chadayam asuh—covered; asurah—all the demons; pravrt—in the rainy season; suryam—the sun; iva—like; ambu-dah—clouds.
TRANSLATION
Other demons covered Indra, along with his chariot and chariot driver, with incessant showers of arrows, just as clouds cover the sun in the rainy season.
SB8.11.25
TEXT 25
alaksayantas tam ativa vihvala
vicukrusur deva-ganah sahanugah
anayakah satru-balena nirjita
vanik-patha bhinna-navo yatharnave
SYNONYMS
alaksayantah—being unable to see; tam—King Indra; ativa—fiercely; vihvalah—bewildered; vicukrusuh—began to lament; deva-ganah—all the demigods; saha-anugah—with their followers; anayakah—without any captain or leader; satru-balena—by the superior power of their enemies; nirjitah—oppressed severely; vanik-pathah—traders; bhinna-navah—whose ship is wrecked; yatha arnave—as in the middle of the ocean.
TRANSLATION
The demigods, being severely oppressed by their enemies and being unable to see Indra on the battlefield, were very anxious. Having no captain or leader, they began lamenting like traders in a wrecked vessel in the midst of the ocean.
PURPORT
From this statement it appears that in the upper planetary system there is shipping and that traders there engage in navigation as their occupational duty. Sometimes, as on this planet, these traders are shipwrecked in the middle of the ocean. It appears that even in the upper planetary system, such calamities occasionally take place. The upper planetary system in the creation of the Lord is certainly not vacant or devoid of living entities. From Srimad-Bhagavatam we understand that every planet is full of living entities, just as earth is. There is no reason to accept that on other planetary systems there are no living beings. SB8.11.26 TEXT 26 tatas turasad isu-baddha-panjarad vinirgatah sasva-ratha-dhvajagranih babhau disah kham prthivim ca rocayan sva-tejasa surya iva ksapatyaye SYNONYMS tatah—thereafter; turasat—another name of Indra; isu-baddha-panjarat—from the cage of the network of arrows; vinirgatah—being released; sa—with; asva—horses; ratha—chariot; dhvaja—flag; agranih—and chariot driver; babhau—became; disah—all directions; kham—the sky; prthivim—the earth; ca—and; rocayan—pleasing everywhere; sva-tejasa—by his personal effulgence; suryah—the sun; iva—like; ksapa-atyaye—at the end of night. TRANSLATION Thereafter, Indra released himself from the cage of the network of arrows. Appearing with his chariot, flag, horses and chariot driver and thus pleasing the sky, the earth and all directions, he shone effulgently like the sun at the end of night. Indra was bright and beautiful in the vision of everyone. SB8.11.27 TEXT 27 niriksya prtanam devah parair abhyarditam rane udayacchad ripum hantum vajram vajra-dharo rusa SYNONYMS niriksya—after observing; prtanam—his own soldiers; devah—the demigod Indra; paraih—by the enemies; abhyarditam—put into great difficulties or oppressed; rane—in the battlefield; udayacchat—took up; ripum—the enemies; hantum—to kill; vajram—the thunderbolt; vajra-dharah—the carrier of the thunderbolt; rusa—in great anger. TRANSLATION When Indra, who is known as Vajra-dhara, the carrier of the thunderbolt, saw his own soldiers so oppressed by the enemies on the battlefield, he became very angry. Thus he took up his thunderbolt to kill the enemies. SB8.11.28 TEXT 28 sa tenaivasta-dharena sirasi bala-pakayoh jnatinam pasyatam rajan jahara janayan bhayam SYNONYMS sah—he (Indra); tena—by that; eva—indeed; asta-dharena—by the thunderbolt; sirasi—the two heads; bala-pakayoh—of the two demons known as Bala and Paka; jnatinam pasyatam—while their relatives and soldiers were watching; rajan—O King; jahara—(Indra) cut off; janayan—creating; bhayam—fear (among them). TRANSLATION O King Pariksit, King Indra used his thunderbolt to cut off the heads of both Bala and Paka in the presence of all their relatives and followers. In this way he created a very fearful atmosphere on the battlefield. SB8.11.29 TEXT 29 namucis tad-vadham drstva sokamarsa-rusanvitah jighamsur indram nrpate cakara paramodyamam SYNONYMS namucih—the demon Namuci; tat—of those two demons; vadham—the massacre; drstva—after seeing; soka-amarsa—lamentation and grief; rusa-anvitah—being very angry at this; jighamsuh—wanted to kill; indram—King Indra; nr-pate—O Maharaja Pariksit; cakara—made; parama—a great; udyamam—endeavor. TRANSLATION O King, when Namuci, another demon, saw the killing of both Bala and Paka, he was full of grief and lamentation. Thus he angrily made a great attempt to kill Indra. SB8.11.30 TEXT 30 asmasaramayam sulam ghantavad dhema-bhusanam pragrhyabhyadravat kruddho hato ’siti vitarjayan prahinod deva-rajaya ninadan mrga-rad iva SYNONYMS asmasara-mayam—made of steel; sulam—a spear; ghanta-vat—bound with bells; hema-bhusanam—decorated with ornaments of gold; pragrhya—taking in his hand; abhyadravat—forcefully went; kruddhah—in an angry mood; hatah asi iti—now you are killed; vitarjayan—roaring like that; prahinot—struck; deva-rajaya—unto King Indra; ninadan—resounding; mrga-rat—a lion; iva—like. TRANSLATION Being angry and roaring like a lion, the demon Namuci took up a steel spear, which was bound with bells and decorated with ornaments of gold. He loudly cried, “Now you are killed!” Thus coming before Indra to kill him, Namuci released his weapon. SB8.11.31 TEXT 31 tadapatad gagana-tale maha-javam vicicchide harir isubhih sahasradha tam ahanan nrpa kulisena kandhare rusanvitas tridasa-patih siro haran SYNONYMS tada—at that time; apatat—falling like a meteor; gagana-tale—beneath the sky or on the ground; maha-javam—extremely powerful; vicicchide—cut to pieces; harih—Indra; isubhih—by his arrows; sahasradha—into thousands of pieces; tam—that Namuci; ahanat—struck; nrpa—O King; kulisena—with his thunderbolt; kandhare—on the shoulder; rusa-anvitah—being very angry; tridasa-patih—Indra, the King of the demigods; sirah—the head; haran—to separate. TRANSLATION O King, when Indra, King of heaven, saw this very powerful spear falling toward the ground like a blazing meteor, he immediately cut it to pieces with his arrows. Then, being very angry, he struck Namuci’s shoulder with his thunderbolt to cut off Namuci’s head. SB8.11.32 TEXT 32 na tasya hi tvacam api vajra urjito bibheda yah sura-patinaujaseritah tad adbhutam param ativirya-vrtra-bhit tiraskrto namuci-sirodhara-tvaca SYNONYMS na—not; tasya—of him (Namuci); hi—indeed; tvacam api—even the skin; vajrah—the thunderbolt; urjitah—very powerful; bibheda—could pierce; yah—the weapon which; sura-patina—by the king of the demigods; ojasa—very forcefully; iritah—had been released; tat—therefore; adbhutam param—it was extraordinarily wonderful; ativirya-vrtra-bhit—so powerful that it could pierce the body of the very powerful Vrtrasura; tiraskrtah—(now in the future) which had been repelled; namuci-sirodhara-tvaca—by the skin of Namuci’s neck. TRANSLATION Although King Indra hurled his thunderbolt at Namuci with great force, it could not even pierce his skin. It is very wonderful that the famed thunderbolt that had pierced the body of Vrtrasura could not even slightly injure the skin of Namuci’s neck. SB8.11.33 TEXT 33 tasmad indro ’bibhec chatror vajrah pratihato yatah kim idam daiva-yogena bhutam loka-vimohanam SYNONYMS tasmat—therefore; indrah—the King of heaven; abibhet—became very fearful; satroh—from the enemy (Namuci); vajrah—the thunderbolt; pratihatah—was unable to hit and returned; yatah—because; kim idam—what is this; daiva-yogena—by some superior force; bhutam—it has happened; loka-vimohanam—so wonderful to the people in general. TRANSLATION When Indra saw the thunderbolt return from the enemy, he was very much afraid. He began to wonder whether this had happened because of some miraculous superior power. PURPORT Indra’s thunderbolt is invincible, and therefore when Indra saw that it had returned without doing any injury to Namuci, he was certainly very much afraid. SB8.11.34 TEXT 34 yena me purvam adrinam paksa-cchedah prajatyaye krto nivisatam bharaih patattraih patatam bhuvi SYNONYMS yena—by the same thunderbolt; me—by me; purvam—formerly; adrinam—of the mountains; paksa-cchedah—the cutting of the wings; praja-atyaye—when there was killing of the people in general; krtah—was done; nivisatam—of those mountains which entered; bharaih—by the great weight; patattraih—by wings; patatam—falling; bhuvi—on the ground. TRANSLATION Indra thought: Formerly, when many mountains flying in the sky with wings would fall to the ground and kill people, I cut their wings with this same thunderbolt. SB8.11.35 TEXT 35 tapah-saramayam tvastram vrtro yena vipatitah anye capi balopetah sarvastrair aksata-tvacah SYNONYMS tapah—austerities; sara-mayam—greatly powerful; tvastram—performed by Tvasta; vrtrah—Vrtrasura; yena—by which; vipatitah—was killed; anye—others; ca—also; api—indeed; bala-upetah—very powerful persons; sarva—all kinds; astraih—by weapons; aksata—without being injured; tvacah—their skin. TRANSLATION Vrtrasura was the essence of the austerities undergone by Tvasta, yet the thunderbolt killed him. Indeed, not only he but also many other stalwart heroes, whose very skin could not be injured even by all kinds of weapons, were killed by the same thunderbolt. SB8.11.36 TEXT 36 so ’yam pratihato vajro maya mukto ’sure ’lpake naham tad adade dandam brahma-tejo ’py akaranam SYNONYMS sah ayam—therefore, this thunderbolt; pratihatah—repelled; vajrah—thunderbolt; maya—by me; muktah—released; asure—unto that demon; alpake—less important; na—not; aham—I; tat—that; adade—hold; dandam—it is now just like a rod; brahma-tejah—as powerful as a brahmastra; api—although; akaranam—now it is useless. TRANSLATION But now, although the same thunderbolt has been released against a less important demon, it has been ineffectual. Therefore, although it was as good as a brahmastra, it has now become useless like an ordinary rod. I shall therefore hold it no longer. SB8.11.37 TEXT 37 iti sakram visidantam aha vag asaririni nayam suskair atho nardrair vadham arhati danavah SYNONYMS iti—in this way; sakram—unto Indra; visidantam—lamenting; aha—spoke; vak—a voice; asaririni—without any body, or from the sky; na—not; ayam—this; suskaih—by anything dry; atho—also; na—nor; ardraih—by anything moist; vadham—annihilation; arhati—is befitting; danavah—this demon (Namuci). TRANSLATION Sukadeva Gosvami continued: While the morose Indra was lamenting in this way, an ominous, unembodied voice said from the sky, “This demon Namuci is not to be annihilated by anything dry or moist.” SB8.11.38 TEXT 38 mayasmai yad varo datto mrtyur naivardra-suskayoh ato ’nyas cintaniyas te upayo maghavan ripoh SYNONYMS maya—by me; asmai—unto him; yat—because; varah—a benediction; dattah—has been granted; mrtyuh—death; na—not; eva—indeed; ardra—by either a moist; suskayoh—or by a dry medium; atah—therefore; anyah—something else, another; cintaniyah—has to be thought of; te—by you; upayah—means; maghavan—O Indra; ripoh—of your enemy. TRANSLATION The voice also said, “O Indra, because I have given this demon the benediction that he will never be killed by any weapon that is dry or moist, you have to think of another way to kill him.” SB8.11.39 TEXT 39 tam daivim giram akarnya maghavan susamahitah dhyayan phenam athapasyad upayam ubhayatmakam SYNONYMS tam—that; daivim—ominous; giram—voice; akarnya—after hearing; maghavan—Lord Indra; su-samahitah—becoming very careful; dhyayan—meditating; phenam—appearance of foam; atha—thereafter; apasyat—he saw; upayam—the means; ubhaya-atmakam—simultaneously dry and moist. TRANSLATION After hearing the ominous voice, Indra, with great attention, began to meditate on how to kill the demon. He then saw that foam would be the means, for it is neither moist nor dry. SB8.11.40 TEXT 40 na suskena na cardrena jahara namuceh sirah tam tustuvur muni-gana malyais cavakiran vibhum SYNONYMS na—neither; suskena—by dry means; na—nor; ca—also; ardrena—by a moist weapon; jahara—he separated; namuceh—of Namuci; sirah—the head; tam—him (Indra); tustuvuh—satisfied; muni-ganah—all the sages; malyaih—with flower garlands; ca—also; avakiran—covered; vibhum—that great personality. TRANSLATION Thus Indra, King of heaven, severed Namuci’s head with a weapon of foam, which was neither dry nor moist. Then all the sages satisfied Indra, the exalted personality, by showering flowers and garlands upon him, almost covering him. PURPORT In this regard, the sruti-mantras say, apam phenena namuceh sira indro ’darayat: Indra killed Namuci with watery foam, which is neither moist nor dry. SB8.11.41 TEXT 41 gandharva-mukhyau jagatur visvavasu-paravasu deva-dundubhayo nedur nartakyo nanrtur muda SYNONYMS gandharva-mukhyau—the two chiefs of the Gandharvas; jagatuh—began to sing nice songs; visvavasu—named Visvavasu; paravasu—named Paravasu; deva-dundubhayah—the kettledrums beaten by the demigods; neduh—made their sound; nartakyah—the dancers known as Apsaras; nanrtuh—began to dance; muda—in great happiness. TRANSLATION Visvavasu and Paravasu, the two chiefs of the Gandharvas, sang in great happiness. The kettledrums of the demigods sounded, and the Apsaras danced in jubilation. SB8.11.42 TEXT 42 anye ’py evam pratidvandvan vayv-agni-varunadayah sudayam asur asuran mrgan kesarino yatha SYNONYMS anye—others; api—also; evam—in this way; pratidvandvan—the opposing party of belligerants; vayu—the demigod known as Vayu; agni—the demigod known as Agni; varuna-adayah—the demigod known as Varuna and others; sudayam asuh—began to kill vigorously; asuran—all the demons; mrgan—deer; kesarinah—lions; yatha—just as. TRANSLATION Vayu, Agni, Varuna and other demigods began killing the demons who opposed them, just as lions kill deer in a forest. SB8.11.43 TEXT 43 brahmana presito devan devarsir narado nrpa varayam asa vibudhan drstva danava-sanksayam SYNONYMS brahmana—by Lord Brahma; presitah—sent; devan—unto the demigods; deva-rsih—the great sage of the heavenly planets; naradah—Narada Muni; nrpa—O King; varayam asa—forbade; vibudhan—all the demigods; drstva—after seeing; danava-sanksayam—the total annihilation of the demons. TRANSLATION O King, when Lord Brahma saw the imminent total annihilation of the demons, he sent a message with Narada, who went before the demigods to make them stop fighting. SB8.11.44 TEXT 44 sri-narada uvaca bhavadbhir amrtam praptam narayana-bhujasrayaih sriya samedhitah sarva uparamata vigrahat SYNONYMS sri-naradah uvaca—Narada Muni prayed to the demigods; bhavadbhih—by all of you; amrtam—nectar; praptam—has been obtained; narayana—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhuja-asrayaih—being protected by the arms; sriya—by all fortune; samedhitah—have flourished; sarve—all of you; uparamata—now cease; vigrahat—from this fighting. TRANSLATION The great sage Narada said: All of you demigods are protected by the arms of Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and by His grace you have gotten the nectar. By the grace of the goddess of fortune, you are glorious in every way. Therefore, please stop this fighting. SB8.11.45 TEXT 45 sri-suka uvaca samyamya manyu-samrambham manayanto muner vacah upagiyamananucarair yayuh sarve trivistapam SYNONYMS sri-sukah uvaca—Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; samyamya—controlling; manyu—of anger; samrambham—the aggravation; manayantah—accepting; muneh vacah—the words of Narada Muni; upagiyamana—being praised; anucaraih—by their followers; yayuh—returned; sarve—all of the demigods; trivistapam—to the heavenly planets. TRANSLATION Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: Accepting the words of Narada, the demigods gave up their anger and stopped fighting. Being praised by their followers, they returned to their heavenly planets. SB8.11.46 TEXT 46 ye ’vasista rane tasmin naradanumatena te balim vipannam adaya astam girim upagaman SYNONYMS ye—some of the demons who; avasistah—remained; rane—in the fight; tasmin—in that; narada-anumatena—by the order of Narada; te—all of them; balim—Maharaja Bali; vipannam—in reverses; adaya—taking; astam—named Asta; girim—to the mountain; upagaman—went. TRANSLATION Following the order of Narada Muni, whatever demons remained on the battlefield took Bali Maharaja, who was in a precarious condition, to the hill known as Astagiri. SB8.11.47 TEXT 47 tatravinastavayavan vidyamana-sirodharan usana jivayam asa samjivanya sva-vidyaya SYNONYMS tatra—on that hill; avinasta-avayavan—the demons who had been killed but whose bodily parts had not been lost; vidyamana-sirodharan—whose heads were still existing on their bodies; usanah—Sukracarya; jivayam asa—brought to life; samjivanya—by the Samjivani mantra; sva-vidyaya—by his own achievement. TRANSLATION There, on that hill, Sukracarya brought to life all the dead demoniac soldiers who had not lost their heads, trunks and limbs. He achieved this by his own mantra, known as Samjivani. SB8.11.48 TEXT 48 balis cosanasa sprstah pratyapannendriya-smrtih parajito ’pi nakhidyal loka-tattva-vicaksanah SYNONYMS balih—Maharaja Bali; ca—also; usanasa—by Sukracarya; sprstah—being touched; pratyapanna—was brought back; indriya-smrtih—realization of the actions of the senses and memory; parajitah—he was defeated; api—although; na akhidyat—he did not lament; loka-tattva-vicaksanah—because he was very experienced in universal affairs. TRANSLATION Bali Maharaja was very experienced in universal affairs. When he regained his senses and memory by the grace of Sukracarya, he could understand everything that had happened. Therefore, although he had been defeated, he did not lament. PURPORT It is significant that Bali Maharaja is here said to be very experienced. Although defeated, he was not at all sorry, for he knew that nothing can take place without the sanction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Since he was a devotee, he accepted his defeat without lamentation. As stated by the Supreme Personality of Godhead in Bhagavad-gita (2.47), karmany evadhikaras te ma phalesu kadacana. Everyone in Krsna consciousness should execute his duty, without regard for victory or defeat. One must execute his duty as ordered by Krsna or His representative, the spiritual master. Anukulyena krsnanusilanam bhaktir uttama. In first-class devotional service, one always abides by the orders and will of Krsna. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Eighth Canto, Eleventh Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “King Indra Annihilates the Demons.”