Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Six Dictation Chapter 12, Verse 24–35 Chapter 13, Verse 01–02
Prabhupāda:
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa
kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma
rāma rāma hare hare
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Sixth Canto, Twelfth Chapter, verse number 24.
āvidhya parighaṁ vṛtraḥ
kārṣṇāyasam arindamaḥ
indrāya prāhiṇod ghoraṁ
vāma-hastena māriṣa
[SB 6.12.24]
āvidhya — whirling round
parigham — iron trident
vṛtraḥ — Vṛtrāsura
kārṣṇa-ayasam — the trident made of iron
arim-damaḥ — Vṛtrāsura, who was competent enough to subdue his enemy
indrāya — unto Indra
prāhiṇot — threw, or released upon him
ghoram — three fearceful
vāma-hastena — by his left hand
māriṣa — O best of the kings, Mahārāja Parīkṣit
Translation: O the best of the kings, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Vṛtrāsura was completely able to subdue his enemy, took his trident made of iron and, whirling it around, he aimed at Indra and then he released upon him.
Text number 25.
sa tu vṛtrasya parighaṁ
karañca karabhopamam
ciccheda yugapad devo
vajreṇa śata-parvaṇā
[SB 6.12.25]
saḥ* *— King Indra
tu* *— however
vṛtrasya* *— Vṛtrāsura
parigham* *— the iron trident
karañca — as well as his hand
karabha-upamam* *— and which was as strong as the trunk of an elephant
ciccheda* *— cut into pieces
yugapat* *— simultaneously
vajreṇa* *— with the thunderbolt
śata-parvaṇā — by the name Śataparva
Translation: Indra also by his thunderbolt of the name Śataparva simultaneously cut into pieces the trident released by Vṛtrāsura as well as his hand cut into pieces.
Text number 26.
dorbhyām utkṛtta-mūlābhyāṁ
babhau rakta-sravo ’suraḥ
chinna-pakṣo yathā gotraḥ
khād bhraṣṭo vajriṇā hataḥ
[SB 6.12.26]
dorbhyām — by the two arms
utkṛtta-mūlābhyām — cut from the very root
babhau — he was
rakta-sravaḥ — profusely discharging blood
asuraḥ — Vṛtrāsura
chinna-pakṣaḥ — cut by the wings
yathā — as in: as
gotraḥ — the mountain
khāt bhraṣṭaḥ — falling from the sky
vajriṇā — by Indra, who uses the thunderbolt
hataḥ — killed
Translation: Vṛtrāsura, being cut off by the two arms, profusely discharged blood, and he looked very beautiful, exactly as a mountain, or flying mountain killed by Indra being cut into pieces, the wings.
Purport: It appears from the statement of this verse that sometimes there are flying mountains also with wings, which are cut by the thunderbolt of Indra. Vṛtrāsura looked like that, although he was not a mountain, but his huge body appeared to be like mountain.
Text number 27, 28 and 29.
mahā-prāṇo mahā-vīryo
mahā-sarpa iva dvipam
kṛtvādharāṁ hanuṁ bhūmau
daitye divy uttarāṁ hanum
nabho-gambhīra-vaktreṇa
leliholbaṇa-jihvayā
daṁṣṭrābhiḥ kāla-kalpābhir
grasann iva jagat-trayam
atimātra-mahā-kāya
ākṣipaṁs tarasā girīn
giri-rāṭ pāda-cārīva
padbhyāṁ nirjarayan mahīm
jagrāsa sa samāsādya
vajriṇaṁ saha-vāhanam
[SB 6.12.27-29]
mahā-prāṇaḥ — very, very highly strong by bodily strength
mahā-vīryaḥ — showing uncommonly prowess
mahā-sarpaḥ — the biggest snake
iva — like
dvipam — as if another planet
kṛtvā — throwing
adharām — down
hanum — chin
bhūmau — on the ground
daityaḥ — by the asura
divy uttarām hanum — for the upper part of the chin
hanum — chin
nabhaḥ — sky
gambhīra — deep
vaktreṇa — by the mouth
lelihaḥ — skin
ulbaṇa — flames
- [indistinct]-jihvayā*— by the tongue
** daṁṣṭrābhiḥ** — by the teeth*
kāla-kalpābhiḥ*— exactly like the time factor, at the time of death
** grasan**— swallowing
** iva**— like
** jagat-trayam**— the three worlds
** ati-mātra**— very, very high
** mahā-kāyaḥ**— assuming a very great body
** ākṣipan**— pulling
** tarasā**— with great force
** girīn**— the mountains
** giri-rāṭ**— as the Himalaya Mountains
** pāda-cārīva**— as if moving by the legs
** padbhyāṁ**— by the legs
** nirjarayan**— punishing
** mahīm**— the surface of the world
** jagrāsa**— swallowed up
** saḥ**— he
** samāsādya**— by capturing
** vajriṇam**— Indra, who carries the thunderbolt
** saha-vāhanam** — along with carrier, the elephant
Translation: Vṛtrāsura was very, very powerful by bodily strength and influence. Now he kept his lower part of the chin on the ground and the other part, the upper part, expanded to the sky. In this way his mouth became very, very big, and his tongue just like big serpent, and at the time of his death he was just trying to chew the whole universe by his teeth. This way the great demon Vṛtrāsura, assuming a very, very big body, began to chastise even the mountain, and by his legs he began to dismantle the surface of the earth, as if Himalayan mountain is moving this way. He came before Indra, and thus he swallowed up Indra along with his carrier the elephant, exactly like a big python swallows up a big elephant.
Text number 30.
vṛtra-grastaṁ tam ālokya
saprajāpatayaḥ surāḥ
hā kaṣṭam iti nirviṇṇāś
cukruśuḥ samaharṣayaḥ
[SB 6.12.30]
vṛtra-grastam — King Indra thus being swallowed up by Vṛtrāsura
tam — him
ālokya — seeing in that situation
sa-prajāpatayaḥ — along with Lord Brahmā and other prajāpatis
surāḥ — all the demigods
hā kaṣṭam — oh, what a tribulation
iti — thus seeing
nirviṇṇāḥ — being very much morose
cukruśuḥ — began to lament
sa-mahaṛṣayaḥ — along with the great sages
Translation: When it was seen that Indra was swallowed up by the great demon, at that time the *prajāpati—*Lord Brahmā and other great, great saintly persons, all the demigods, became very, very morose and began to say, “What a tribulation, tribulation!” Thus began to lament.
Text number 31.
nigīrṇo ’py asurendreṇa
na mamārodaraṁ gataḥ
mahāpuruṣa-sannaddho
yogamāyā-balena ca
[SB 6.12.31]
nigīrṇaḥ — swallowed up
api — although
asura-indreṇa — by the best of the asuras, Vṛtrāsura
na — not
mamāra — died
udaram — within the abdomen
gataḥ — although he was put into there
mahā-puruṣa — the Supreme Lord, Nārāyaṇa
sannaddhaḥ — being accomplished by the talisman known as Nārāyaṇa-kavaca
yoga-māyā-balena— as realized by the mystic power which Indra possessed himself
** ca** — although also
Translation: The Nārāyaṇa talisman which Indra possessed is as good as Nārāyaṇa the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore being protected by that talisman as well as by dint of his mystic power, King Indra, although swallowed up within the belly of Vṛtrāsura, he did not die.
Text number 32.
bhittvā vajreṇa tat-kukṣiṁ
niṣkramya bala-bhid vibhuḥ
uccakarta śiraḥśatror
giri-śṛṅgam ivaujasā
[SB 6.12.32]
bhittvā — piercing through
vajreṇa — by the thunderbolt
tat-kukṣiṁ — the abdomen of Vṛtrāsura
niṣkramya — getting out
bala-bhit — with great power
vibhuḥ — the powerful Lord Indra
uccakarta — cut into pieces
śiraḥ — his head
śatroḥ — king Indra
giri-śṛṅgam — the peak of mountain
iva — like that
ojasā — great force
Translation: King Indra also was very, very powerful. Thus by his thunderbolt he pierced through the abdomen of Vṛtrāsura, and with great force he immediately cut into two the head of Vṛtrāsura, which was as high as the peak of a mountain.
Text number 33.
vajras tu tat-kandharam āśu-vegaḥ
kṛntan samantāt parivartamānaḥ
nyapātayat tāvad ahar-gaṇena
yo jyotiṣām ayane vārtra-hatye
[SB 6.12.33]
vajras tu — the thunderbolt also
tat-kandharam — Vṛtrāsura’s neck
āśu-vegaḥ — great force
kṛntan — to cut into two
samantāt — all round
parivartamānaḥ — was rotating to cut the head
nyapātayat — caused ultimately cut into two
tāvat — taking so much time
ahaḥ-gaṇena — so many days
yaḥ — that which
jyotiṣām — of the luminaries sun, moon and other planets
ayane — moving two sides of the equator
vārtra-hatye — took so much time just to kill Vṛtrāsura
Translation: The thunderbolt, although rotating round the neck of Vṛtrāsura with great force, still, to separate the head from the body took complete one year, 360 days, which is taken by the sun, moon and other luminaries complete one year, or 360 days. This way the head of Vṛtrāsura fell down on the ground.
Text number 34.
tadā ca khe dundubhayo vinedur
gandharva-siddhāḥ samaharṣi-saṅghāḥ
vārtra-ghna-liṅgais tam abhiṣṭuvānā
mantrair mudā kusumair abhyavarṣan
[SB 6.12.34]
tadā — at that time
ca — also
khe — in the higher planetary systems in the sky
dundubhayaḥ — the kettledrums in those planet
vineduḥ — sounded
gandharva — the planetary system known as Gandharvaloka
siddhāḥ — the planet which is known as Siddhaloka*
sa-maharṣi-saṅghāḥ* — along with seven saintly persons residing in the planet known as Saptaṛṣi. saṅghāḥ—their group, the seven stars group
vārtra-ghna-liṅgaiḥ — in the form of killer of Vṛtrāsura
abhiṣṭuvānāḥ — just offering prayers unto Indra
mantraiḥ — by various mantra
tam — unto Indra
kusumaiḥ — by flowers
abhyavarṣan — by showering flowers upon him
Translation : In this way, when Vṛtrāsura was killed, at that time in the higher planetary system, namely the heavenly planets, Gandharvaloka, Siddhaloka, there was beating of the kettledrums in jubilation, and by Vedic hymns they begun to eulogize Indra by showering flowers upon him.
Text number 35.
vṛtrasya dehān niṣkrāntam
ātma-jyotir arindama
paśyatāṁ sarva-devānām
alokaṁ samapadyata
[SB 6.12.35]
vṛtrasya — Vṛtrāsura
dehāt — from the body
niṣkrāntam — while coming out
ātma-jyotiḥ — the spirit soul, as brilliant as the effulgence of Brahman
arin-dama — O the king Parīkṣit, who can subdue his enemies
paśyatām — as seen by
sarva-devānām — all the demigods
alokam — the supreme abode, full of Brahman effulgence
samapadyata — he achieved
Translation: O the king Parīkṣit, subduer of enemies, at that time from the body of Vṛtrāsura the spark, a living being, came out, and in order to go back to home, back to Godhead while all the demigods seeing, he entered in the transcendental world to become associate of Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa in the spiritual world.
Purport: Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura in this way gives an explanation that actually Vṛtrāsura was not killed; Indra was killed. He said that while Vṛtrāsura swallowed up King Indra along with his carrier elephant, certainly he thought, “Now Indra is finished. I have killed Indra, so there is no more use of fighting. Now let me go back to home, back to Godhead.” In this way he became situated in trance, stopping his all bodily activities. Taking advantage of the silence of the word, Indra came out of the belly, piercing through the abdomen. Because Vṛtrāsura was in trance, it was possible for him to come out. Now Vṛtrāsura was in kumbhaka-yoga-samādhi, [yogic trance accomplished by retention of breath] therefore his neck became very, very stiff. Although King Indra wanted to cut his throat, it was so stiff that his thunderbolt took complete 360 days to cut into pieces. Actually, the body left by Vṛtrāsura was cut into pieces by Indra; He was not killed. He, in his original consciousness, went back to home, back to Godhead, to become associate with Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa. Here alokam means the transcendental world, or the Vaikuṇṭhaloka, where Saṅkarṣaṇa resides eternally.
Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Twelfth Chapter, Sixth Canto, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Next, Thirteenth Chapter. The summary of the thirteenth chapter is as follows: In this chapter it is described that Indra was very much afraid of killing a brāhmaṇa. Vṛtrāsura was a brāhmaṇa, thus he fled away from the scene, and how he was saved by the grace of Lord Viṣṇu is described in this chapter.
The story is like this. When all the demigods combined together requested Indra to kill Vṛtrāsura, who was a brāhmaṇa, he refused to do it. All the demigods, however, encouraged Indra that he should not be afraid of killing a brāhmaṇa, because Indra was being protected by Nārāyaṇa-kavaca, or by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Nārāyaṇa. As such, even by a glimpse of chanting the name of Nārāyaṇa, one becomes free from all the sinful reactions of killing woman, cow, brāhmaṇa. So he was advised to perform the sacrifice* of* aśvamedha-yajña**, by which Nārāyaṇa is pleased, and as such, the performer of such yajña kills the whole universe, he is not implicated with the sinful reaction.
Under this instruction of the demigods, King Indra became engaged in fighting with Vṛtrāsura. However, Vṛtrāsura was killed, everyone became satisfied except King Indra, because he knew what was the position of Vṛtrāsura. This is the nature of great personality. A great personality, even though he acquires illegally some opulence of the world, he remains always ashamed and regretful.
Indra could understand that certainly he was entangled by sinful reaction of killing a brāhmaṇa. He could see how the sinful reaction personified was following him backward, and as such he fled out of fear here and there. He began to think of how to get rid of the sinful reaction. In this condition he went to Mānasa-sarovara, and there, being protected by the goddess of fortune, he meditated there for thousands of years. During this time, Nahuṣa reigned…, ruled over the heavenly planets as representative of Indra. Unfortunately, he became attracted by the beauty of Indra’s wife, Śacīdevī; therefore on account of this sinful desire he had to accept the body of a serpent next life. In this way Indra later on performed a great sacrifice, taking help from big, bigbrāhmaṇas , saintly persons, and in this way he was relieved from the reaction of sinful life on account of killing abrāhmaṇa.
Text number one.
śrī-śuka uvāca
vṛtre hate trayo lokā
vināśakreṇa bhūrida
sapālā hy abhavan sadyo
vijvarā nirvṛtendriyāḥ
[SB 6.13.1]
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued to speak
vṛtre hate — upon the death of Vṛtrāsura
trayaḥ lokāḥ — the three planetary systems, upper, middle and lower
vinā — without
śakreṇa — Indra, who’s name is Śakra
bhūri-da — O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the greatest person to give in charity
sa-pālāḥ — all the different ruler of different planets
hi — indeed
abhavan — all of them became
sadyaḥ — immediately
vijvarāḥ — without any fear of death
nirvṛta — being very much pleased
indriyāḥ — of their senses
Translation: O King Parīkṣit, who is so much charitably disposed, when Vṛtrāsura was killed, except Indra all the demigods became very, very happy and pleased.
Text number two.
devarṣi-pitṛ-bhūtāni
daityā devānugāḥ svayam
pratijagmuḥ sva-dhiṣṇyāni
brahmeśendrādayas tataḥ
[SB 6.13.2]
[end]