Srimad Bhagavatam · Canto 6 · Chapter 10
श्रीबादरायणिरुवाच इन्द्रमेवं समादिश्य भगवान् विश्वभावन: । पश्यतामनिमेषाणां तत्रैवान्तर्दधे हरि: ॥ १ ॥
sri-badarayanir uvaca indram evam samadisya bhagavan visva-bhavanah pasyatam animesanam tatraivantardadhe harih
Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: After instructing Indra in this way, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, the cause of the cosmic manifestation, then and there disappeared from the presence of the onlooking demigods.
तथाभियाचितो देवैर्ऋषिराथर्वणो महान् । मोदमान उवाचेदं प्रहसन्निव भारत ॥ २ ॥
tathabhiyacito devair rsir atharvano mahan modamana uvacedam prahasann iva bharata
O King Pariksit, following the Lord’s instructions, the demigods approached Dadhici, the son of Atharva. He was very liberal, and when they begged him to give them his body, he at once partially agreed. However, just to hear religious instructions from them, he smiled and jokingly spoke as follows.
अपि वृन्दारका यूयं न जानीथ शरीरिणाम् । संस्थायां यस्त्वभिद्रोहो दु:सहश्चेतनापह: ॥ ३ ॥
api vrndaraka yuyam na janitha saririnam samsthayam yas tv abhidroho duhsahas cetanapahah
O elevated demigods, at the time of death, severe, unbearable pain takes away the consciousness of all living entities who have accepted material bodies.
जिजीविषूणां जीवानामात्मा प्रेष्ठ इहेप्सित: । क उत्सहेत तं दातुं भिक्षमाणाय विष्णवे ॥ ४ ॥
jijivisunam jivanam atma prestha ihepsitah ka utsaheta tam datum bhiksamanaya visnave
In this material world, every living entity is very much addicted to his material body. Struggling to keep his body forever, everyone tries to protect it by all means, even at the sacrifice of all his possessions. Therefore, who would be prepared to deliver his body to anyone, even if it were demanded by Lord Visnu?
श्रीदेवा ऊचु: किं नु तद् दुस्त्यजं ब्रह्मन् पुंसां भूतानुकम्पिनाम् । भवद्विधानां महतां पुण्यश्लोकेड्यकर्मणाम् ॥ ५ ॥
sri-deva ucuh kim nu tad dustyajam brahman pumsam bhutanukampinam bhavad-vidhanam mahatam punya-slokedya-karmanam
The demigods replied: O exalted brahmana, pious persons like you, whose activities are praiseworthy, are very kind and affectionate to people in general. What can’t such pious souls give for the benefit of others? They can give everything, including their bodies.
नूनं स्वार्थपरो लोको न वेद परसङ्कटम् । यदि वेद न याचेत नेति नाह यदीश्वर: ॥ ६ ॥
nunam svartha-paro loko na veda para-sankatam yadi veda na yaceta neti naha yad isvarah
Those who are too self-interested beg something from others, not knowing of others’ pain. But if the beggar knew the difficulty of the giver, he would not ask for anything. Similarly, he who is able to give charity does not know the beggar’s difficulty, for otherwise he would not refuse to give the beggar anything he might want as charity.
श्रीऋषिरुवाच धर्मं व: श्रोतुकामेन यूयं मे प्रत्युदाहृता: । एष व: प्रियमात्मानं त्यजन्तं सन्त्यजाम्यहम् ॥ ७ ॥
sri-rsir uvaca dharmam vah srotu-kamena yuyam me pratyudahrtah esa vah priyam atmanam tyajantam santyajamy aham
The great sage Dadhici said: Just to hear from you about religious principles, I refused to offer my body at your request. Now, although my body is extremely dear to me, I must give it up for your better purposes since I know that it will leave me today or tomorrow.
योऽध्रुवेणात्मना नाथा न धर्मं न यश: पुमान् । ईहेत भूतदयया स शोच्य: स्थावरैरपि ॥ ८ ॥
yo ’dhruvenatmana natha na dharmam na yasah puman iheta bhuta-dayaya sa socyah sthavarair api
O demigods, one who has no compassion for humanity in its suffering and does not sacrifice his impermanent body for the higher causes of religious principles or eternal glory is certainly pitied even by the immovable beings.
एतावानव्ययो धर्म: पुण्यश्लोकैरुपासित: । यो भूतशोकहर्षाभ्यामात्मा शोचति हृष्यति ॥ ९ ॥
etavan avyayo dharmah punya-slokair upasitah yo bhuta-soka-harsabhyam atma socati hrsyati
If one is unhappy to see the distress of other living beings and happy to see their happiness, his religious principles are appreciated as imperishable by exalted persons who are considered pious and benevolent.
अहो दैन्यमहो कष्टं पारक्यै: क्षणभङ्गुरै: । यन्नोपकुर्यादस्वार्थैर्मर्त्य: स्वज्ञातिविग्रहै: ॥ १० ॥
aho dainyam aho kastam parakyaih ksana-bhanguraih yan nopakuryad asvarthair martyah sva-jnati-vigrahaih
This body, which is eatable by jackals and dogs after death, does not actually do any good for me, the spirit soul. It is usable only for a short time and may perish at any moment. The body and its possessions, its riches and relatives, must all be engaged for the benefit of others, or else they will be sources of tribulation and misery.
श्रीबादरायणिरुवाच एवं कृतव्यवसितो दध्यङ्ङाथर्वणस्तनुम् । परे भगवति ब्रह्मण्यात्मानं सन्नयञ्जहौ ॥ ११ ॥
sri-badarayanir uvaca evam krta-vyavasito dadhyann atharvanas tanum pare bhagavati brahmany atmanam sannayan jahau
Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: Dadhici Muni, the son of Atharva, thus resolved to give his body to the service of the demigods. He placed himself, the spirit soul, at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and in this way gave up his gross material body made of five elements.
यताक्षासुमनोबुद्धिस्तत्त्वदृग् ध्वस्तबन्धन: । आस्थित: परमं योगं न देहं बुबुधे गतम् ॥ १२ ॥
yataksasu-mano-buddhis tattva-drg dhvasta-bandhanah asthitah paramam yogam na deham bubudhe gatam
Dadhici Muni controlled his senses, life force, mind and intelligence and became absorbed in trance. Thus he cut all his material bonds. He could not perceive how his material body became separated from his self.
अथेन्द्रो वज्रमुद्यम्य निर्मितं विश्वकर्मणा । मुने: शक्तिभिरुत्सिक्तो भगवत्तेजसान्वित: ॥ १३ ॥ वृतो देवगणै: सर्वैर्गजेन्द्रोपर्यशोभत । स्तूयमानो मुनिगणैस्त्रैलोक्यं हर्षयन्निव ॥ १४ ॥
athendro vajram udyamya nirmitam visvakarmana muneh saktibhir utsikto bhagavat-tejasanvitah vrto deva-ganaih sarvair gajendropary asobhata stuyamano muni-ganais trailokyam harsayann iva
Thereafter, King Indra very firmly took up the thunderbolt manufactured by Visvakarma from the bones of Dadhici. Charged with the exalted power of Dadhici Muni and enlightened by the power of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Indra rode on the back of his carrier, Airavata, surrounded by all the demigods, while all the great sages offered him praise. Thus he shone very beautifully, pleasing the three worlds as he rode off to kill Vrtrasura.
वृत्रमभ्यद्रवच्छत्रुमसुरानीकयूथपै: । पर्यस्तमोजसा राजन् क्रुद्धो रुद्र इवान्तकम् ॥ १५ ॥
vrtram abhyadravac chatrum asuranika-yuthapaih paryastam ojasa rajan kruddho rudra ivantakam
My dear King Pariksit, as Rudra, being very angry at Antaka (Yamaraja) had formerly run toward Antaka to kill him, Indra angrily and with great force attacked Vrtrasura, who was surrounded by the leaders of the demoniac armies.
तत: सुराणामसुरै रण: परमदारुण: । त्रेतामुखे नर्मदायामभवत्प्रथमे युगे ॥ १६ ॥
tatah suranam asurai ranah parama-darunah treta-mukhe narmadayam abhavat prathame yuge
Thereafter, at the end of Satya-yuga and the beginning of Treta-yuga, a fierce battle took place between the demigods and the demons on the bank of the Narmada.
रुद्रैर्वसुभिरादित्यैरश्विभ्यां पितृवह्निभि: । मरुद्भिर्ऋभुभि: साध्यैर्विश्वेदेवैर्मरुत्पतिम् ॥ १७ ॥ दृष्ट्वा वज्रधरं शक्रं रोचमानं स्वया श्रिया । नामृष्यन्नसुरा राजन्मृधे वृत्रपुर:सरा: ॥ १८ ॥
rudrair vasubhir adityair asvibhyam pitr-vahnibhih marudbhir rbhubhih sadhyair visvedevair marut-patim drstva vajra-dharam sakram rocamanam svaya sriya namrsyann asura rajan mrdhe vrtra-purahsarah
O King, when all the asuras came onto the battlefield, headed by Vrtrasura, they saw King Indra carrying the thunderbolt and surrounded by the Rudras, Vasus, Adityas, Asvini-kumaras, Pitas, Vahnis, Maruts, Rbhus, Sadhyas and Visvadevas. Surrounded by his company, Indra shone so brightly that his effulgence was intolerable to the demons.
नमुचि: शम्बरोऽनर्वा द्विमूर्धा ऋषभोऽसुर: । हयग्रीव: शङ्कुशिरा विप्रचित्तिरयोमुख: ॥ १९ ॥ पुलोमा वृषपर्वा च प्रहेतिर्हेतिरुत्कल: । दैतेया दानवा यक्षा रक्षांसि च सहस्रश: ॥ २० ॥ सुमालिमालिप्रमुखा: कार्तस्वरपरिच्छदा: । प्रतिषिध्येन्द्रसेनाग्रं मृत्योरपि दुरासदम् ॥ २१ ॥ अभ्यर्दयन्नसम्भ्रान्ता: सिंहनादेन दुर्मदा: । गदाभि: परिघैर्बाणै: प्रासमुद्गरतोमरै: ॥ २२ ॥
namucih sambaro ’narva dvimurdha rsabho ’surah hayagrivah sankusira vipracittir ayomukhah puloma vrsaparva ca prahetir hetir utkalah daiteya danava yaksa raksamsi ca sahasrasah sumali-mali-pramukhah kartasvara-paricchadah pratisidhyendra-senagram mrtyor api durasadam abhyardayann asambhrantah simha-nadena durmadah gadabhih parighair banaih prasa-mudgara-tomaraih
Many hundreds and thousands of demons, demi-demons, Yaksas, Raksasas [man-eaters] and others, headed by Sumali and Mali, resisted the armies of King Indra, which even death personified cannot easily overcome. Among the demons were Namuci, Sambara, Anarva, Dvimurdha, Rsabha, Asura, Hayagriva, Sankusira, Vipracitti, Ayomukha, Puloma, Vrsaparva, Praheti, Heti and Utkala. Roaring tumultuously and fearlessly like lions, these invincible demons, all dressed in golden ornaments, gave pain to the demigods with weapons like clubs, bludgeons, arrows, barbed darts, mallets and lances.
शूलै: परश्वधै: खड्गै: शतघ्नीभिर्भुशुण्डिभि: । सर्वतोऽवाकिरन् शस्त्रैरस्त्रैश्च विबुधर्षभान् ॥ २३ ॥
sulaih parasvadhaih khadgaih sataghnibhir bhusundibhih sarvato ’vakiran sastrair astrais ca vibudharsabhan
Armed with lances, tridents, axes, swords and other weapons like sataghnis and bhusundis, the demons attacked from different directions and scattered all the chiefs of the demigod armies.
न तेऽदृश्यन्त सञ्छन्ना: शरजालै: समन्तत: । पुङ्खानुपुङ्खपतितैर्ज्योतींषीव नभोघनै: ॥ २४ ॥
na te ’drsyanta sanchannah sara-jalaih samantatah punkhanupunkha-patitair jyotimsiva nabho-ghanaih
As the stars in the sky cannot be seen when covered by dense clouds, the demigods, being completely covered by networks of arrows falling upon them one after another, could not be seen.
न ते शस्त्रास्त्रवर्षौघा ह्यासेदु: सुरसैनिकान् । छिन्ना: सिद्धपथे देवैर्लघुहस्तै: सहस्रधा ॥ २५ ॥
na te sastrastra-varsaugha hy aseduh sura-sainikan chinnah siddha-pathe devair laghu-hastaih sahasradha
The showers of various weapons and arrows released to kill the soldiers of the demigods did not reach them because the demigods, acting quickly, cut the weapons into thousands of pieces in the sky.
अथ क्षीणास्त्रशस्त्रौघा गिरिशृङ्गद्रुमोपलै: । अभ्यवर्षन् सुरबलं चिच्छिदुस्तांश्च पूर्ववत् ॥ २६ ॥
atha ksinastra-sastraugha giri-srnga-drumopalaih abhyavarsan sura-balam cicchidus tams ca purvavat
As their weapons and mantras decreased, the demons began showering mountain peaks, trees and stones upon the demigod soldiers, but the demigods were so powerful and expert that they nullified all these weapons by breaking them to pieces in the sky as before.
तानक्षतान् स्वस्तिमतो निशाम्य शस्त्रास्त्रपूगैरथ वृत्रनाथा: । द्रुमैर्दृषद्भिर्विविधाद्रिशृङ्गै रविक्षतांस्तत्रसुरिन्द्रसैनिकान् ॥ २७ ॥
tan aksatan svastimato nisamya sastrastra-pugair atha vrtra-nathah drumair drsadbhir vividhadri-srngair aviksatams tatrasur indra-sainikan
When the soldiers of the demons, commanded by Vrtrasura, saw that the soldiers of King Indra were quite well, having not been injured at all by their volleys of weapons, not even by the trees, stones and mountain peaks, the demons were very much afraid.
सर्वे प्रयासा अभवन् विमोघा: कृता: कृता देवगणेषु दैत्यै: । कृष्णानुकूलेषु यथा महत्सु क्षुद्रै: प्रयुक्ता ऊषती रूक्षवाच: ॥ २८ ॥
sarve prayasa abhavan vimoghah krtah krta deva-ganesu daityaih krsnanukulesu yatha mahatsu ksudraih prayukta usati ruksa-vacah
When insignificant persons use rough words to cast false, angry accusations against saintly persons, their fruitless words do not disturb the great personalities. Similarly, all the efforts of the demons against the demigods, who were favorably situated under the protection of Krsna, were futile.
ते स्वप्रयासं वितथं निरीक्ष्य हरावभक्ता हतयुद्धदर्पा: । पलायनायाजिमुखे विसृज्य पतिं मनस्ते दधुरात्तसारा: ॥ २९ ॥
te sva-prayasam vitatham niriksya harav abhakta hata-yuddha-darpah palayanayaji-mukhe visrjya patim manas te dadhur atta-sarah
The asuras, who are never devotees of Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, lost their pride in fighting when they found all their endeavors futile. Leaving aside their leader even in the very beginning of the fight, they decided to flee because all their prowess had been taken away by the enemy.
वृत्रोऽसुरांस्ताननुगान् मनस्वी प्रधावत: प्रेक्ष्य बभाष एतत् । पलायितं प्रेक्ष्य बलं च भग्नं भयेन तीव्रेण विहस्य वीर: ॥ ३० ॥
vrtro ’surams tan anugan manasvi pradhavatah preksya babhasa etat palayitam preksya balam ca bhagnam bhayena tivrena vihasya virah
Seeing his army broken and all the asuras, even those known as great heroes, fleeing the battlefield out of intense fear, Vrtrasura, who was truly a great-minded hero, smiled and spoke the following words.
कालोपपन्नां रुचिरां मनस्विनां जगाद वाचं पुरुषप्रवीर: । हे विप्रचित्ते नमुचे पुलोमन् मयानर्वञ्छम्बर मे शृणुध्वम् ॥ ३१ ॥
kalopapannam ruciram manasvinam jagada vacam purusa-pravirah he vipracitte namuce puloman mayanarvan chambara me srnudhvam
According to his position and the time and circumstances, Vrtrasura, the hero among heroes, spoke words that were much to be appreciated by thoughtful men.
जातस्य मृत्युर्ध्रुव एव सर्वत: प्रतिक्रिया यस्य न चेह क्लृप्ता । लोको यशश्चाथ ततो यदि ह्यमुं को नाम मृत्युं न वृणीत युक्तम् ॥ ३२ ॥
jatasya mrtyur dhruva eva sarvatah pratikriya yasya na ceha klpta loko yasas catha tato yadi hy amum ko nama mrtyum na vrnita yuktam
Vrtrasura said: All living entities who have taken birth in this material world must die. Surely, no one in this world has found any means to be saved from death. Even providence has not provided a means to escape it. Under the circumstances, death being inevitable, if one can gain promotion to the higher planeary systems and be always celebrated here by dying a suitable death, what man will not accept such a glorious death?
द्वौ सम्मताविह मृत्यू दुरापौ यद् ब्रह्मसन्धारणया जितासु: । कलेवरं योगरतो विजह्याद् यदग्रणीर्वीरशयेऽनिवृत्त: ॥ ३३ ॥
dvau sammatav iha mrtyu durapau yad brahma-sandharanaya jitasuh kalevaram yoga-rato vijahyad yad agranir vira-saye ’nivrttah
There are two ways to meet a glorious death, and both are very rare. One is to die after performing mystic yoga, especially bhakti-yoga, by which one can control the mind and living force and die absorbed in thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The second is to die on the battlefield, leading the army and never showing one’s back. These two kinds of death are recommended in the sastra as glorious.
