Verse Text
tatraiva śakroktau—
pratyānītāḥ parama bhavatā trāyatā naḥ sva-bhāgā
daityākrāntaṁ hṛdaya-kamalaṁ tad-gṛhaṁ pratyabodhi |
kāla-grastaṁ kiyad idam aho nātha śuśrūṣatāṁ te
muktis teṣāṁ na hi bahumatā nārasiṁhāparaiḥ kim ||36||
Translation
There also Indra speaks: 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 Hiraṇyakaśipu 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 kāma, artha and dharma. SB 7.8.42
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
O Supreme Being! Your share of the sacrifice (sva-bhāgāḥ) has been taken back from the demons by You (bhavatā), who have protected us (trāyatā naḥ). The use of sva (your own) indicates that whatever belongs to the devatās, servants of the Lord, actually belongs to the Lord. Our hearts are like lotuses because we have been meditating upon You constantly. Our hearts are Your abode (tad-gṛham). But just as the lotus loses it beauty in the night, becomes overcome by ignorance, closes up and becomes discolored, the lotuses of our hearts had become afflicted, thinking of the demon out of fear from the very day he was born (daityākrāntam). Now, by the coming of the day, by the rising of the sun in the form of Narasiṁha, the lotus has been again awakened (pratyabodhi). The lotus, being pressed by Your feet, has opened up. What is the use of the kingdom of Indra (idam) which is destroyed by time for those who serve You? They do not care for liberation what to speak of other things such as the powers of yoga.
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
Similarly, in the same Seventh Canto, Eighth Chapter, verse 42, when the demigods are offering prayers to Lord Nṛsiṁha, Indra the King of heaven says, “O supreme one, these demons took our share of participation in the performances of ritualistic sacrifices, but simply by Your appearance as Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva You have saved us from terrible fears. Actually, our shares in the sacrificial performances are due to You only, because You are the supreme enjoyer of all sacrifices. You are the Supersoul of every living entity, and therefore You are the actual owner of everything. Long were our hearts always filled with fear of this demon, Hiraṇyakaśipu. But You are so kind toward us that by killing him You have removed that fear from within our hearts and have given us the chance to place Your Lordship within our hearts again. For persons who are engaged in the transcendental loving service of Your Lordship, all the opulences which were taken away from us by the demons are counted as nothing. Devotees do not care even for liberation, what to speak of these material opulences. Actually, we are not enjoyers of the fruits of sacrifices. Our only duty is to always be engaged in Your service, for You are the enjoyer of everything.”
The purport of this statement by Indra is that beginning from Brahmā down to the insignificant ant, no living entities are meant for enjoying the material opulences. They are simply meant for offering everything to the supreme proprietor, the Personality of Godhead. By doing so, they automatically enjoy the benefit. The example can be cited again of the different parts of the body collecting foodstuffs and cooking them so that ultimately a meal may be offered to the stomach. After it has gone to the stomach, all the parts of the body equally enjoy the benefit of the meal. So, similarly, everyone’s duty is to satisfy the Supreme Lord, and then automatically everyone will become satisfied.