Verse Text
yathā –
bhavataḥ pratāpa-tapane
bhuvanaṁ kṛṣṇa pratāpayati |
ghorāsura-ghukānāṁ
śaraṇam abhūt kandarā-timiram ||157||
Translation
When You illuminate the world with Your brilliancy which is like the sun, the darkness of mountain caves becomes the shelter for the terrible demons who are like owls.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Pratāpayati means “he illuminates.” The usage of the word tāpī is found in such words as Nṛsiṁha-tāpanī Upaniṣad (Upaniṣad which reveals Nṛsiṁha). In fact prakāśayati is sometimes found instead of pratāpayati in this verse. In verse 58 the Lord was defined as having power (prabhāva) because He has the demeanor of conquering all (prabhāvaḥ sarva-jit-sthitiḥ). The difference between prabhāva and pratāpī is that pratāpī means a person who is famous for his power over others.
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
When Kṛṣṇa was present on this planet, just as the powerful sun drives all darkness to take shelter in caves, He drove away all of His enemies, who fled like owls to take shelter beyond His sight.