Devanagari
तस्य त्यक्तस्वभावस्य घृणेर्मायावनौकस: ।
भजन्तं भजमानस्य बालस्येवास्थिरात्मन: ॥ ७ ॥
मच्छूलभिन्नग्रीवस्य भूरिणा रुधिरेण वै ।
असृक्प्रियं तर्पयिष्ये भ्रातरं मे गतव्यथ: ॥ ८ ॥
Verse text
tasya tyakta-svabhāvasya
ghṛṇer māyā-vanaukasaḥ
bhajantaṁ bhajamānasya
bālasyevāsthirātmanaḥ
mac-chūla-bhinna-grīvasya
bhūriṇā rudhireṇa vai
asṛk-priyaṁ tarpayiṣye
bhrātaraṁ me gata-vyathaḥ
Synonyms
tasya
—
of Him (the Supreme Personality of Godhead)
;
tyakta
—
svabhāvasya — who has given up His natural position (of being equal to everyone)
;
ghṛṇeḥ
—
most abominable
;
māyā
—
under the influence of the illusory energy
;
vana
—
okasaḥ — behaving exactly like an animal in the jungle
;
bhajantam
—
unto the devotee engaged in devotional service
;
bhajamānasya
—
being worshiped
;
bālasya
—
a child
;
iva
—
like
;
asthira
—
ātmanaḥ — who is always restless and changing
;
mat
—
my
;
śūla
—
by the trident
;
bhinna
—
separated
;
grīvasya
—
whose neck
;
bhūriṇā
—
profuse
;
rudhireṇa
—
by blood
;
vai
—
indeed
;
asṛk
—
priyam — who was fond of blood
;
tarpayiṣye
—
I shall please
;
bhrātaram
—
brother
;
me
—
my
;
gata
—
vyathaḥ — becoming peaceful myself .
Translation
The Supreme Personality of Godhead has given up His natural tendency of equality toward the demons and demigods. Although He is the Supreme Person, now, influenced by māyā, He has assumed the form of a boar to please His devotees, the demigods, just as a restless child leans toward someone. I shall therefore sever Lord Viṣṇu’s head from His trunk by my trident, and with the profuse blood from His body I shall please my brother Hiraṇyākṣa, who was so fond of sucking blood. Thus shall I too be peaceful.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Viṣṇu has given up his neutral nature. Though he was shining, he is now an animal under the control of māyā. He has accepted the nature of an ordinary person and acts unsteadily like a small child. Relieving my pain, I will satisfy my brother who was fond of blood, with the profuse blood from the neck of Viṣṇu severed by my trident.
If you think you should also worship Viṣṇu, please do not say that. You should remain and work for me. I will kill him all alone. This is expressed in two verses. “But the scriptures say the Viṣṇu is supreme. Why then do you want to kill him?” He is famous as Paramātmā for being equal, but he has given up his neutrality. If he has given up that position, then what is his position as Paramātmā now? Rather, he has given up that position and is now simply an animal. He who was shining (ghṛṇeḥ) previously is now an animal (Matsya, Kūrma) under the control of māyā. He has become an ordinary person (bhajantam), and is restless like a child controlled by sweets.
The words also have the opposite meaning. Actually out of affection for his devotees he gives up his neutrality, takes the form of avatāras, shines, becomes like an ordinary person, and is restless like a child. These are his ornaments, not faults. Ghṛṇeḥ means “having pure effulgence.” Māyā means “by his mercy he accepts different forms.”
Mac-chūla-bhinna-grīvasya also means “My trident will break into pieces on his neck, since my material trident cannot enter his body.” I will satisfy my brother with the kuṅkuma coming from the body of Viṣṇu. Rudhira can mean kuṅkuma according to the dictionary.
Purport
The defect of the demoniac mentality is expressed in this verse very clearly. Hiraṇyakaśipu thought that Viṣṇu also becomes partial, like a child whose mind is not steady or resolute. The Lord can change His mind at any time, Hiraṇyakaśipu thought, and therefore His words and activities are like those of children. Actually, because the demons are ordinary human beings, their minds change, and being materially conditioned, they think that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is conditioned also. As the Lord says in
Bhagavad-gītā
(9.11)
,
avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam:
“Fools deride Me when I descend in a human form.”
Demons always think that Viṣṇu can be killed. Therefore, being absorbed in thoughts of Viṣṇu’s form to kill Him, at least they have the opportunity to think of Viṣṇu unfavorably. Although they are not devotees, their thinking of Viṣṇu is effective, and thus they generally attain
sāyujya-mukti.
Because the demons consider the Supreme Lord an ordinary living being, they think that they can kill Lord Viṣṇu as one might kill an ordinary person. Another fact disclosed herein is that demons are very much fond of sucking blood. Indeed, all of them are meat-eaters and bloodsuckers.
Hiraṇyakaśipu accused the Supreme Lord of having a restless mind like that of a small child who can be induced to do anything if simply offered some cakes and
lāḍḍus.
Indirectly, this indicates the true position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who says in
Bhagavad-gītā
(9.26)
:
patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ
yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam
aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ
“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.” The Lord accepts the offerings of devotees because of their transcendental love. Because they are in love with the Supreme Lord, they do not eat anything without offering it first to the Lord. The Lord does not hanker for a small leaf or flower; He has enough to eat. Indeed, He is feeding all living entities. Nonetheless, because He is very merciful and is
bhakta-vatsala,
very favorable to the devotees, He certainly eats whatever they offer Him with love and devotion. This quality should not be misjudged to be childish. The highest quality of the Supreme Lord is that He is
bhakta-vatsala;
in other words, He is always extremely pleased with His devotees. As for the word
māyā,
when used in reference to the dealings of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His devotees, this word means “affection.” The actions of the Lord to favor His devotees are not disqualifications but signs of His natural affection.
As for
rudhira,
or the blood of Lord Viṣṇu, since there is no possibility of severing Lord Viṣṇu’s head from His body, there is no question of blood. But the garland that decorates Viṣṇu’s body is as red as blood. When the demons achieve
sāyujya-mukti
and leave behind their sinful activities, they are blessed by Viṣṇu’s garland, which is red like blood. After attaining
sāyujya-mukti,
the demons are sometimes promoted to the Vaikuṇṭha world, where they receive the reward of the Lord’s garland
prasāda.