SB 7.3.37 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

व्यसुभिर्वासुमद्भ‍िर्वा सुरासुरमहोरगै: । अप्रतिद्वन्द्वतां युद्धे ऐकपत्यं च देहिनाम् ॥ ३७ ॥ सर्वेषां लोकपालानां महिमानं यथात्मन: । तपोयोगप्रभावाणां यन्न रिष्यति कर्हिचित् ॥ ३८ ॥

Verse text

vyasubhir vāsumadbhir vā surāsura-mahoragaiḥ apratidvandvatāṁ yuddhe aika-patyaṁ ca dehinām sarveṣāṁ loka-pālānāṁ mahimānaṁ yathātmanaḥ tapo-yoga-prabhāvāṇāṁ yan na riṣyati karhicit

Synonyms

vyasubhiḥ — by things that have no life ; vā — or ; asumadbhiḥ — by entities that have life ; vā — or ; sura — by the demigods ; asura — the demons ; mahā — uragaiḥ — by the great serpents who live on the lower planets ; apratidvandvatām — without a rival ; yuddhe — in battle ; aika — patyam — supremacy ; ca — and ; dehinām — over those who have material bodies ; sarveṣām — of all ; loka — pālānām — the predominating deities of all planets ; mahimānam — the glory ; yathā — just as ; ātmanaḥ — of yourself ; tapaḥ — yoga — prabhāvāṇām — of those whose power is obtained by austerities and the practice of mystic yoga ; yat — which ; na — never ; riṣyati — is destroyed ; karhicit — at any time .

Translation

Grant me that I not meet death from any entity, living or nonliving. Grant me, further, that I not be killed by any demigod or demon or by any great snake from the lower planets. Since no one can kill you in the battlefield, you have no competitor. Therefore, grant me the benediction that I too may have no rival. Give me sole lordship over all the living entities and presiding deities, and give me all the glories obtained by that position. Furthermore, give me all the mystic powers attained by long austerities and the practice of yoga, for these cannot be lost at any time.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Let me not die by non-living things or living beings, devatās, demons or snakes. Let me not be defeated in battle and have great lordship over all beings and all protectors of planets. Let me have powers of austerity and yoga just as you have, whose potency will never be destroyed! Because it is impossible to mention all species of living entity he recites these verses. Vyasubhiḥ means “by things without life.” Asumadbhiḥ means “by forms with life.” Thus I cannot be killed by objects of any sort. Thinking that he could not die, he then asked for another boon. Let me have no rival in battle and supremacy over all beings. Just as you have (yathā ātmanaḥ) power, give me power by austerity and yoga that cannot be destroyed. Thus ends the commentary on the Third Chapter of the Seventh Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas. Chapter Four Hiraṇyakaśipu Conquers the Devatās

Purport

Lord Brahmā obtained his supreme position due to long austerities and penances, mystic yoga, meditation and so on. Hiraṇyakaśipu wanted a similar position. The ordinary powers achieved by mystic yoga, austerities and other processes are sometimes vanquished, but the powers obtained by the mercy of the Lord are never vanquished. Hiraṇyakaśipu, therefore, wanted a benediction that would never be vanquished. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Seventh Canto, Third Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “Hiraṇyakaśipu’s Plan to Become Immortal.”