SB 8.7.32 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

कामाध्वरत्रिपुरकालगराद्यनेक- भूतद्रुह: क्षपयत: स्तुतये न तत् ते । यस्त्वन्तकाल इदमात्मकृतं स्वनेत्र- वह्निस्फुलिङ्गशिखया भसितं न वेद ॥ ३२ ॥

Verse text

kāmādhvara-tripura-kālagarādy-aneka- bhūta-druhaḥ kṣapayataḥ stutaye na tat te yas tv anta-kāla idam ātma-kṛtaṁ sva-netra- vahni-sphuliṅga-śikhayā bhasitaṁ na veda

Synonyms

kāma — adhvara — sacrifices for sense gratification (like Dakṣa-yajṣa, the sacrifices performed by Dakṣa) ; tripura — the demon named Tripurāsura ; kālagara — Kālagara ; ādi — and others ; aneka — many ; bhūta — druhaḥ — who are meant for giving trouble to the living entities ; kṣapayataḥ — being engaged in their destruction ; stutaye — your prayer ; na — not ; tat — that ; te — speaking to you ; yaḥ tu — because ; anta — kāle — at the time of annihilation ; idam — in this material world ; ātma — kṛtam — done by yourself ; sva — netra — by your eyes ; vahni — sphuliṅga — śikhayā — by the sparks of fire ; bhasitam — burned to ashes ; na veda — I do not know how it is happening .

Translation

When annihilation is performed by the flames and sparks emanating from your eyes, the entire creation is burned to ashes. Nonetheless, you do not know how this happens. What then is to be said of your destroying the Dakṣa-yajṣa, Tripurāsura and the kālakūṭa poison? Such activities cannot be subject matters for prayers offered to you.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Destroying the poison is nothing for you, who have destroyed many places of violence, such as Dakṣa’s sacrifice, the city of Tripura, and the demons Kāla and Gara. You are not even aware that the universe at the time of destruction turns to ashes by the sparks of fire emanating from your eye. It is not difficult for you to destroy the poison that is now present. The action of destroying this poison is not to be praised, since you destroy all the places where there is violence to living beings, such as Dakṣa’s animal sacrifice. This is too insignificant. Kāla and Gara were two demons that Śiva killed, but also this refers to the poison. It is mentioned in the past tense to express the fact that it is necessary to destroy it. You are not even aware that the universe is destroyed when you glance. Thus destroying this poison will be insignificant for you.

Purport

Since Lord Śiva considers the great acts he performs to be very unimportant, what was to be said of counteracting the strong poison produced by the churning? The demigods indirectly prayed that Lord Śiva counteract the kālakūṭa poison, which was spreading throughout the universe.