Devanagari
प्राग्दिष्टं भृत्यरक्षायां पुरुषेण महात्मना ।
ददाह कृत्यां तां चक्रं क्रुद्धाहिमिव पावक: ॥ ४८ ॥
Verse text
prāg diṣṭaṁ bhṛtya-rakṣāyāṁ
puruṣeṇa mahātmanā
dadāha kṛtyāṁ tāṁ cakraṁ
kruddhāhim iva pāvakaḥ
Synonyms
prāk diṣṭam
—
as previously arranged
;
bhṛtya
—
rakṣāyām — for the protection of his servants
;
puruṣeṇa
—
by the Supreme Person
;
mahā
—
ātmanā — by the Supersoul
;
dadāha
—
burnt to ashes
;
kṛtyām
—
that created demon
;
tām
—
him
;
cakram
—
the disc
;
kruddha
—
angry
;
ahim
—
a serpent
;
iva
—
like
;
pāvakaḥ
—
fire .
Translation
As fire in the forest immediately burns to ashes an angry snake, so, by the previous order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His disc, the Sudarśana cakra, immediately burnt to ashes the created demon to protect the Lord’s devotee.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
As fire in the forest immediately burns to ashes an angry snake, so, by the previous order of the Supreme Lord, his disc immediately burnt the demon to ashes to protect the Lord's devotee.
The cakra burned the demon. “Did the cakra destroy the demon upon the request of the King for his protection?” No, on seeing his devotee whose nature was not to harm even those who intended to cause him harm, and who was simply beginning to worship the Lord, the Lord himself had previously ordered his cakra to protect him out of his affection for his devotee. “O cakra! When there is danger to Ambarīṣa’s life, then you should kill the person attacking him.” Pāvakaḥ mean a forest fire.
Purport
As a pure devotee, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, although in such danger, did not move an inch from his position, nor did he request the Supreme Personality of Godhead to give him protection. He was fixed in understanding, and it was certain that he was simply thinking of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the core of his heart. A devotee is never fearful of his death, for he meditates on the Supreme Personality of Godhead always, not for any material profit, but as his duty. The Lord, however, knows how to protect His devotee. As indicated by the words
prāg diṣṭam,
the Lord knew everything. Therefore, before anything happened, He had already arranged for His
cakra
to protect Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. This protection is offered to a devotee even from the very beginning of his devotional service.
Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati
(
Bg. 9.31
). If one simply begins devotional service, he is immediately protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is also confirmed in
Bhagavad-gītā
(18.66)
:
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi.
Protection begins immediately. The Lord is so kind and merciful that He gives the devotee proper guidance and all protection, and thus the devotee very peacefully makes solid progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness without outward disturbances. A serpent may be very angry and ready to bite, but the furious snake is helpless when faced by a blazing fire in the forest. Although an enemy of a devotee may be very strong, he is compared to an angry serpent before the fire of devotional service.