FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.17.29

तं जिघांसुमभिप्रेत्य विहाय नृपलाञ्छनम् । तत्पादमूलं शिरसा समगाद् भयविह्वल: ॥ २९ ॥
taṁ jighāṁsum abhipretya
[tam jighaamsum abhipretya]
vihāya nṛpa-lāñchanam
[vihaaya nripa-laanchanam]
tat-pāda-mūlaṁ śirasā
[tat-paada-moolam shirasaa]
samagād bhaya-vihvalaḥ
[samagaad bhaya-vihvalah]
tam — him jighāṁsum — willing to kill abhipretya — knowing it well vihāya — leaving aside nṛpa-lāñchanam — the dress of a king tat-pāda-mūlam — at his feet śirasā — by the head samagāt — fully surrendered bhaya-vihvalaḥ — under pressure of fearfulness.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
taṁ jighāṁsum abhipretya
tam
him
jighāṁsum
willing to kill
abhipretya
knowing it well
vihāya nṛpa-lāñchanam
vihāya
leaving aside
nṛpa-lāñchanam
the dress of a king
tat-pāda-mūlaṁ śirasā
tat-pāda-mūlam
at his feet
śirasā
by the head
samagād bhaya-vihvalaḥ
samagāt
fully surrendered
bhaya-vihvalaḥ
under pressure of fearfulness.
When the personality of Kali understood that the King was willing to kill him, he at once abandoned the dress of a king and, under pressure of fear, completely surrendered to him, bowing his head.

The royal dress of the personality of Kali is artificial. The royal dress is suitable for a king or kṣatriya, but when a lower-class man artificially dresses himself as a king, his real identity is disclosed by the challenge of a bona fide kṣatriya like Mahārāja Parīkṣit. A real kṣatriya never surrenders. He accepts the challenge of his rival kṣatriya, and he fights either to die or to win. Surrender is unknown to a real kṣatriya. In the Age of Kali there are so many pretenders dressed and posed like administrators or executive heads, but their real identity is disclosed when they are challenged by a real kṣatriya. Therefore when the artificially dressed personality of Kali saw that to fight Mahārāja Parīkṣit was beyond his ability, he bowed down his head like a subordinate and gave up his royal dress.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Seeing the King intending to kill him he gave up the markings of a king in great fear and bowed his head to Parīkṣit’s feet.
Commentary

Kali thought, “It is not possible for me to fight with him. A kṣatriya cannot surrender. Therefore giving up the king’s clothing I will fall at his feet.”

Kali understood the King would kill him, abandoned his royal dress, and completely surrendered, bowing his head. Even the wicked surrender before resolute force. Resolve speaks louder than threat.
Reflection Questions
  • Where would resolute action cause an opponent's surrender that threats alone won't?
  • What 'royal dress' might fall off someone if they saw I would actually act?
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 17