Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.12.31
ततोऽतिकायस्य निरुद्धमार्गिणो
ह्युद्गीर्णदृष्टेर्भ्रमतस्त्वितस्तत: ।
पूर्णोऽन्तरङ्गे पवनो निरुद्धो
मूर्धन् विनिर्भिद्य विनिर्गतो बहि: ॥ ३१ ॥
tato ’tikāyasya niruddha-mārgiṇo
[tato ’tikaayasya niruddha-maargino]
hy udgīrṇa-dṛṣṭer bhramatas tv itas tataḥ
[hy udgeerna-drishter bhramatas tv itas tatah]
pūrṇo ’ntar-aṅge pavano niruddho
[poorno ’ntar-ange pavano niruddho]
mūrdhan vinirbhidya vinirgato bahiḥ
[moordhan vinirbhidya vinirgato bahih]
Word-for-word
tataḥ
—
after Kṛṣṇa took action to kill the demon’s body from within the mouth
ati - kāyasya
—
of that great demon, who had expanded his body to a very large size
niruddha - mārgiṇaḥ
—
because of suffocating, all outlets being stopped up
hi udgīrṇa - dṛṣṭeḥ
—
whose eyes had popped out
bhramataḥ tu itaḥ tataḥ
—
the eyeballs, or the life air, moving here and there
pūrṇaḥ
—
completely filled
antaḥ - aṅge
—
within the body
pavanaḥ
—
the life air
niruddhaḥ
—
being stopped
mūrdhan
—
the hole in the top of the head
vinirbhidya
—
breaking
vinirgataḥ
—
went out
bahiḥ
—
externally .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tato ’tikāyasya niruddha-mārgiṇo
tataḥ
after Kṛṣṇa took action to kill the demon’s body from within the mouth
hy udgīrṇa-dṛṣṭer bhramatas tv itas tataḥ
ati - kāyasya
of that great demon, who had expanded his body to a very large size
pūrṇo ’ntar-aṅge pavano niruddho
niruddha - mārgiṇaḥ
because of suffocating, all outlets being stopped up
mūrdhan vinirbhidya vinirgato bahiḥ
hi udgīrṇa - dṛṣṭeḥ
whose eyes had popped out
bhramataḥ tu itaḥ tataḥ
the eyeballs, or the life air, moving here and there
pūrṇaḥ
completely filled
antaḥ - aṅge
within the body
pavanaḥ
the life air
niruddhaḥ
being stopped
mūrdhan
the hole in the top of the head
vinirbhidya
breaking
vinirgataḥ
went out
bahiḥ
externally .
Important Words
-
ati-kāyasya
—
of him with an excessively large body
Compound: ati (excessive) + kāya (body). The demon's body becomes hyperbolic — even bigger than at verse 16. Yet still finite. Gauḍīyas: no quantity of māyic expansion can match Bhagavān's qualitative infinity.
-
niruddha-mārgiṇaḥ
—
whose passages were blocked
Compound: niruddha (blocked) + mārga (path). All openings sealed. The same niroddhum used in verse 25 (Kṛṣṇa wishing to restrain His friends) returns as niruddha — Kṛṣṇa restrains the demon instead. Verbal echo across the chapter.
-
mūrdhan vinirbhidya
—
breaking out through the head
Compound: mūrdhan (crown of head) + vinirbhidya (breaking through). The prāṇa exits through the brahma-randhra — the same opening through which yogīs voluntarily leave the body at death (BG 8.10–13). Gauḍīyas read this as the gift of liberation given to Aghāsura through Kṛṣṇa's body.
-
pavanaḥ
—
life-air
Wind, breath — but specifically the prāṇa. The demon's vital air, having nowhere else to go, departs as a liberated soul departs. The mechanism of his death is also the mechanism of his mukti.
Then, because Kṛṣṇa had increased the size of His body, the demon extended his own body to a very large size. Nonetheless, his breathing stopped, he suffocated, and his eyes rolled here and there and popped out. The demon’s life air, however, could not pass through any outlet, and therefore it finally burst out through a hole in the top of the demon’s head.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
Then, because Kṛṣṇa had increased the size of His body, the demon extended his own body to a very large size. Nonetheless, his breathing stopped, he suffocated, and his eyes rolled here and there and popped out. The demon's life air, however, could not pass through any outlet, and therefore it finally burst out through a hole in the top of the demon's head.
Commentary
His throat blocked up (niruddha marginoh), his eyes falling out, the air, trapped in his body with no way of getting out, went out through the brahma randhra at the top of the head, and attained perfection (purnah).
Jīva Gosvāmī
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Because Kṛṣṇa had expanded (tataḥ), Agha suffocated certainly (hi) and (tu) he became bewildered (bhramataḥ). He became like an insane person, thinking in pain “Where am I? Where will I go?” He became completely full, because his prāṇa was blocked. Thus his body swelled bigger and because of that, the prāṇa burst out of his head from a special spot (vi), the brahma-rundhra.
Related values & verses
Related values
Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Kartavya (Duty / Responsibility)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Dana (Charity / Generosity)Yajña (Sacrifice / Spirit of Offering)
Related verses
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Personal Guidance
The demon's life air, trapped, bursts out through the top of his head. Evil that cannot release through proper channels eventually explodes — but always within the Lord's design, not outside it.
Reflection Questions
- Where am I trying to control how an obstacle in my life will end, instead of letting Kṛṣṇa decide its exit?
- Have I confused 'orderly resolution' with His sovereignty?
Analogy
Picture a balloon being inflated from the inside until it bursts — except the balloon is a demon's head, and the air is Kṛṣṇa Himself, growing without limit. The demon also tries to grow, but a finite creature cannot keep pace with the Infinite. His own life-air, with no other exit, breaks through the crown of his skull.
My note
Source: vedabase.io