Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.25.6
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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śrī - mada
—
intoxication of opulence
śrī (opulence) + mada (intoxication). The diagnostic Bhāgavata names for the disease of the elite (cf. SB 1.8.26, janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī-mada). Indra projects it onto Vraja but is himself its textbook case — the line cuts both ways.
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ādhmāpita - ātmanām
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whose hearts are fortified (by Kṛṣṇa)
Literally 'puffed up' or 'inflated' — Indra reads Vraja's Kṛṣṇa-confidence as bloat. Gauḍīya inversion: the heart 'inflated' by Kṛṣṇa's shelter is in fact the only heart that holds its proper shape.
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paśūn
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their animals
Specifically the cows of Vraja. Indra targets the cows; Kṛṣṇa is Govinda. The whole līlā turns on this collision — the king of heaven attacks gokula, and the Lord of gokula lifts the hill in answer.
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saṅkṣayam
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to destruction
From sam + √kṣi. Total annihilation. The verb-target reveals offense's nature: not correction but erasure. Bhāgavata logic — anyone who plans saṅkṣaya of devotees is already finished himself.
It is clear from this verse that the residents of Vṛndāvana had become highly prosperous simply by protecting cows, since Indra wanted to destroy their so-called pride based on wealth by killing their animals. Well-tended cows produce large quantities of milk, from which come cheese, butter, yogurt, ghee and so on. These foods are delicious by themselves and also enhance other foods, such as fruits, vegetables and grains. Bread and vegetables are delicious with butter, and fruit is especially appetizing when mixed with cream or yogurt. Dairy products are always desirable in civilized society, and the surplus can be traded for many valuable commodities. Thus, simply by a Vedic dairy enterprise, the residents of Vṛndāvana were wealthy, healthy and happy, even in the material sense, and most of all they were eternal associates of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Because these cowherd men are mad because of wealth, their minds (atma) being incited by Krsna, you should remove their pride and kill their cows. The real meaning (unintentional by Indra) is as follows. The cowherd men are anointed with sandalwood (sriya avalipta). Remove the heat in their bodies by the cool rain, and cool the cows, making them tremble (dhunuta). And when Krsna lifts up Govardhana, cause him to make a beautiful place (samyak ksaya: ksaya means residence as well as destruction) for them to stay.
Having made clear his anger at the cowherds because of their fault of having become arrogant, he then orders the clouds to perform their evil actions. The cowherds have become intoxicated or swelling in size of their bodies because of their wealth of cows, because of Kṛṣṇa, since he has encouraged their herding of cows to get milk and other produces. They have become strong (ādhmāpitātmanām) because of Kṛṣṇa. Or, they have become intoxicated with wealth since their hearts (ātmanām) have become bold because of Kṛṣṇa. The real meaning however is that they have increased their bhakti and their hearts are glowing with that bhakti (ādhmāpitātmanām). How shall we remove their pride? Destroy the cows completely since the cows are the source of their pride. The real meaning is “make a most comfortable abode for the cows (kṣayam).”
- What 'cows' (sources of gentle abundance) in my life have been targeted, and have I noticed the pattern?
- Where am I expected to defend the cows that an Indra is trying to kill?
Indra orders the dissolution-clouds to break the cows of Vraja — and forgets that Govinda is precisely go-vinda, the protector of cows. He has commanded an army to attack the one Person whose name means 'cow-shelter.' The offense names itself.
My note
Source: vedabase.io