FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.51.33

सोऽपि भस्मीकृतो नूनमात्मीयेनैव पाप्मना । अनन्तरं भवान् श्रीमाल्ँ लक्षितोऽमित्रशासन: ॥ ३३ ॥
so ’pi bhasmī-kṛto nūnam
[so ’pi bhasmee-krito noonam]
ātmīyenaiva pāpmanā
[aatmeeyenaiva paapmanaa]
anantaraṁ bhavān śrīmāḻ
[anantaram bhavaan shreemaaḻ]
lakṣito ’mitra-śāsanaḥ
[lakshito ’mitra-shaasanah]
saḥ api — that very person bhasmī - kṛtaḥ — turned to ashes nūnam — indeed ātmīyena — by his own eva — only pāpmanā — sinful karma anantaram — immediately following bhavān — Your good self śrīmān — glorious lakṣitaḥ — observed amitra — of enemies śāsanaḥ — the chastiser .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
so ’pi bhasmī-kṛto nūnam
ātmīyenaiva pāpmanā
anantaraṁ bhavān śrīmāḻ
lakṣito ’mitra-śāsanaḥ
saḥ api
that very person
bhasmī - kṛtaḥ
turned to ashes
nūnam
indeed
ātmīyena
by his own
eva
only
pāpmanā
sinful karma
anantaram
immediately following
bhavān
Your good self
śrīmān
glorious
lakṣitaḥ
observed
amitra
of enemies
śāsanaḥ
the chastiser .
  • bhasmī-kṛtaḥ — turned to ashes
    Compound: bhasma + kṛtaḥ. Fourth use of bhasma-related vocabulary in the chapter — 12, 22, 50, here. The Bhāgavata pins the chapter together with this word; Kālayavana's combustion is the structural pivot.
  • ātmīyena — by his own
    Adjective from ātman + īya — pertaining to his own self. Mucukunda diagnoses correctly: the asura's pāpa was 'his own' — not the sage's wrath. Bhakta's discernment: see whose karma is at work.
  • pāpmanā — by sinful karma
    Instrumental of pāpman — sin-quality. The cause is named: pāpa, not tapas. Gauḍīyas note: a tapasvī's glance does not, of itself, burn — the asura's accumulated aśubha (verse 8) is the actual fuel.
  • śrīmān — glorious, possessed of śrī
    From śrī. He whom Lakṣmī accompanies. Mucukunda's first epithet for Kṛṣṇa post-darśana names the inseparability of Bhagavān and śrī — the Vaiṣṇava theological commitment that Lakṣmī never leaves Viṣṇu's side.
  • amitra-śāsanaḥ — the chastiser of enemies
    Compound: amitra (non-friend, enemy) + śāsanaḥ (the one who disciplines). Bhagavān's executive aspect. Even before Mucukunda calls Him Nārāyaṇa, he calls Him the punisher of asuras — true to his kṣatriya idiom.
The man who woke me was burned to ashes by the reaction of his sins. Just then I saw You, possessing a glorious appearance and the power to chastise Your enemies.

Kālayavana had declared himself the enemy of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and the Yadu dynasty. Through Mucukunda, Śrī Kṛṣṇa destroyed the opposition of that foolish barbarian.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The man who woke me was burned to ashes by the reaction of his sins. Just then I saw You, possessing a glorious appearance and the power to chastise Your enemies.
Commentary

I see you the punisher of enemies. Through me you had your enemy Kalayavana killed.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Nūnam indicates conjecture. He was turned to ashes by his own sins. Thus his offense was removed. This indicates Mucukunda’s humility. Because his offense was removed he attained great fortune. Sometimes śrīman is seen instead of śrīmān. You killed or punished your enemy here by your intelligence (amitra-śāsanaḥ). Another version has amitra-śātanaḥ with the same meaning.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Bhakti (Devotion)Abhaya (Fearlessness)Vinaya (Humility / Modesty)Prema (Divine Love)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Arjava (Simplicity / Straightforwardness)
Related verses
The man who woke me was burnt to ashes by his own sins' reaction; then I saw You, glorious and capable of chastising enemies. Karma can wake one person and burn another; the same alarm has different effects.
Reflection Questions
  • Where does the same event you experience as awakening burn another's life — and what does that reveal?
  • How do you steward your karma so that interruptions become alarms, not ashes?

Mucukunda summarizes the moment: one man was burned away by his own karma, and immediately, in the same gaze, You appeared. He recognizes the sequence — Bhagavān often follows on the heels of the asura's combustion. The cave was emptied for Him.

📝 My note

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