FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.56.24

आसीत्तदष्टाविंशाहमितरेतरमुष्टिभि: । वज्रनिष्पेषपरुषैरविश्रममहर्निशम् ॥ २४ ॥
āsīt tad aṣṭā-vimśāham
[aaseet tad ashtaa-vimshaaham]
itaretara-muṣṭibhiḥ
[itaretara-mushtibhih]
vajra-niṣpeṣa-paruṣair
[vajra-nishpesha-parushair]
aviśramam ahar-niśam
[avishramam ahar-nisham]
Word-for-word
āsīt — was tat — that aṣṭā - viṁśa — twenty-eight aham — days itara - itara — with one another’s muṣṭibhiḥ — fists vajra — of lightning niṣpeṣa — like the blows paruṣaiḥ — hard aviśramam — without pause ahaḥ - niśam — day and night .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
āsīt tad aṣṭā-vimśāham
āsīt
was
tat
that
aṣṭā - viṁśa
twenty-eight
aham
days
itaretara-muṣṭibhiḥ
itara - itara
with one another’s
muṣṭibhiḥ
fists
vajra-niṣpeṣa-paruṣair
vajra
of lightning
niṣpeṣa
like the blows
paruṣaiḥ
hard
aviśramam ahar-niśam
aviśramam
without pause
ahaḥ - niśam
day and night .
Important Words
  • aṣṭā-viṁśa — twenty-eight
    Compound: aṣṭā (eight) + viṁśa (twenty). The same number that names this very Canto (10) and chapter (56) sequence in some reckonings; 28 ahas of fight is a deliberate, almost ritual count — long enough to exhaust the great devotee fully.
  • muṣṭibhiḥ — with fists
    Instrumental plural of muṣṭi. Bare fists — no weapons, no māyā. This is the simplest possible combat, body to body. Kṛṣṇa engages His devotee with no trick, no aiśvarya — only steady contact.
  • vajra-niṣpeṣa — like the blows of lightning
    Compound: vajra (lightning, also Indra's weapon) + niṣpeṣa (crushing blow). The same vajra that Indra wielded against Vṛtra in the Bhāgavatam. Jāmbavān throws Indra-grade blows; Kṛṣṇa receives them as if they were rose-petals — until Jāmbavān realises whom he is hitting.
  • aviśramam — without pause
    Compound: a (not) + viśrama (rest). Bhagavān's tirelessness in receiving the devotee's confusion — this is one of the chapter's most tender doctrinal images. He never tires of being mistaken; He simply waits.
The fight went on without rest for twenty-eight days, the two opponents striking each other with their fists, which fell like the cracking blows of lightning.
Purport

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī points out that the fight continued day and night without intermission.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The fight went on without rest for twenty-eight days, the two opponents striking each other with their fists, which fell like the cracking blows of lightning.
Commentary

They fought for twenty eight days (asta vimsaham), both day and night (ahanisam). They fought without even a moment's rest, with blows as hard as striking (nispesa) of thunderbolts.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

They also used both fists since, because of fighting many days, all weapons were destroyed. Or they did not have much respect for weapons. They also continued day and night without rest.

Related values & verses
Concepts
Jiva
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The fight continues without rest for twenty-eight days, fists falling like lightning. Some battles take long times to settle even when both parties are determined; duration is part of the test.
Reflection Questions
  • What 28-day inner battle are you currently in?
  • How do you sustain without rest until resolution arrives?
Analogy

Twenty-eight days of fists like lightning — Bhagavān could end this in a syllable, but He lets the devotee tire himself completely. Sometimes grace's longest mercy is to outlast our resistance until we collapse into recognition.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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