FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.59.13

प्रायुञ्जतासाद्य शरानसीन् गदा: शक्त्यृष्टिशूलान्यजिते रुषोल्बणा: । तच्छस्‍त्रकूटं भगवान् स्वमार्गणै- रमोघवीर्यस्तिलशश्चकर्त ह ॥ १३ ॥
prāyuñjatāsādya śarān asīn gadāḥ
[praayunjataasaadya sharaan aseen gadaah]
śakty-ṛṣṭi-śūlāny ajite ruṣolbaṇāḥ
[shakty-rishti-shoolaany ajite rusholbanaah]
tac-chastra-kūṭaṁ bhagavān sva-mārgaṇair
[tach-chastra-kootam bhagavaan sva-maarganair]
amogha-vīryas tilaśaś cakarta ha
[amogha-veeryas tilashash chakarta ha]
prāyuñjata — they used āsādya — attacking śarān — arrows asīn — swords gadāḥ — clubs śakti — spears ṛṣti — lances śūlāni — and tridents ajite — against Lord Kṛṣṇa, the unconquerable ruṣā — angrily ulbaṇāḥ — fierce tat — their śastra — of weapons kūṭam — the mountain bhagavān — the Supreme Lord sva — with His own mārgaṇaiḥ — arrows amogha — never frustrated vīryaḥ — whose prowess tilaśaḥ — into particles the size of sesame seeds cakarta ha — He cut .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
prāyuñjatāsādya śarān asīn gadāḥ
prāyuñjata
they used
āsādya
attacking
śarān
arrows
asīn
swords
gadāḥ
clubs
śakty-ṛṣṭi-śūlāny ajite ruṣolbaṇāḥ
śakti
spears
ṛṣti
lances
śūlāni
and tridents
ajite
against Lord Kṛṣṇa, the unconquerable
ruṣā
angrily
ulbaṇāḥ
fierce
tac-chastra-kūṭaṁ bhagavān sva-mārgaṇair
tat
their
amogha-vīryas tilaśaś cakarta ha
śastra
of weapons
kūṭam
the mountain
bhagavān
the Supreme Lord
sva
with His own
mārgaṇaiḥ
arrows
amogha
never frustrated
vīryaḥ
whose prowess
tilaśaḥ
into particles the size of sesame seeds
cakarta ha
He cut .
  • ajite — against the unconquerable one (Kṛṣṇa)
    Locative of ajita. Sanskrit poetry loves the irony of an attack 'against the unconquerable' — the case-ending names the futility before the verb arrives.
  • śastra - kūṭam — mountain of weapons
    Kūṭa = peak, heap. The asuras' onslaught is described as terrain — a mountain — that the Lord must pulverize to expose them.
  • amogha - vīryaḥ — whose prowess is never frustrated
    Amogha = 'not in vain'. A key Vaiṣṇava epithet — when applied to grace (amogha-dāyī) and when applied to power (amogha-vīrya), it names what Bhagavān cannot fail to do.
  • tilaśaḥ — into particles the size of sesame seeds
    From tila (sesame seed). A unit of fineness in Sanskrit — 'sesame-sized' is the standard idiom for 'utterly pulverized'. The verse's most concrete image.
  • mārgaṇaiḥ — with arrows
    From √mārga (to seek, track). Arrows are 'seekers' — they find their target. The lexical hint: the Lord's weapons are intentioned, not blind.
These fierce warriors furiously attacked invincible Lord Kṛṣṇa with arrows, swords, clubs, spears, lances and tridents, but the Supreme Lord, with unfailing prowess, cut this mountain of weapons into tiny pieces with His arrows.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
These fierce warriors furiously attacked invincible Lord Kṛṣṇa with arrows, swords, clubs, spears, lances and tridents, but the Supreme Lord, with unfailing prowess, cut this mountain of weapons into tiny pieces with His arrows.
Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

They attacked the Lord (ajite) using various weapons. The weapons are progressively more effective in weight and ability to kill. Rṣṭi is a type of sword. The Lord cut down all (kuṭam) of the weapons with his extraordinary (sva) arrows.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

They attacked the Lord (ajite) using various weapons, though he could not be conquered, because they became cruel (ulbaṇāḥ) from anger. The weapons were progressively more effective in weight and ability to kill. Rṣṭi is a type of sword. The Lord cut down all (kuṭam) of the weapons into small pieces with his extraordinary (sva) arrows, because his valor was unfailing (amogha-vīryaḥ) since he had all powers (bhagavān). Ha indicates joy.

Related values
Bhakti (Devotion)Tejas (Inner Radiance / Vigour)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)
Related verses
Concepts
Jiva
These fierce warriors attack with arrows, swords, clubs, spears, lances, tridents; the Lord cuts the mountain of weapons into tiny pieces with His arrows. Multi-weapon attacks meet single Lord's response.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do you face multi-weapon attack from a single direction?
  • How does the Lord's single sustained response handle multiplicity?

A mountain of swords pours toward Kṛṣṇa and He cuts each blade into sesame-sized fragments — like a thresher pulverizing chaff. Whatever rises against Bhagavān is reduced to the smallest unit of itself; the asuras' fury, multiplied, becomes only finer dust.

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