FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.59.20

द‍ृष्ट्वा विद्रावितं सैन्यं गरुडेनार्दितं स्वकं । तं भौम: प्राहरच्छक्त्या वज्र: प्रतिहतो यत: । नाकम्पत तया विद्धो मालाहत इव द्विप: ॥ २० ॥
dṛṣṭvā vidrāvitaṁ sainyaṁ
[drishtvaa vidraavitam sainyam]
garuḍenārditaṁ svakaṁ
[garudenaarditam svakam]
taṁ bhaumaḥ prāharac chaktyā
[tam bhaumah praaharach chaktyaa]
vajraḥ pratihato yataḥ
[vajrah pratihato yatah]
nākampata tayā viddho
[naakampata tayaa viddho]
mālāhata iva dvipaḥ
[maalaahata iva dvipah]
Word-for-word
dṛṣṭvā — seeing vidrāvitam — driven away sainyam — the army garuḍena — by Garuḍa arditam — tormented svakam — his tam — him, Garuḍa bhaumaḥ — Bhaumāsura prāharat — struck śaktyā — with his spear vajraḥ — the thunderbolt (of Lord Indra) pratihataḥ — counteracted yataḥ — by which na akampata — he (Garuḍa) was not shaken tayā — by it viddhaḥ — struck mālā — by a flower garland āhataḥ — hit iva — like dvipaḥ — an elephant .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
dṛṣṭvā vidrāvitaṁ sainyaṁ
dṛṣṭvā
seeing
vidrāvitam
driven away
sainyam
the army
garuḍenārditaṁ svakaṁ
garuḍena
by Garuḍa
arditam
tormented
svakam
his
taṁ bhaumaḥ prāharac chaktyā
tam
him, Garuḍa
bhaumaḥ
Bhaumāsura
prāharat
struck
śaktyā
with his spear
vajraḥ pratihato yataḥ
vajraḥ
the thunderbolt (of Lord Indra)
pratihataḥ
counteracted
yataḥ
by which
nākampata tayā viddho
na akampata
he (Garuḍa) was not shaken
tayā
by it
viddhaḥ
struck
mālāhata iva dvipaḥ
mālā
by a flower garland
āhataḥ
hit
iva
like
dvipaḥ
an elephant .
Important Words
  • śaktyā — with his spear
    Instrumental of śakti — the same word that names spiritual potency in Gauḍīya doctrine. Bhauma's weapon is a 'śakti' in the war-sense; the Lord's are the eternal hlādinī and saṁvit śaktis. Same word, opposite registers.
  • vajraḥ — Indra's thunderbolt
    Indra's premier weapon, said to be forged from the sage Dadhīci's bones. The spear that bested vajra is no trifle — the verse establishes Bhauma's credentials precisely to make their irrelevance to Garuḍa more striking.
  • mālā - āhataḥ — struck by a garland
    The chapter's most concentrated image: a war-spear treated as a garland. Gauḍīyas read it as a glimpse of Vaikuṇṭha-mood — where weapons of māyā arrive as flowers in the Lord's domain.
  • dvipaḥ — elephant
    Lit. 'two-drinker' (drinks with trunk and mouth). Elephants are unmoved by flower-strikes; the simile lets Garuḍa's stature borrow the elephant's bulk while the spear borrows the flower's lightness.
Seeing his army driven back and tormented by Garuḍa, Bhauma attacked him with his spear, which had once defeated Lord Indra’s thunderbolt. But though struck by that mighty weapon, Garuḍa was not shaken. Indeed, he was like an elephant hit with a flower garland.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Seeing his army driven back and tormented by Garuḍa, Bhauma attacked him with his spear, which had once defeated Lord Indra's thunderbolt. But though struck by that mighty weapon, Garuḍa was not shaken. Indeed, he was like an elephant hit with a flower garland.
Commentary

Seeing Bhauma with the lance in his hand, Satyabhama said, "Kill him quickly." Therfore Krsna killed him then.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

He saw his troops scattered (vidrāvitam) since they were afflicted by Garuḍa. Or he saw the troops somewhat scattered and somewhat afflicted. The army suffered because the elephants were their mainstay (and had fled). Or sainya can include the elephant drivers and horsemen. Struck by the weapon, Garuḍa did not feel pain (he did not shake). A condition is indicated by its external symptoms. Or, Garuḍa did not move (did not shake) from his place and his determination.

Related values & verses
Related values
Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)Bhakti (Devotion)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Nyaya (Justice / Righteous Judgment)Dhriti (Resilience / Steadfastness / Fortitude)Apaishunam (Non-slander)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Satya (Truthfulness)
Related verses
BG 14.1 BG 9.11 BG 12.6 BG 17.3 BG 5.18 BG 18.64 BG 10.3 BG 10.4 BG 7.8 BG 18.37 SB 4.29.1 BG 10.1
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Bhauma attacks Garuḍa with his spear that once defeated Indra's thunderbolt, but Garuḍa isn't shaken — like an elephant hit with a flower. What once defeated higher beings can't budge the Lord's mount.
Reflection Questions
  • What past 'thunderbolt-defeater' have you feared that wouldn't budge the Lord's bird?
  • How does proximity to Kṛṣṇa reframe historic threats?
Analogy

A spear that once defeated Indra's vajra strikes Garuḍa, and he does not even flinch — like an elephant pelted with a garland. The verse rewrites the cosmic power-hierarchy in one image: what cracks heaven's king is, against the Lord's bird, an offering of flowers.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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