FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.63.5

भज्यमानपुरोद्यानप्राकाराट्टालगोपुरम् । प्रेक्षमाणो रुषाविष्टस्तुल्यसैन्योऽभिनिर्ययौ ॥ ५ ॥
bhajyamāna-purodyāna-
[bhajyamaana-purodyaana-]
prākārāṭṭāla-gopuram
[praakaaraattaala-gopuram]
prekṣamāṇo ruṣāviṣṭas
[prekshamaano rushaavishtas]
tulya-sainyo ’bhiniryayau
[tulya-sainyo ’bhiniryayau]
bhajyamāna — being broken pura — of the city udyāna — the gardens prākāra — elevated walls aṭṭāla — watchtowers gopuram — and gateways prekṣamāṇaḥ — seeing ruṣā — with anger āviṣṭaḥ — filled tulya — equal sainyaḥ — with an army abhiniryayau — went out toward them .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
bhajyamāna-purodyāna-
bhajyamāna
being broken
pura
of the city
udyāna
the gardens
prākārāṭṭāla-gopuram
prākāra
elevated walls
aṭṭāla
watchtowers
gopuram
and gateways
prekṣamāṇo ruṣāviṣṭas
prekṣamāṇaḥ
seeing
ruṣā
with anger
āviṣṭaḥ
filled
tulya-sainyo ’bhiniryayau
tulya
equal
sainyaḥ
with an army
abhiniryayau
went out toward them .
  • prākāra — ramparts
    The defensive wall around a fortified city. Gauḍīya commentators read the asura's prākāra as the outer shell of false security the conditioned soul builds against Bhagavān — the very thing that must fall before śaraṇāgati can begin.
  • ruṣā-āviṣṭaḥ — filled with anger
    Compound participle: ruṣā (with rage) + āviṣṭa (entered, possessed). Anger does not arise in Bāṇa; it enters him — the asura is occupied by his own krodha as a deity occupies a temple. The Gītā's diagnosis (2.62–63) made flesh.
  • abhiniryayau — he went out
    Aorist of abhi + nis + √yā (to march out against). Bāṇa's mistake is to come out: as long as he stayed inside the city of his own pride, the wall sheltered him; the moment he steps out to meet Bhagavān as an equal, the loss has already been recorded.
  • tulya-sainyaḥ — with an equal-sized army
    Compound: tulya (equal) + sainya (army). The asura's calculus is parity — twelve akṣauhiṇīs to twelve. Bhagavān will not be matched by counting; the verse sets up the lesson that numerical equality means nothing against the wielder of Śārṅga.
Bāṇāsura became filled with anger upon seeing them destroy his city’s suburban gardens, ramparts, watchtowers and gateways, and thus he went out to confront them with an army of equal size.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Bāṇāsura became filled with anger upon seeing them destroy his city's suburban gardens, ramparts, watchtowers and gateways, and thus he went out to confront them with an army of equal size.
Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Seeing astutely (while counting the enemy troops) his gardens being destroyed, he went out facing they (abhi—niryayau), with an equal number of troops. He had more troops, but to show he would fight justly out of great pride, he brought only the same number of troops to fight.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

They destroyed progressively interior areas of the city or more excellent elements of the city. Seeing this directly and through spies, Bāṇa left the city to face them with an equal army of twelve akṣauhiṇīs since he had a great number of troops. He had more troops, but to show he would fight justly out of great pride, he brought only the same number of troops to fight.

Related values
Apaishunam (Non-slander)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Nyaya (Justice / Righteous Judgment)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Mardava (Gentleness)Arjava (Simplicity / Straightforwardness)Tejas (Inner Radiance / Vigour)Hrih (Modesty / Sense of Shame)Satya (Truthfulness)Daya (Compassion / Mercy)Titiksha (Forbearance / Endurance)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Saurya (Heroism / Bravery)Dhairya (Composure / Courage)
Related verses
Concepts
Jiva
Bāṇa, enraged at the destruction of his gardens, ramparts and gates, came out with an equal-sized army to confront Kṛṣṇa. Pride confuses the breaking of our outer walls with an attack on us, when it may be a mercy.
Reflection Questions
  • What outer 'walls' of mine have recently come down, and was their fall really my enemy?
  • How might I distinguish loss of ego-structures from real harm?

An asura's pride is built like a city wall — gardens, ramparts, watchtowers, gateways, each course of stone a fortification of false ego. When Kṛṣṇa's army cracks one stone, the demon roars; Bāṇa's anger here is the sound of ahaṅkāra being demolished from outside.

📝 My note

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