Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.77.34
तत् कृष्णहस्तेरितया विचूर्णितं
पपात तोये गदया सहस्रधा ।
विसृज्य तद् भूतलमास्थितो गदा-
मुद्यम्य शाल्वोऽच्युतमभ्यगाद्द्रुतम् ॥ ३४ ॥
tat kṛṣṇa-hasteritayā vicūrṇitaṁ
[tat krishna-hasteritayaa vichoornitam]
papāta toye gadayā sahasradhā
[papaata toye gadayaa sahasradhaa]
visṛjya tad bhū-talam āsthito gadām
[visrijya tad bhoo-talam aasthito gadaam]
udyamya śālvo ’cyutam abhyagād drutam
[udyamya shaalvo ’chyutam abhyagaad drutam]
Word-for-word
tat
—
that (Saubha)
kṛṣṇa - hasta
—
by Lord Kṛṣṇa’s hand
īritayā
—
wielded
vicūrṇitam
—
shattered
papāta
—
it fell
toye
—
into the water
gadayā
—
by the club
sahasradhā
—
into thousands of pieces
visṛjya
—
abandoning
tat
—
it
bhū - talam
—
on the ground
āsthitaḥ
—
standing
gadām
—
his club
udyamya
—
taking up
śālvaḥ
—
Śālva
acyutam
—
Lord Kṛṣṇa
abhyagāt
—
attacked
drutam
—
swiftly .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tat kṛṣṇa-hasteritayā vicūrṇitaṁ
tat
that (Saubha)
kṛṣṇa - hasta
by Lord Kṛṣṇa’s hand
īritayā
wielded
vicūrṇitam
shattered
papāta toye gadayā sahasradhā
papāta
it fell
toye
into the water
gadayā
by the club
sahasradhā
into thousands of pieces
visṛjya tad bhū-talam āsthito gadām
visṛjya
abandoning
tat
it
bhū - talam
on the ground
āsthitaḥ
standing
gadām
his club
udyamya śālvo ’cyutam abhyagād drutam
udyamya
taking up
śālvaḥ
Śālva
acyutam
Lord Kṛṣṇa
abhyagāt
attacked
drutam
swiftly .
Important Words
-
kṛṣṇa-hasta-īritayā
—
hurled by Kṛṣṇa's hand
Compound: kṛṣṇa + hasta (hand) + īritā (hurled). The instrumental phrase relishes the agency — it is Kṛṣṇa's own hand that wields the gadā. Gauḍīyas note the specifically corporeal language: Bhagavān's body acts.
-
sahasradhā
—
into a thousand pieces
Adverb of fragmentation — the Saubha shattered a thousandfold. Bhāgavatam escalates from śatadhā (v. 13) to sahasradhā here: a hundred for a spear, a thousand for the city itself. Number tracks magnitude of māyā.
-
bhū-talam āsthitaḥ
—
stationed on the ground
Phrase: bhū-tala (earth's surface) + āsthita (stood upon). When the demon's airborne vehicle fails, he is at last grounded — Bhāgavatam motif of māyāvīs forced from sky to soil before being killed (cf. Rāvaṇa, Hiraṇyakaśipu).
Shattered into thousands of pieces by Lord Kṛṣṇa’s club, the Saubha airship plummeted into the water. Śālva abandoned it, stationed himself on the ground, took up his club and rushed toward Lord Acyuta.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
Shattered into thousands of pieces by Lord Kṛṣṇa's club, the Saubha airship plummeted into the water. Śālva abandoned it, stationed himself on the ground, took up his club and rushed toward Lord Acyuta.
Commentary
That Saubha craft (tat), broken by the club thrown by Krsna into a thousand pieces, fell in the water.
Jīva Gosvāmī
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Tat refers to the vehicle. Toye means “in the ocean.”
Śrīdhara Svāmī
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Tat refers to the vehicle. It was completely smashed by the club guided by the hand of the supreme Lord and fell in the ocean. Śālva rushed at Kṛṣṇa who stood there firmly (acyutam). It was easy for him to approach.
Related values & verses
Related values
Nyaya (Justice / Righteous Judgment)Daya (Compassion / Mercy)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Kritajnata (Gratitude)Discriminative WisdomSatya (Truthfulness)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Saurya (Heroism / Bravery)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)
Related verses
Concepts
Jiva
Personal Guidance
The Saubha plummeted into the water; Śālva stood on the ground with his club and rushed at Kṛṣṇa. When external supports collapse, pride still tries to fight on foot. Stripped, ego escalates rather than surrenders.
Reflection Questions
- Where has my external support collapsed but my pride keeps fighting?
- What would surrender look like at this stage rather than rushing forward?
Analogy
The Saubha falls into the water in a thousand pieces; Śālva abandons it, plants himself on the ground, and raises his club. Stripped of his flying illusion, the demon at last stands on earth — but the earth is no friendlier than the sky to one whom Bhagavān has decided to slay.
My note
Source: vedabase.io