SB 10.89.50 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.89.50

तम: सुघोरं गहनं कृतं महद् विदारयद् भूरितरेण रोचिषा । मनोजवं निर्विविशे सुदर्शनं गुणच्युतो रामशरो यथा चमू: ॥ ५० ॥

tamaḥ su-ghoraṁ gahanaṁ kṛtaṁ mahad

[tamah su-ghoram gahanam kritam mahad]

vidārayad bhūri-tareṇa rociṣā

[vidaarayad bhoori-tarena rochishaa]

mano-javaṁ nirviviśe sudarśanaṁ

[mano-javam nirvivishe sudarshanam]

guṇa-cyuto rāma-śaro yathā camūḥ

[guna-chyuto raama-sharo yathaa chamooh]

Word-for-word

tamaḥ — the darkness su — very ghoram — fearsome gahanam — dense kṛtam — a manifestation of the material creation mahat — immense vidārayat — cutting through bhūri - tareṇa — extremely extensive rociṣā — with its effulgence manaḥ — of the mind javam — having the speed nirviviśe — entered sudarśanam — the Sudarśana disc guṇa — from His bowstring cyutaḥ — shot rāma — of Lord Rāmacandra śaraḥ — an arrow yathā — as if camūḥ — at an army .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

tamaḥ su-ghoraṁ gahanaṁ kṛtaṁ mahad

tamaḥ

the darkness

very

ghoram

fearsome

gahanam

dense

kṛtam

a manifestation of the material creation

mahat

immense

vidārayad bhūri-tareṇa rociṣā

vidārayat

cutting through

bhūri - tareṇa

extremely extensive

rociṣā

with its effulgence

mano-javaṁ nirviviśe sudarśanaṁ

manaḥ

of the mind

javam

having the speed

nirviviśe

entered

sudarśanam

the Sudarśana disc

guṇa-cyuto rāma-śaro yathā camūḥ

guṇa

from His bowstring

cyutaḥ

shot

rāma

of Lord Rāmacandra

śaraḥ

an arrow

yathā

as if

camūḥ

at an army .

Important Words

su-ghoram — very dreadful
Compound: su (very) + ghora (dreadful). The tamas is not neutral darkness — it is dreadful. The Bhāgavatam refuses to romanticize the kāraṇa-region; it is fearsome until Sudarśana enters.
gahanam — dense, impenetrable
From √gah (to plunge). Thick, choked darkness — the kind a foot does not cross. Sudarśana's role is precisely to penetrate (vidārayat) gahana.
manaḥ-javam — with the speed of mind
Compound: manas (mind) + java (speed). The cakra moves at mano-vega — the upper limit of velocity in śāstra. Gauḍīyas note: Bhagavān's instruments move at the speed of His will.
guṇa-cyutaḥ — released from the bow-string
Compound: guṇa (string) + cyuta (slipped off). The technical term for an arrow loosed. The Bhāgavatam uses guṇa-cyuta as a perfect simile-bridge — guṇa also names the modes, faintly suggesting that the Lord's arrow is one that has slipped beyond the modes.
rāma-śaraḥ — Rāma's arrow
Compound: Rāma + śara (arrow). The simile names Lord Rāma. Gauḍīyas read the cross-reference as the Bhāgavatam reminding the hearer that the same Person who is now Kṛṣṇa was Rāma — same resolve, same instruments.

The Lord’s Sudarśana disc penetrated the darkness with its blazing effulgence. Racing forward with the speed of the mind, it cut through the fearsome, dense oblivion expanded from primeval matter, as an arrow shot from Lord Rāma’s bow cuts through His enemy’s army.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

The Lord's Sudarśana disc penetrated the darkness with its blazing effulgence. Racing forward with the speed of the mind, it cut through the fearsome, dense oblivion expanded from primeval matter, as an arrow shot from Lord Rāma's bow cuts through His enemy's army.

Commentary

Piercing that great dense (gahanam) darkness, a transformation of prakrti (krtam), the cakra entered it.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

The cakra pierced the dense darkness spread everywhere (mahat), created by the Lord (kṛtam). Paṅkabhūtaṁ hi timiraṁ sparśād vijñāyate 'nagha: O sinless one, that darkness spread like clay, could be perceived by the touch. (Hari-vaṁśa)

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

The cakra pierced the dense darkness spread everywhere (mahat), created by the Lord (kṛtam), to make a path with great light, like the sun. The caktra cut through and entered at great speed (manojvaram). Its speed was like the arrow of Rāma shot from his bow entering the enemy troops. Paṅka-bhūtaṁ hi timiraṁ sparśād vijñāyate 'nagha: O sinless one, the darkness spread like clay, which could be perceived by the touch. Hari-vaṁśa

Related values & verses

Related values

Adambhitva (Non-hypocrisy / Authenticity)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Tejas (Inner Radiance / Vigour)Discriminative Wisdom

Concepts

Jiva

Personal Guidance

The Sudarśana disc cuts through darkness with blazing effulgence. There are darknesses no ordinary light penetrates; some passages require the specific divine weapon, not just effort.

Reflection Questions

What specific divine 'weapon' (mantra, prayer, surrender) does my current darkness require?
Where do I keep trying generic light when the specific instrument is needed?

Analogy

Sudarśana cuts through the prākṛta-tamas the way Rāma's arrow cuts through an enemy army. The simile is precise: ghora, gahana darkness is not negotiated, it is sliced. Gauḍīyas read the cakra here as the active form of the Lord's own resolve — His will, taking shape as light at the speed of mind.

Stories

Rāma's arrow through Rāvaṇa's host

In the climactic battles of the Rāmāyaṇa, Rāma's arrows passed through entire ranks of rākṣasa warriors before returning, obedient, to His quiver. The verse's simile — rāma-śaraḥ camūm — is the Bhāgavatam's direct citation of that image.

Gauḍīyas pair the two: Rāma's arrow and Kṛṣṇa's cakra are two visible expressions of the same Person's resolve. When Bhagavān decides to cut a path, no medium — army or darkness — slows it.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io