FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.15.1

मैत्रेय उवाच प्रजापत्यं तु तत्तेज: परतेजोहनं दिति: । दधार वर्षाणि शतं शङ्कमाना सुरार्दनात् ॥ १ ॥
maitreya uvāca
[maitreya uvaacha]
prājāpatyaṁ tu tat tejaḥ
[praajaapatyam tu tat tejah]
para-tejo-hanaṁ ditiḥ
[para-tejo-hanam ditih]
dadhāra varṣāṇi śataṁ
[dadhaara varshaani shatam]
śaṅkamānā surārdanāt
[shankamaanaa suraardanaat]
Word-for-word
maitreyaḥ uvāca — the sage Maitreya said prājāpatyam — of the great Prajāpati tu — but tat tejaḥ — his powerful semen para-tejaḥ — others’ prowess hanam — troubling ditiḥ — Diti (Kaśyapa’s wife) dadhāra — bore varṣāṇi — years śatam — hundred śaṅkamānā — being doubtful sura-ardanāt — disturbing to the demigods.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
maitreya uvāca
maitreyaḥ uvāca
the sage Maitreya said
prājāpatyaṁ tu tat tejaḥ
prājāpatyam
of the great Prajāpati
tu
but
tat tejaḥ
his powerful semen
para-tejo-hanaṁ ditiḥ
para-tejaḥ
others’ prowess
hanam
troubling
ditiḥ
Diti (Kaśyapa’s wife)
dadhāra varṣāṇi śataṁ
dadhāra
bore
varṣāṇi
years
śatam
hundred
śaṅkamānā surārdanāt
śaṅkamānā
being doubtful
sura-ardanāt
disturbing to the demigods.
Śrī Maitreya said: My dear Vidura, Diti, the wife of the sage Kaśyapa, could understand that the sons within her womb would be a cause of disturbance to the demigods. As such, she continuously bore the powerful semen of Kaśyapa Muni, which was meant to give trouble to others, for one hundred years.
Purport

The great sage Śrī Maitreya was explaining to Vidura the activities of the demigods, including Lord Brahmā. When Diti heard from her husband that the sons she bore within her abdomen would be causes of disturbances to the demigods, she was not very happy. There are two classes of men — devotees and nondevotees. Nondevotees are called demons, and devotees are called demigods. No sane man or woman can tolerate the nondevotees’ giving trouble to devotees. Diti, therefore, was reluctant to give birth to her babies; she waited for one hundred years so that at least she could save the demigods from the disturbance for that period.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Maitreya said: Diti, fearing that her sons would afflict the devatās, held within her womb for a hundred years Kaśyapa’s sons, who would destroy the power of the devatās. In the Fifteenth Chapter the devatās ask Brahmā to speak about the history of Diti’s sons and he explains that the two door keepers were cursed by the Kumāras. What happened to Diti’s pregnancy? The offspring of Kaśyapa (prājapatyam) would destroy the offspring of others (para-tajo-hanam). The formation of hanam follows verbs such as pac. She held her children in her womb for a hundred years since she was worried about them giving suffering to the devatās, or she was worried that they would be killed by Viṣṇu, since she had heard they would be killed by Viṣṇu.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The verse describes a universe that is not a random stage but an arrangement with a purpose. Our work is not to engineer that purpose but to find our seat within it.
Reflection Questions
  • What would change in your prayer if you remembered how small your sphere actually is?
  • How could awe of the creation become a daily practice and not just a Sunday feeling?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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