Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.18.11
एते वयं न्यासहरा रसौकसां
गतह्रियो गदया द्रावितास्ते ।
तिष्ठामहेऽथापि कथञ्चिदाजौ
स्थेयं क्व यामो बलिनोत्पाद्य वैरम् ॥ ११ ॥
ete vayaṁ nyāsa-harā rasaukasāṁ
[ete vayam nyaasa-haraa rasaukasaam]
gata-hriyo gadayā drāvitās te
[gata-hriyo gadayaa draavitaas te]
tiṣṭhāmahe ’thāpi kathañcid ājau
[tishthaamahe ’thaapi kathanchid aajau]
stheyaṁ kva yāmo balinotpādya vairam
[stheyam kva yaamo balinotpaadya vairam]
Word-for-word
ete
—
Ourselves
vayam
—
We
nyāsa
—
of the charge
harāḥ
—
thieves
rasā-okasām
—
of the inhabitants of Rasātala
gata-hriyaḥ
—
shameless
gadayā
—
by the mace
drāvitāḥ
—
chased
te
—
your
tiṣṭhāmahe
—
We shall stay
atha api
—
nevertheless
kathañcit
—
somehow
ājau
—
on the battlefield
stheyam
—
We must stay
kva
—
where
yāmaḥ
—
can We go
balinā
—
with a powerful enemy
utpādya
—
having created
vairam
—
enmity.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ete vayaṁ nyāsa-harā rasaukasāṁ
ete
Ourselves
vayam
We
nyāsa
of the charge
harāḥ
thieves
rasā-okasām
of the inhabitants of Rasātala
gata-hriyo gadayā drāvitās te
gata-hriyaḥ
shameless
gadayā
by the mace
drāvitāḥ
chased
te
your
tiṣṭhāmahe ’thāpi kathañcid ājau
tiṣṭhāmahe
We shall stay
atha api
nevertheless
kathañcit
somehow
ājau
on the battlefield
stheyaṁ kva yāmo balinotpādya vairam
stheyam
We must stay
kva
where
yāmaḥ
can We go
balinā
with a powerful enemy
utpādya
having created
vairam
enmity.
Certainly We have stolen the charge of the inhabitants of Rasātala and have lost all shame. Although bitten by your powerful mace, I shall stay here in the water for some time because, having created enmity with a powerful enemy, I now have no place to go.
Purport
The demon should have known that God cannot be driven out of any place, for He is all-pervading. Demons think of their possessions as their property, but actually everything belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who can take anything at any time He likes.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
Taking the inhabitants of the lower planets who were entrusted to you, and fleeing shamelessly from your club, I remain here. I must remain here to fight since, having created enmity with you where can I go?
Speaking with lamenting voice, the Lord joked with the demon. I have stolen things entrusted to you and fled away, but that is impossible. ”Have you fled far enough because of the suffering inflicted on you?” I must remain here, since I have nowhere to go.
There is another meaning. I am the receiver of the offerings (nyāsa-harā) made with devotion even by the demons (rasaukasām). I am not ashamed of doing this (gata-hriyaḥ), because I am affectionate to my devotees. This is because you have melted (drāvitāḥ) my heart with your words of praise (gadayā). Gadā (which becomes gadayā) can come from the verb gad, meaning ”to speak,” in the manner of words such as bhid. Thus I will remain with you even during battle, to show you my extraordinary powers. Ātmanepada form (tiṣṭhāmahe) is used to indicate that he is showing something. ”O cause of existence! Going to Vaikuṇṭha, you will remain there happily. Why would you want to endure suffering by fighting?” I must remain (stheyam) engaged in battle with you in order to derive bliss from fighting because of the enmity in you caused by the curse of the Kumāras. Where else should I go?
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The verse points beyond impersonal abstraction to a Lord who hears, acts, and relates. Spiritual life gets real once we stop talking about Him and start talking to Him. Its centre of gravity is Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Reflection Questions
- Where does your idea of God blur into a generic 'higher power' that asks nothing of you?
- How does relating to a person, rather than a principle, change how you speak in prayer?
My note
Source: vedabase.io