Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.18.17
ततश्च गदयारातिं दक्षिणस्यां भ्रुवि प्रभु: ।
आजघ्ने स तु तां सौम्य गदया कोविदोऽहनत् ॥ १७ ॥
tataś ca gadayārātiṁ
[tatash cha gadayaaraatim]
dakṣiṇasyāṁ bhruvi prabhuḥ
[dakshinasyaam bhruvi prabhuh]
ājaghne sa tu tāṁ saumya
[aajaghne sa tu taam saumya]
gadayā kovido ’hanat
[gadayaa kovido ’hanat]
Word-for-word
tataḥ
—
then
ca
—
and
gadayā
—
with His mace
arātim
—
the enemy
dakṣiṇasyām
—
on the right
bhruvi
—
on the brow
prabhuḥ
—
the Lord
ājaghne
—
struck
saḥ
—
the Lord
tu
—
but
tām
—
the mace
saumya
—
O gentle Vidura
gadayā
—
with his mace
kovidaḥ
—
expert
ahanat
—
he saved himself.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tataś ca gadayārātiṁ
tataḥ
then
ca
and
gadayā
with His mace
arātim
the enemy
dakṣiṇasyāṁ bhruvi prabhuḥ
dakṣiṇasyām
on the right
bhruvi
on the brow
prabhuḥ
the Lord
ājaghne sa tu tāṁ saumya
ājaghne
struck
saḥ
the Lord
tu
but
tām
the mace
saumya
O gentle Vidura
gadayā kovido ’hanat
gadayā
with his mace
kovidaḥ
expert
ahanat
he saved himself.
Then with His mace the Lord struck the enemy on the right of his brow, but since the demon was expert in fighting, O gentle Vidura, he protected himself by a maneuver of his own mace.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
O Vidura! The Lord struck the enemy on his right brow with his club. The demon, expert in fighting, struck the club of the Lord which did not reach him.
The demon struck the club of the Lord which did not touch him.
Personal Guidance
The Lord strikes the demon's right brow with His mace, but the demon, skilled in fighting, parries. Even the Lord's blows can be temporarily deflected by skilled adversaries — the contest is real, not theatrical. Spiritual struggle has dignity for both sides.
Reflection Questions
- Do I take spiritual struggles seriously as real contests, or treat them as foregone conclusions?
- What 'skilled parry' of mine is currently keeping the Lord's corrective blow from landing?
My note
Source: vedabase.io