FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.19.27

क्षितौ शयानं तमकुण्ठवर्चसं करालदंष्ट्रं परिदष्टदच्छदम् । अजादयो वीक्ष्य शशंसुरागता अहो इमां को नु लभेत संस्थितिम् ॥ २७ ॥
kṣitau śayānaṁ tam akuṇṭha-varcasaṁ
[kshitau shayaanam tam akuntha-varchasam]
karāla-daṁṣṭraṁ paridaṣṭa-dacchadam
[karaala-damshtram paridashta-dachchadam]
ajādayo vīkṣya śaśaṁsur āgatā
[ajaadayo veekshya shashamsur aagataa]
aho imaṁ ko nu labheta saṁsthitim
[aho imam ko nu labheta samsthitim]
kṣitau — on the ground śayānam — lying tam — Hiraṇyākṣa akuṇṭha — unfaded varcasam — glow karāla — fearful daṁṣṭram — teeth paridaṣṭa — bitten dat-chadam — lip aja-ādayaḥ — Brahmā and others vīkṣya — having seen śaśaṁsuḥ — admiringly said āgatāḥ — arrived aho — oh imam — this kaḥ — who nu — indeed labheta — could meet saṁsthitim — death.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kṣitau śayānaṁ tam akuṇṭha-varcasaṁ
kṣitau
on the ground
śayānam
lying
tam
Hiraṇyākṣa
akuṇṭha
unfaded
varcasam
glow
karāla-daṁṣṭraṁ paridaṣṭa-dacchadam
karāla
fearful
daṁṣṭram
teeth
paridaṣṭa
bitten
dat-chadam
lip
ajādayo vīkṣya śaśaṁsur āgatā
aja-ādayaḥ
Brahmā and others
vīkṣya
having seen
śaśaṁsuḥ
admiringly said
āgatāḥ
arrived
aho imaṁ ko nu labheta saṁsthitim
aho
oh
imam
this
kaḥ
who
nu
indeed
labheta
could meet
saṁsthitim
death.
Aja [Brahmā] and others arrived on the spot to see the fearfully tusked demon lying on the ground, biting his lip. The glow of his face was yet unfaded, and Brahmā admiringly said: Oh, who could meet such blessed death?

Although the demon was dead, his bodily luster was unfaded. This is very peculiar because when a man or animal is dead, the body immediately becomes pale, the luster gradually fades, and decomposition takes place. But here, although Hiraṇyākṣa lay dead, his bodily luster was unfaded because the Lord, the Supreme Spirit, was touching his body. One’s bodily luster remains fresh only as long as the spirit soul is present. Although the demon’s soul had departed his body, the Supreme Spirit touched the body, and therefore his bodily luster did not fade. The individual soul is different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One who sees the Supreme Personality of Godhead when he quits his body is certainly very fortunate, and therefore personalities like Brahmā and the other demigods eulogized the death of the demon.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Seeing the demon, with terrible fangs biting his lips, glowing brightly, Brahmā and the devatās praised him, saying, “Who would not attain such a fortunate death?” Saṁsthitim means death.
The verse describes layered cosmic machinery — modes, elements, governing demigods — to remind us that even our 'private' lives are arranged by larger hands. The pivot here is Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Reflection Questions
  • How does it change your day to remember the universe was not built around your preferences?
  • What would humility actually look like for you in your work this week?
📝 My note

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