FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.13.40

स शरासनमुद्यम्य मृगयुर्वनगोचर: । हन्त्यसाधुर्मृगान् दीनान् वेनोऽसावित्यरौज्जन: ॥ ४० ॥
sa śarāsanam udyamya
[sa sharaasanam udyamya]
mṛgayur vana-gocaraḥ
[mrigayur vana-gocharah]
hanty asādhur mṛgān dīnān
[hanty asaadhur mrigaan deenaan]
veno ’sāv ity arauj janaḥ
[veno ’saav ity arauj janah]
Word-for-word
saḥ — that boy of the name Vena śarāsanam — his bow udyamya — taking up mṛgayuḥ — the hunter vana-gocaraḥ — going into the forest hanti — used to kill asādhuḥ — being very cruel mṛgān — deer dīnān — poor venaḥ — Vena asau — there he is iti — thus araut — would cry janaḥ — all the people.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sa śarāsanam udyamya
saḥ
that boy of the name Vena
śarāsanam
his bow
udyamya
taking up
mṛgayur vana-gocaraḥ
mṛgayuḥ
the hunter
vana-gocaraḥ
going into the forest
hanty asādhur mṛgān dīnān
hanti
used to kill
asādhuḥ
being very cruel
mṛgān
deer
dīnān
poor
veno ’sāv ity arauj janaḥ
venaḥ
Vena
asau
there he is
iti
thus
araut
would cry
janaḥ
all the people.
After fixing his bow and arrow, the cruel boy used to go to the forest and unnecessarily kill innocent deer, and as soon as he came all the people would cry, “Here comes cruel Vena! Here comes cruel Vena!”
Purport

Kṣatriyas are allowed to hunt in the forest for the purpose of learning the killing art, not to kill animals for eating or for any other purpose. The kṣatriya kings were sometimes expected to cut off the head of a culprit in the state. For this reason the kṣatriyas were allowed to hunt in the forest. Because this son of King Aṅga, Vena, was born of a bad mother, he was very cruel, and he used to go to the forest and unnecessarily kill the animals. All the neighboring inhabitants would be frightened by his presence, and they would call, “Here comes Vena! Here comes Vena!” So from the beginning of his life he was fearful to the citizens.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Taking up his bow and going to the forest, the evil hunter would kill the unfortunate deer. People would shout, “Here comes Vena!” Seeing him from far off, the people would shout, “Here comes Vena! Maybe he is coming to kill us too!”
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Vena killed innocent deer for no reason; the populace cried 'Cruel Vena!' every time he came. Cruelty performed publicly accrues a public name; the boy who hurts animals will be named for it.
Reflection Questions
  • Which small public cruelty am I tolerating in someone whose name is starting to be defined by it?
  • Where have I myself been quietly forming a 'cruel-Vena' reputation in a small domain?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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