FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.7.32

इन्द्र उवाच इदमप्यच्युत विश्वभावनं वपुरानन्दकरं मनोद‍ृशाम् । सुरविद्विट्‌क्षपणैरुदायुधै र्भुजदण्डैरुपपन्नमष्टभि: ॥ ३२ ॥
indra uvāca
[indra uvaacha]
idam apy acyuta viśva-bhāvanaṁ
[idam apy achyuta vishva-bhaavanam]
vapur ānanda-karaṁ mano-dṛśām
[vapur aananda-karam mano-drishaam]
sura-vidviṭ-kṣapaṇair udāyudhair
[sura-vidvit-kshapanair udaayudhair]
bhuja-daṇḍair upapannam aṣṭabhiḥ
[bhuja-dandair upapannam ashtabhih]
indraḥ uvāca — King Indra said idam — this api — certainly acyuta — O infallible one viśva-bhāvanam — for the welfare of the universe vapuḥ — transcendental form ānanda-karam — a cause of pleasure manaḥ-dṛśām — to the mind and the eye sura-vidviṭ — envious of Your devotees kṣapaṇaiḥ — by punishment ud-āyudhaiḥ — with uplifted weapons bhuja-daṇḍaiḥ — with arms upapannam — possessed of aṣṭabhiḥ — with eight.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
indra uvāca
indraḥ uvāca
King Indra said
idam apy acyuta viśva-bhāvanaṁ
idam
this
api
certainly
acyuta
O infallible one
viśva-bhāvanam
for the welfare of the universe
vapuḥ
transcendental form
ānanda-karam
a cause of pleasure
vapur ānanda-karaṁ mano-dṛśām
manaḥ-dṛśām
to the mind and the eye
sura-vidviṭ-kṣapaṇair udāyudhair
sura-vidviṭ
envious of Your devotees
kṣapaṇaiḥ
by punishment
ud-āyudhaiḥ
with uplifted weapons
bhuja-daṇḍair upapannam aṣṭabhiḥ
bhuja-daṇḍaiḥ
with arms
upapannam
possessed of
aṣṭabhiḥ
with eight.
King Indra said: My dear Lord, Your transcendental form with eight hands and weapons in each of them appears for the welfare of the entire universe, and it is very pleasing to the mind and eyes. In such a form, Your Lordship is always prepared to punish the demons, who are envious of Your devotees.

It is generally understood from revealed scriptures that Lord Viṣṇu appears with four hands, but in this particular sacrificial arena Lord Viṣṇu arrived with eight hands. King Indra said, “Even though we are accustomed to see Your four-handed Viṣṇu form, this appearance with eight hands is as real as the four-handed form.” As Lord Brahmā had said, to realize the transcendental form of the Lord is beyond the power of the senses. In reply to that statement by Brahmā, King Indra said that even though the transcendental form of the Lord is not perceivable by the material senses, His activities and His transcendental form can be understood. The Lord’s uncommon features, uncommon activities and uncommon beauty can be perceived even by an ordinary man. For example, when Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared just like a six- or seven-year-old boy in Vṛndāvana, He was approached by the residents there. There were torrents of rain, and the Lord saved the residents of Vṛndāvana by lifting Govardhana Hill and resting it on the little finger of His left hand for seven days. This uncommon feature of the Lord should convince even materialistic persons who want to speculate to the limit of their material senses. The activities of the Lord are pleasing to experimental vision also, but impersonalists will not believe in His identity because they study the personality of the Lord by comparing their personality to His. Because men in this material world cannot lift a hill, they do not believe that the Lord can lift one. They accept the statements of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to be allegorical, and they try to interpret them in their own way. But factually the Lord lifted the hill in the presence of all the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, as corroborated by great ācāryas and authors like Vyāsadeva and Nārada. Everything about the Lord — His activities, pastimes and uncommon features — should be accepted as is, and in this way, even in our present condition, we can understand the Lord. In the instance herein, King Indra confirmed: “Your presence with eight hands is as good as Your presence with four hands.” There is no doubt about it.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Indra said: Lord! Your body, endowed with eight arms carrying weapons to destroy the demons, is auspicious for the universe, can be perceived even by our material senses and mind, and gives us bliss. By your mercy your body makes this universe (idam) auspicious. This eight-armed form for destroying the demons is seen by us even with our material senses, by your indescribable mercy, and gives us bliss. This is proof that there is no other way in which we can be blissful. This statement is directed to Brahmā.
Indra honors the Lord's eight-handed form, prepared to punish demons envious of devotees. The same divine that delights also protects; ferocity in defense of the vulnerable is not a contradiction.
Reflection Questions
  • Whom am I called to protect with the equivalent of eight hands, and have I shown up for them?
  • Where do I confuse divine ferocity with worldly aggression in my own conduct?
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 7