FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.11.18

अथो हरे मे कुलिशेन वीर हर्ता प्रमथ्यैव शिरो यदीह । तत्रानृणो भूतबलिं विधाय मनस्विनां पादरज: प्रपत्स्ये ॥ १८ ॥
atho hare me kuliśena vīra
[atho hare me kulishena veera]
hartā pramathyaiva śiro yadīha
[hartaa pramathyaiva shiro yadeeha]
tatrānṛṇo bhūta-baliṁ vidhāya
[tatraanrino bhoota-balim vidhaaya]
manasvināṁ pāda-rajaḥ prapatsye
[manasvinaam paada-rajah prapatsye]
atho — otherwise hare — O King Indra me — of me kuliśena — by your thunderbolt vīra — O great hero hartā — you cut off pramathya — destroying my army eva — certainly śiraḥ — head yadi — if iha — in this battle tatra — in that case anṛṇaḥ — relieved of all debts in this material world bhūta-balim — a presentation for all living entities vidhāya — arranging manasvinām — of great sages like Nārada Muni pāda-rajaḥ — the dust of the lotus feet prapatsye — I shall achieve.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
atho hare me kuliśena vīra
atho
otherwise
hare
O King Indra
me
of me
kuliśena
by your thunderbolt
vīra
O great hero
hartā pramathyaiva śiro yadīha
hartā
you cut off
pramathya
destroying my army
eva
certainly
śiraḥ
head
yadi
if
iha
in this battle
tatrānṛṇo bhūta-baliṁ vidhāya
tatra
in that case
anṛṇaḥ
relieved of all debts in this material world
bhūta-balim
a presentation for all living entities
vidhāya
arranging
manasvināṁ pāda-rajaḥ prapatsye
manasvinām
of great sages like Nārada Muni
pāda-rajaḥ
the dust of the lotus feet
prapatsye
I shall achieve.
But if in this battle you cut off my head with your thunderbolt and kill my soldiers, O Indra, O great hero, I shall take great pleasure in offering my body to other living entities [such as jackals and vultures]. I shall thus be relieved of my obligations to the reactions of my karma, and my fortune will be to receive the dust from the lotus feet of great devotees like Nārada Muni.

Śrī Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings:

ei chaya gosāṣi yāra, mui tāra dāsa tāṅ’ sabāra pada-reṇu mora pañca-grāsa

“I am the servant of the Six Gosvāmīs, and the dust of their lotus feet provides my five kinds of food.” A Vaiṣṇava always desires the dust of the lotus feet of previous ācāryas and Vaiṣṇavas. Vṛtrāsura was certain that he would be killed in the battle with Indra, because this was the desire of Lord Viṣṇu. He was prepared for death because he knew that after his death he was destined to return home, back to Godhead. This is a great destination, and it is achieved by the grace of a Vaiṣṇava. Chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā nistāra pāyeche kebā: no one has ever gone back to Godhead without being favored by a Vaiṣṇava. In this verse, therefore, we find the words manasvināṁ pāda-rajaḥ prapatsye: “I shall receive the dust of the lotus feet of great devotees.” The word manasvinām refers to great devotees who always think of Kṛṣṇa. They are always peaceful, thinking of Kṛṣṇa, and therefore they are called dhīra. The best example of such a devotee is Nārada Muni. If one receives the dust of the lotus feet of a manasvī, a great devotee, he certainly returns home, back to Godhead.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O great hero Indra! If you destroy my army and cut off my head in this battle, I will be relieved of my debt and, making an offering of my body to the jackals, I will attain the dust of the lotus feet of the great devotees. Giving up my material body as an offering to the jackals, I will be free of my debt and will attain the dust of the lotus feet of devotees like Nārada.
But if you sever my head with the thunderbolt, I shall gladly offer my body to jackals and vultures, freed of debt to my karma. Death in battle, viewed as offering, becomes liberation.
Reflection Questions
  • Where could I reframe loss as offering?
  • What debts of karma might be settled by a death I am avoiding?
📝 My note

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