FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.5.17

दैतेयचन्दनवने जातोऽयं कण्टकद्रुम: । यन्मूलोन्मूलपरशोर्विष्णोर्नालायितोऽर्भक: ॥ १७ ॥
daiteya-candana-vane
[daiteya-chandana-vane]
jāto ’yaṁ kaṇṭaka-drumaḥ
[jaato ’yam kantaka-drumah]
yan-mūlonmūla-paraśor
[yan-moolonmoola-parashor]
viṣṇor nālāyito ’rbhakaḥ
[vishnor naalaayito ’rbhakah]
Word-for-word
daiteya — of the demoniac family candana-vane — in the sandalwood forest jātaḥ — born ayam — this kaṇṭaka-drumaḥ — thorn tree yat — of which mūla — of the roots unmūla — in the cutting paraśoḥ — who is like an axe viṣṇoḥ — of Lord Viṣṇu nālāyitaḥ — the handle arbhakaḥ — boy.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
daiteya-candana-vane
daiteya
of the demoniac family
candana-vane
in the sandalwood forest
jāto ’yaṁ kaṇṭaka-drumaḥ
jātaḥ
born
yan-mūlonmūla-paraśor
viṣṇor nālāyito ’rbhakaḥ
ayam
this
kaṇṭaka-drumaḥ
thorn tree
yat
of which
mūla
of the roots
unmūla
in the cutting
paraśoḥ
who is like an axe
viṣṇoḥ
of Lord Viṣṇu
nālāyitaḥ
the handle
arbhakaḥ
boy.
This rascal Prahlāda has appeared like a thorn tree in a forest of sandalwood. To cut down sandalwood trees, an axe is needed, and the wood of the thorn tree is very suitable for the handle of such an axe. Lord Viṣṇu is the axe for cutting down the sandalwood forest of the family of demons, and this Prahlāda is the handle for that axe.
Purport

Thorn trees generally grow in deserted places, not in sandalwood forests, but the seminal brāhmaṇas Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka compared the dynasty of the Daitya Hiraṇyakaśipu to a sandalwood forest and compared Prahlāda Mahārāja to a hard, strong thorn tree that could provide the handle of an axe. They compared Lord Viṣṇu to the axe itself. An axe alone cannot cut a thorn tree; it needs a handle, which may be made of the wood of a thorn tree. Thus the thorn tree of demoniac civilization can be cut to pieces by the axe of viṣṇu-bhakti, devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa. Some of the members of the demoniac civilization, like Prahlāda Mahārāja, may become the handle for the axe, to assist Lord Viṣṇu, and thus the entire forest of demoniac civilization can be cut to pieces.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
A thorn tree has been born in a forest of sandalwood. This boy is the handle of the axe named Viṣṇu who wants to cut down the sandalwood forest. Prahlāda is the handle of the axe named Viṣṇu who cuts the root of the sandalwood forest of the family of demons. The wood of the varvūra tree is famous as an axe handle. This is the thorn tree.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The teachers compare Hiraṇyakaśipu's dynasty to a sandalwood forest, Lord Viṣṇu to the axe, and Prahlāda to the axe-handle made of thorn-wood. To cut the sandalwood, the axe needs a thorny piece of itself. The Lord uses a devotee from within to cut what cannot be cut from outside.
Reflection Questions
  • Where might you be the 'axe-handle' the Lord is using from inside a situation?
  • Whose unlikely devotion in your circle is doing the cutting nothing else could?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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