FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.8.27

तं मन्यमानो निजवीर्यशङ्कितं यद्धस्तमुक्तो नृहरिं महासुर: । पुनस्तमासज्जत खड्‌गचर्मणी प्रगृह्य वेगेन गतश्रमो मृधे ॥ २७ ॥
taṁ manyamāno nija-vīrya-śaṅkitaṁ
[tam manyamaano nija-veerya-shankitam]
yad dhasta-mukto nṛhariṁ mahāsuraḥ
[yad dhasta-mukto nriharim mahaasurah]
punas tam āsajjata khaḍga-carmaṇī
[punas tam aasajjata khadga-charmanee]
pragṛhya vegena gata-śramo mṛdhe
[pragrihya vegena gata-shramo mridhe]
tam — Him (Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva) manyamānaḥ — thinking nija-vīrya-śaṅkitam — afraid of his prowess yat — because hasta-muktaḥ — freed from the clutches of the Lord nṛ-harim — Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva mahā-asuraḥ — the great demon punaḥ — again tam — Him āsajjata — attacked khaḍga-carmaṇī — his sword and shield pragṛhya — taking up vegena — with great force gata-śramaḥ — his fatigue having gone mṛdhe — in the battle.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
taṁ manyamāno nija-vīrya-śaṅkitaṁ
tam
Him (Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva)
manyamānaḥ
thinking
nija-vīrya-śaṅkitam
afraid of his prowess
yat
because
yad dhasta-mukto nṛhariṁ mahāsuraḥ
hasta-muktaḥ
freed from the clutches of the Lord
nṛ-harim
Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva
mahā-asuraḥ
the great demon
punas tam āsajjata khaḍga-carmaṇī
punaḥ
again
tam
Him
āsajjata
attacked
khaḍga-carmaṇī
his sword and shield
pragṛhya vegena gata-śramo mṛdhe
pragṛhya
taking up
vegena
with great force
gata-śramaḥ
his fatigue having gone
mṛdhe
in the battle.
When Hiraṇyakaśipu was freed from the hands of Nṛsiṁhadeva, he falsely thought that the Lord was afraid of his prowess. Therefore, after taking a little rest from the fight, he took up his sword and shield and again attacked the Lord with great force.

When a sinful man enjoys material facilities, foolish people sometimes think, “How is it that this sinful man is enjoying whereas a pious man is suffering?” By the will of the Supreme, a sinful man is sometimes given the chance to enjoy the material world as if he were not under the clutches of material nature, just so that he may be fooled. A sinful man who acts against the laws of nature must be punished, but sometimes he is given a chance to play, exactly like Hiraṇyakaśipu when he was released from the hands of Nṛsiṁhadeva. Hiraṇyakaśipu was destined to be ultimately killed by Nṛsiṁhadeva, but just to see the fun, the Lord gave him a chance to slip from His hands.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Hiraṇyakaśipu, thinking that the Lord was afraid of his prowess because he had escaped from the Lord’s hands, with his fatigue of fighting gone, took up his sword and shield and again attacked the Lord with great force. Thinking that the Lord was afraid of his prowess because (yat) he got free from the Lord’s hands, he again attacked.
Freed momentarily, Hiraṇyakaśipu falsely concludes that the Lord is afraid of his prowess and attacks again. Demonic minds mistake mercy for fear and grace-room for weakness. Watch the conclusions you draw from the Lord's apparent slowness.
Reflection Questions
  • Where have you mistaken the Lord's patience for the Lord's powerlessness?
  • What pause in His response should you be reading more carefully?
📝 My note

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