FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.8.56

श्रीविष्णुपार्षदा ऊचु: अद्यैतद्धरिनररूपमद्भ‍ुतं ते द‍ृष्टं न: शरणद सर्वलोकशर्म । सोऽयं ते विधिकर ईश विप्रशप्त- स्तस्येदं निधनमनुग्रहाय विद्म: ॥ ५६ ॥
śrī-viṣṇu-pārṣadā ūcuḥ
[shree-vishnu-paarshadaa oochuh]
adyaitad dhari-nara-rūpam adbhutaṁ te
[adyaitad dhari-nara-roopam adbhutam te]
dṛṣṭaṁ naḥ śaraṇada sarva-loka-śarma
[drishtam nah sharanada sarva-loka-sharma]
so ’yaṁ te vidhikara īśa vipra-śaptas
[so ’yam te vidhikara eesha vipra-shaptas]
tasyedaṁ nidhanam anugrahāya vidmaḥ
[tasyedam nidhanam anugrahaaya vidmah]
śrī-viṣṇu-pārṣadāḥ ūcuḥ — the associates of Lord Viṣṇu in Vaikuṇṭhaloka said adya — today etat — this hari-nara — of half lion and half human being rūpam — form adbhutam — very wonderful te — Your dṛṣṭam — seen naḥ — of us śaraṇa-da — the everlasting bestower of shelter sarva-loka-śarma — which brings good fortune to all the various planets saḥ — he ayam — this te — of Your Lordship vidhikaraḥ — order carrier (servant) īśa — O Lord vipra-śaptaḥ — being cursed by the brāhmaṇas tasya — of him idam — this nidhanam — killing anugrahāya — for the special favor vidmaḥ — we understand.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-viṣṇu-pārṣadā ūcuḥ
śrī-viṣṇu-pārṣadāḥ ūcuḥ
the associates of Lord Viṣṇu in Vaikuṇṭhaloka said
adya
today
etat
this
adyaitad dhari-nara-rūpam adbhutaṁ te
hari-nara
of half lion and half human being
rūpam
form
adbhutam
very wonderful
te
Your
dṛṣṭaṁ naḥ śaraṇada sarva-loka-śarma
dṛṣṭam
seen
naḥ
of us
śaraṇa-da
the everlasting bestower of shelter
sarva-loka-śarma
which brings good fortune to all the various planets
saḥ
he
so ’yaṁ te vidhikara īśa vipra-śaptas
tasyedaṁ nidhanam anugrahāya vidmaḥ
ayam
this
te
of Your Lordship
vidhikaraḥ
order carrier (servant)
īśa
O Lord
vipra-śaptaḥ
being cursed by the brāhmaṇas
tasya
of him
idam
this
nidhanam
killing
anugrahāya
for the special favor
vidmaḥ
we understand.
The associates of Lord Viṣṇu in Vaikuṇṭha offered this prayer: O Lord, our supreme giver of shelter, today we have seen Your wonderful form as Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, meant for the good fortune of all the world. O Lord, we can understand that Hiraṇyakaśipu was the same Jaya who engaged in Your service but was cursed by brāhmaṇas and who thus received the body of a demon. We understand that his having now been killed is Your special mercy upon him.

Hiraṇyakaśipu’s coming to this earth and acting as the Lord’s enemy was prearranged. Jaya and Vijaya were cursed by the brāhmaṇas Sanaka, Sanat-kumāra, Sanandana and Sanātana because Jaya and Vijaya checked these four Kumāras. The Lord accepted this cursing of His servants and agreed that they would have to go to the material world and would then return to Vaikuṇṭha after serving the term of the curse. Jaya and Vijaya were very much perturbed, but the Lord advised them to act as enemies, for then they would return after three births; otherwise, ordinarily, they would have to take seven births. With this authority, Jaya and Vijaya acted as the Lord’s enemies, and now that these two were dead, all the Viṣṇudūtas understood that the Lord’s killing of Hiraṇyakaśipu was special mercy bestowed upon them.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Seventh Canto, Eighth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva Slays the King of the Demons.”

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The associates of Lord Viṣṇu said: O Lord, our supreme giver of shelter! Today we have seen your amazing form as Nṛsiṁhadeva, good fortune for the entire world. O Lord! We can understand that this demon was your servant, who was cursed by the Kumāras and that you killed him as an act of mercy to him. Hiraṇyakaśipu was your servant (vidhikaraḥ), who was cursed by the Kumāras. Thus ends the commentary on the Eighth Chapter of the Seventh Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas. Chapter Nine Prahlāda Offers Prayers
Vaikuṇṭha associates pray: we know Hiraṇyakaśipu was Jaya, cursed by the Kumāras and made a demon; this killing is Your special mercy to him. The Lord's most ferocious act is, from a higher angle, a private mercy. The same blow looks different from different seats.
Reflection Questions
  • Whose 'punishment' in your perception might be hidden mercy from a higher angle?
  • How does that double-reading change how you respond to apparent harshness?
📝 My note

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