SB 8.7.42 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.7.42

तत: करतलीकृत्य व्यापि हालाहलं विषम् । अभक्षयन्महादेव: कृपया भूतभावन: ॥ ४२ ॥

tataḥ karatalī-kṛtya

[tatah karatalee-kritya]

vyāpi hālāhalaṁ viṣam

[vyaapi haalaahalam visham]

abhakṣayan mahā-devaḥ

[abhakshayan mahaa-devah]

kṛpayā bhūta-bhāvanaḥ

[kripayaa bhoota-bhaavanah]

Word-for-word

tataḥ — thereafter karatalī-kṛtya — taking in his hand vyāpi — widespread hālāhalam — called hālahala viṣam — poison abhakṣayat — drank mahā-devaḥ — Lord Śiva kṛpayā — out of compassion bhūta-bhāvanaḥ — for the welfare of all living entities.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

tataḥ karatalī-kṛtya

tataḥ

thereafter

karatalī-kṛtya

taking in his hand

vyāpi hālāhalaṁ viṣam

vyāpi

widespread

hālāhalam

called hālahala

viṣam

poison

abhakṣayan mahā-devaḥ

abhakṣayat

drank

mahā-devaḥ

Lord Śiva

kṛpayā bhūta-bhāvanaḥ

kṛpayā

out of compassion

bhūta-bhāvanaḥ

for the welfare of all living entities.

Thereafter, Lord Śiva, who is dedicated to auspicious, benevolent work for humanity, compassionately took the whole quantity of poison in his palm and drank it.

Purport

Although there was such a great quantity of poison that it spread all over the universe, Lord Śiva had such great power that he reduced the poison to a small quantity so that he could hold it in his palm. One should not try to imitate Lord Śiva. Lord Śiva can do whatever he likes, but those who try to imitate Lord Śiva by smoking ganja and other poisonous things will certainly be killed because of such activities.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Thereafter, Lord Śiva, protector of the living entities, compassionately took the whole quantity of poison into his palm and drank it. He took the poison spread everywhere, and reduced it into his palm.

Personal Guidance

Śiva reduced the universe-spreading poison to a palmful and drank it. He can do this; we cannot. Imitating him by smoking ganja in the name of devotion is fatal foolishness. Be inspired by saints, but do not imitate their feats.

Reflection Questions

Where am I imitating the externals of a great soul without their power?
What practice am I confusing with another, more advanced practice for which I am not qualified?

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io