FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.10.28

कृतैषा विधवा लङ्का वयं च कुलनन्दन । देह: कृतोऽन्नं गृध्राणामात्मा नरकहेतवे ॥ २८ ॥
kṛtaiṣā vidhavā laṅkā
[kritaishaa vidhavaa lankaa]
vayaṁ ca kula-nandana
[vayam cha kula-nandana]
dehaḥ kṛto ’nnaṁ gṛdhrāṇām
[dehah krito ’nnam gridhraanaam]
ātmā naraka-hetave
[aatmaa naraka-hetave]
kṛtā — made by you eṣā — all of this vidhavā — without a protector laṅkā — the state of Laṅkā vayam ca — and us kula-nandana — O pleasure of the Rākṣasas dehaḥ — the body kṛtaḥ — made by you annam — eatable gṛdhrāṇām — of the vultures ātmā — and your soul naraka-hetave — for going to hell.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kṛtaiṣā vidhavā laṅkā
kṛtā
made by you
eṣā
all of this
vidhavā
without a protector
laṅkā
the state of Laṅkā
vayaṁ ca kula-nandana
vayam ca
and us
kula-nandana
O pleasure of the Rākṣasas
dehaḥ kṛto ’nnaṁ gṛdhrāṇām
dehaḥ
the body
kṛtaḥ
made by you
annam
eatable
gṛdhrāṇām
of the vultures
ātmā naraka-hetave
ātmā
and your soul
naraka-hetave
for going to hell.
O pleasure of the Rākṣasa dynasty, because of you the state of Laṅkā and also we ourselves now have no protector. By your deeds you have made your body fit to be eaten by vultures and your soul fit to go to hell.

One who follows the path of Rāvaṇa is condemned in two ways: his body is fit to be eaten by dogs and vultures, and the soul goes to hell. As stated by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gītā (16.19) :

tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān saṁsāreṣu narādhamān kṣipāmy ajasram aśubhān āsurīṣv eva yoniṣu

“Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest among men, are cast by Me into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life.” Thus the destination of godless atheists such as Rāvaṇa, Hiraṇyakaśipu, Kaṁsa and Dantavakra is a hellish condition of life. Mandodarī, the wife of Rāvaṇa, could understand all this because she was a chaste woman. Although lamenting for the death of her husband, she knew what would happen to his body and soul, for although one cannot see directly with one’s material eyes, one can see with eyes of knowledge ( paśyanti jñāna-cakṣuṣaḥ ). In Vedic history there are many instances of how one becomes godless and is condemned by the laws of nature.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O pleasure of the Rākṣaṣa dynasty, because of you the state of Laṅkā and also we ourselves now have no protector. By your deeds you have made your body fit to be eaten by vultures and your soul fit to go to hell. You have made your body food to be eaten by vultures, and your soul fit for experiencing hell.
Mandodarī sees that her husband's body is fit only for vultures, his soul for hell. The end of a life dedicated to harming others is not metaphorically grim but literally so — the report from his wife is unsentimental.
Reflection Questions
  • What does the most loving, honest person in my life suspect about where my present trajectory leads?
  • Could I let their honest assessment land before consequences arrive?
📝 My note

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