Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.24.23
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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rajasā
—
by passion
Instrumental of rajas. Picks up directly from verse 22 — the clouds are not Indra-driven; they are rajas-driven. Kṛṣṇa is closing the philosophical loop opened earlier.
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coditāḥ
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impelled
Past participle from √cud — to impel, drive. The clouds are causally driven, not consulted. The verb is mechanical, deliberately stripping personality from the rain-process.
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varṣanti
—
they rain
Present from √vṛṣ — to rain. The same root as 'Vṛṣṇi' — Kṛṣṇa's own dynasty, the 'pourers.' Quiet wordplay: the true varṣaṇa (downpour) of mercy comes from Bhagavān, not from clouds.
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sarvataḥ
—
everywhere
From sarva. Rain falls on the deserving and the undeserving alike — by mode, not by reward. The verse undercuts the karma-kāṇḍa premise that rain is recompense for Indra-pleasing.
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mahā - indraḥ
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great Indra
Compound: mahā (great) + indraḥ (Indra). Kṛṣṇa says the title with edge — 'great Indra, what will he do?' The honorific is hollowed out by the question. In two chapters' time the great Indra will fall at Kṛṣṇa's feet.
Lord Kṛṣṇa continues His mechanistic explanation of existence, concluding mahendraḥ kiṁ kariṣyati: “Who needs the great Indra, since the rain, sent by the clouds, which in turn are impelled by the mode of passion, is actually producing everyone’s food?” The word sarvataḥ indicates that the clouds magnanimously send their rain even on the ocean, rocks and barren land, where there is no apparent necessity for such sweet water.
As the clouds by the influence of the mode of passion disperse water everywhere-on the ocean, rocks, and desert—the dispersal is not dependent on anything else.
Kṛṣṇa calls Indra by the name Mahendra (great Indra) as a joke, since the clouds and Indra are dependent on rajas.
What can Indra, the lord of all devatās and clouds do? Nothing at all. He and the clouds are dependent on rajas. Or though he is lord of the three worlds how does he assist in this? Rajas is the protector of the people. Rajas uses the clouds, so what use is Indra? In verse 9 Nanda said, “Indra is the lord and master of the rain-giving clouds.” That is rejected in this verse.
The post office automatically delivers letters to every village whose address is on the manifest — no one writes a personal note to the postman asking for delivery. Rain falls because rajas-driven clouds discharge their cargo; Indra has no signing pen at the threshold. Kṛṣṇa's question is rhetorical and devastating — what, exactly, does Indra do?
My note
Source: vedabase.io