FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.45.40

శ్రీసముద్ర ఉవాచ న చాహార్షమహం దేవ దైత్య: పఞ్చజనో మహాన్ । అన్తర్జలచర: కృష్ణ శఙ్ఖరూపధరోఽసుర: ॥ ౪౦ ॥
śrī-samudra uvāca
[shree-samudra uvaacha]
na cāhārṣam ahaṁ deva
[na chaahaarsham aham deva]
daityaḥ pañcajano mahān
[daityah panchajano mahaan]
antar-jala-caraḥ kṛṣṇa
[antar-jala-charah krishna]
śaṅkha-rūpa-dharo ’suraḥ
[shankha-roopa-dharo ’surah]
śrī - samudraḥ uvāca — the ocean personified said na — not ca — and ahārṣam — did take (him) away aham — I deva — O Lord daityaḥ — a descendant of Diti pañcajanaḥ — named Pañcajana mahān — powerful antaḥ — within jala — the water caraḥ — going kṛṣṇa — O Kṛṣṇa śaṅkha — of a conch rūpa — the form dharaḥ — assuming asuraḥ — the demon .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-samudra uvāca
śrī - samudraḥ uvāca
the ocean personified said
na cāhārṣam ahaṁ deva
na
not
ca
and
ahārṣam
did take (him) away
aham
I
deva
O Lord
daityaḥ pañcajano mahān
daityaḥ
a descendant of Diti
pañcajanaḥ
named Pañcajana
mahān
powerful
antar-jala-caraḥ kṛṣṇa
antaḥ
within
jala
the water
caraḥ
going
kṛṣṇa
O Kṛṣṇa
śaṅkha-rūpa-dharo ’suraḥ
śaṅkha
of a conch
rūpa
the form
dharaḥ
assuming
asuraḥ
the demon .
  • daityaḥ — a descendant of Diti
    Daitya = son of Diti, the asura mother. Categorical identifier — the boy was taken by an asura, not a deva or natural force. The rescue therefore must be a slaying.
  • pañcajanaḥ — (named) Pañcajana
    Proper name of the demon. His name will pass into the conch — Pāñcajanya — that Kṛṣṇa will blow at Kurukṣetra and throughout the Mahābhārata. A demon's name becomes Bhagavān's instrument.
  • antaḥ - jala - caraḥ — moving within the water
    Antaḥ-jala = sub-aquatic; cara = moving. Pañcajana is a water-going asura — Bhagavān will descend into the water (verse 41) to meet him on his own ground.
  • śaṅkha - rūpa - dharaḥ — wearing the form of a conch
    Śaṅkha-rūpa = conch-form. The asura dwells as a conch. The conch, sacred in śāstra, is here a demon's shell — and will become a Lord's weapon once the demon is removed from inside it. Form purified by violence done in service.
  • asuraḥ — the demon
    Asura — non-deva. The ocean classifies him plainly. No diplomatic euphemism; the truthful naming permits the swift action that follows.
The ocean replied: O Lord Kṛṣṇa, it was not I who abducted him, but a demonic descendant of Diti named Pañcajana, who travels in the water in the form of a conch.

Clearly the demon Pañcajana was too powerful for the ocean to control; otherwise the ocean would have prevented such an unlawful act.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The ocean replied: O Lord Kṛṣṇa, it was not I who abducted him, but a demonic descendant of Diti named Paṣcajana, who travels in the water in the form of a conch.
Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Some versions have samudra uvāca and some do not. The commentators are not clear on this. Instead of na ca sometimes naiva is seen at the beginning of the verse. O lord who engages in play (deva)! Since you know everything, giving the order is only your play. Paṣcajana is a great demon (daityaḥ). Instead of daityaḥ, Śrīdhara Svāmī seems to have the word asuraḥ in his version. The verb āste should be supplied in the last line. However the verb for the last line is in the first two lines of the next verse (āste), which is seen only in some versions. The word prabhuḥ should be added as the subject if the version does not have the first two lines of the next verse. O Kṛṣṇa, it is not difficult for you to capture this demon since you possess the power to attract everyone.

Related values
Dana (Charity / Generosity)Svadhyaya (Self-study & Scripture Study)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)Asteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)
Related verses
Concepts
Jiva

The ocean answers truthfully: 'not I, but the daitya Pañcajana who travels inside the water in conch-form took him.' Even the sea, when addressed by Bhagavān, will not lie. Truth is the only currency accepted at this transaction.

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