FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.76.9-11

నిరుధ్య సేనయా శాల్వో మహత్యా భరతర్షభ । పురీం బభఞ్జోపవనానుద్యానాని చ సర్వశ: ॥ ౯ ॥ సగోపురాణి ద్వారాణి ప్రాసాదాట్టాలతోలికా: । విహారాన్ స విమానాగ్ర్‍యాన్నిపేతు: శస్‍త్రవృష్టయ: ॥ ౧౦ ॥ శిలా ద్రుమాశ్చాశనయ: సర్పా ఆసారశర్కరా: । ప్రచణ్డశ్చక్రవాతోఽభూద్ రజసాచ్ఛాదితా దిశ: ॥ ౧౧ ॥
nirudhya senayā śālvo
[nirudhya senayaa shaalvo]
mahatyā bharatarṣabha
[mahatyaa bharatarshabha]
purīṁ babhañjopavanān
[pureem babhanjopavanaan]
udyānāni ca sarvaśaḥ
[udyaanaani cha sarvashah]
sa-gopurāṇi dvārāṇi
[sa-gopuraani dvaaraani]
prāsādāṭṭāla-tolikāḥ
[praasaadaattaala-tolikaah]
vihārān sa vimānāgryān
[vihaaraan sa vimaanaagryaan]
nipetuḥ śastra-vṛṣṭayaḥ
[nipetuh shastra-vrishtayah]
śilā-drumāś cāśanayaḥ
[shilaa-drumaash chaashanayah]
sarpā āsāra-śarkarāḥ
[sarpaa aasaara-sharkaraah]
pracaṇḍaś cakravāto ’bhūd
[prachandash chakravaato ’bhood]
rajasācchāditā diśaḥ
[rajasaachchaaditaa dishah]
nirudhya — besieging senayā — with an army śālvaḥ — Śālva mahatyā — large bharata - ṛṣabha — O best of the Bharatas purīm — the city babhañja — he broke up upavanān — the parks udyanāni — gardens ca — and sarvaśaḥ — all around sa - gopurāṇi — with towers dvārāṇi — and gateways prāsāda — mansions aṭṭāla — observatories tolikāḥ — and surrounding walls vihārān — recreational areas saḥ — he, Śālva vimāna — of airships agryāt — from the best nipetuḥ — there fell śastra — of weapons vṛṣṭayaḥ — torrents śilā — stones drumāḥ — and trees ca — also aśanayaḥ — thunderbolts sarpāḥ — snakes āsāra - śarkarāḥ — and hailstones pracaṇḍaḥ — fierce cakravātaḥ — a whirlwind abhūt — arose rajasā — with dust ācchādditāḥ — covered diśaḥ — all the directions .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
nirudhya senayā śālvo
nirudhya
besieging
senayā
with an army
śālvaḥ
Śālva
mahatyā bharatarṣabha
mahatyā
large
bharata - ṛṣabha
O best of the Bharatas
purīṁ babhañjopavanān
purīm
the city
babhañja
he broke up
upavanān
the parks
udyānāni ca sarvaśaḥ
udyanāni
gardens
ca
and
sarvaśaḥ
all around
sa-gopurāṇi dvārāṇi
sa - gopurāṇi
with towers
dvārāṇi
and gateways
prāsādāṭṭāla-tolikāḥ
prāsāda
mansions
aṭṭāla
observatories
tolikāḥ
and surrounding walls
vihārān sa vimānāgryān
vihārān
recreational areas
saḥ
he, Śālva
vimāna
of airships
agryāt
from the best
nipetuḥ śastra-vṛṣṭayaḥ
nipetuḥ
there fell
śastra
of weapons
vṛṣṭayaḥ
torrents
śilā-drumāś cāśanayaḥ
śilā
stones
drumāḥ
and trees
ca
also
aśanayaḥ
thunderbolts
sarpā āsāra-śarkarāḥ
sarpāḥ
snakes
āsāra - śarkarāḥ
and hailstones
pracaṇḍaś cakravāto ’bhūd
pracaṇḍaḥ
fierce
cakravātaḥ
a whirlwind
abhūt
arose
rajasācchāditā diśaḥ
rajasā
with dust
ācchādditāḥ
covered
diśaḥ
all the directions .
  • nirudhya — besieging
    Gerund of ni + √rudh (to obstruct). The same root behind nirodha — yogic restraint. The asura's nirodha is a siege; the yogī's is of the senses. Same grammar, opposite directions.
  • vimāna-agryāt — from the best of airships
    Contiguous join (vimāna + agryāt). Vimāna is the Vedic flying chariot — devas have them, asuras imitate. Agrya means foremost; even the foremost asuric craft is, in Bhāgavata measure, less than a devotee's bare feet on Vraja's dust.
  • śastra-vṛṣṭayaḥ — torrents of weapons
    Contiguous join (śastra + vṛṣṭayaḥ). Vṛṣṭi literally means rain — the asura's offering to Dvārakā is a perverse rain, mirroring the prema-vṛṣṭi that devotees pray Kṛṣṇa will rain upon them (cf. Caitanya-caritāmṛta's prema-megha imagery).
  • cakravātaḥ — a whirlwind
    From cakra + vāta. A cyclone. Prabhupāda's commentary reads Śālva's whirlwind as māyic show-business — calculated terror against a city protected by the Lord's own sudarśana-cakra. Cakravāta against cakra-pāṇi: the wind cannot win.
  • purīm — the city
    Accusative of purī. The same word used for Vaikuṇṭha and for Kṛṣṇa's heart. The Bhāgavatam often reads attack on the Lord's city as the asura's confession that the Lord has a city — that He is personal, located, available.
  • rajasā — with dust
    Instrumental of rajas. Pun: rajas the substance (dust) and rajas the guṇa (passion). The whole asuric assault is rajas-blanketed — covering the directions, the way passion covers the cit-svarūpa of the jīva.
Śālva besieged the city with a large army, O best of the Bharatas, decimating the outlying parks and gardens, the mansions along with their observatories, towering gateways and surrounding walls, and also the public recreational areas. From his excellent airship he threw down a torrent of weapons, including stones, tree trunks, thunderbolts, snakes and hailstones. A fierce whirlwind arose and blanketed all directions with dust.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Śālva besieged the city with a large army, O best of the Bharatas, decimating the outlying parks and gardens, the mansions along with their observatories, towering gateways and surrounding walls, and also the public recreational areas. From his excellent airship he threw down a torrent of weapons, including stones, tree trunks, thunderbolts, snakes and hailstones. A fierce whirlwind arose and blanketed all directions with dust.
Commentary

Salva with troops destroyed walls (tolika) and amusement areas (viharan). From the excellent Saubha aircraft he threw various weapons on the city.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Three verses describe his attack. He covered the city completely with troops. Śukadeva calls out to Parīkṣit in amazement. O best of the Bharatas! Or he comforts him as he worries about those dear to him. As the best of your dynasty you know the power of the Lord. You should not worry at all. Śālva was intent on destroying the city (babhaṣja). The word is used to indicate destruction that was supposed to happen in the near future. (However he could not destroy the city.) In order to destroy the outer gates and other gates he constantly showered (ni—petuḥ) weapons. Fierce whirlwinds blew in front of the vehicle. Dust arose because of the whirlwind’s strong, quick revolutions.

Related values
Adambhitva (Non-hypocrisy / Authenticity)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Tejas (Inner Radiance / Vigour)Discriminative Wisdom
Related verses
Concepts
Jiva

Like hailstorm and locust together falling on a garden the King has built for His queens, Śālva's downpour from Saubha tries to ruin Dvārakā — yet the Lord of the garden has not yet stirred; what falls is the asura's whole arsenal at once, a single throw of every die he owns.

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