Ajamila's Deliverance from Yamaraja

Battle between Indra and Vritrasura

0:00hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇaṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare harehare rāma hare rāmarāma rāma hare hare

0:11Prabhupāda: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Sixth Canto, Twelfth Chapter, verse number 24. SB 6.12.24आविध्य परिघं वृत्रः कार्ष्णायसमरिन्दमः ।इन्द्राय प्राहिणोद् घोरं वामहस्तेन मारिष ॥३४॥āvidhya parighaṁ vṛtraḥkārṣṇāyasam arindamaḥindrāya prāhiṇod ghoraṁvāma-hastena māriṣaO Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Vṛtrāsura, who was completely able to subdue his enemy, took his iron club, whirled it around, aimed it at Indra and then threw it at him with his left hand.

0:21āvidhya—whirling round; parigham—iron trident; vṛtraḥ—Vṛtrāsura; kārṣṇa-ayasam—the trident made of iron; arim-damaḥ—Vṛtrāsura, who was competent enough to subdue his enemy; indrāya—unto Indra; prāhiṇot—threw, or released upon him; ghoram—three fearceful; vāma-hastena—by his left hand; māriṣa—O best of the kings, Mahārāja Parīkṣit.

0:49Translation: O the best of the kings, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Vṛtrāsura was completely able to subdue his enemy, took his trident made of iron and, whirling it around, he aimed at Indra and then he released upon him.

1:06Text number 25. SB 6.12.25स तु वृत्रस्य परिघं करं च करभोपमम् ।चिच्छेद युगपद् देवो वज्रेण शतपर्वणा ॥२५॥sa tu vṛtrasya parighaṁkaraṁ ca karabhopamamciccheda yugapad devovajreṇa śata-parvaṇāWith his thunderbolt named Śataparvan, Indra simultaneously cut to pieces Vṛtrāsura’s club and his remaining hand.

1:21saḥ—King Indra; tu—however; vṛtrasya—Vṛtrāsura; parigham—the iron trident; karamca—as well as his hand; karabha-upamam—and which was as strong as the trunk of an elephant; ciccheda—cut into pieces; yugapat—simultaneously; vajreṇa—with the thunderbolt; śata-parvaṇā—by the name Śataparvan.

1:45Translation = Indra also by his thunderbolt of the name Śataparvan simultaneously cut into pieces the trident released by Vṛtrāsura as well as his hand cut into pieces. Text number 26.

2:06SB 6.12.26दोर्भ्यामुत्कृत्तमूलाभ्यां बभौ रक्तस्रवोऽसुरः ।छिन्नपक्षो यथा गोत्रः खाद्भ्रष्टो वज्रिणा हतः ॥२६॥dorbhyām utkṛtta-mūlābhyāṁbabhau rakta-sravo 'suraḥchinna-pakṣo yathā gotraḥkhād bhraṣṭo vajriṇā hataḥVṛtrāsura, bleeding profusely, his two arms cut off at their roots, looked very beautiful, like a flying mountain whose wings have been cut to pieces by Indra.

2:06dorbhyām—by the two arms; utkṛtta-mūlābhyām—cut from the very root; babhau—he was; rakta-sravaḥ—profusely discharging blood; asuraḥ—Vṛtrāsura; chinna-pakṣaḥ—cut by the wings; yathā—as in = as; gotraḥ—the mountain; khāt bhraṣṭaḥ—falling from the sky; vajriṇā—by Indra, who uses the thunderbolt; hataḥ—killed.

2:39Translation = Vṛtrāsura, being cut off by the two arms, profusely discharged blood, and he looked very beautiful, exactly as a mountain, or flying mountain killed by Indra being cut into pieces, the wings.

2:56Purport: It appears from the statement of this verse that sometimes there are flying mountains also with wings, which are cut by the thunderbolt of Indra.

3:07Vṛtrāsura looked like that, although he was not a mountain, but his huge body appeared to be like mountain.

Vritrasura swallows Indra and elephant

3:14Text number 27, 28 and 29.

3:41SB 6.12.27-29महाप्राणो महावीर्यो महासर्प इव द्विपम् ।कृत्वाधरां हनुं भूमौ दैत्यो दिव्युत्तरां हनुम् ।नभोगम्भीरवक्त्रेण लेलिहोल्बणजिह्वया ॥२७॥दंष्ट्राभिः कालकल्पाभिर्ग्रसन्निव जगत्त्रयम् ।अतिमात्रमहाकाय आक्षिपंस्तरसा गिरीन् ॥२८॥गिरिराट् पादचारीव पद्भ्यां निर्जरयन् महीम् ।जग्रास स समासाद्य वज्रिणं सहवाहनम् ॥२९॥mahā-prāṇo mahā-vīryomahā-sarpa iva dvipamkṛtvādharāṁ hanuṁ bhūmaudaityo divy uttarāṁ hanumnabho-gambhīra-vaktreṇaleliholbaṇa-jihvayādaṁṣṭrābhiḥ kāla-kalpābhirgrasann iva jagat-trayamatimātra-mahā-kāyaākṣipaṁs tarasā girīngiri-rāṭ pāda-cārīvapadbhyāṁ nirjarayan mahīmjagrāsa sa samāsādyavajriṇaṁ saha-vāhanamVṛtrāsura was very powerful in physical strength and influence. He placed his lower jaw on the ground and his upper jaw in the sky. His mouth became very deep, like the sky itself, and his tongue resembled a large serpent. With his fearful, deathlike teeth, he seemed to be trying to devour the entire universe. Thus assuming a gigantic body, the great demon Vṛtrāsura shook even the mountains and began crushing the surface of the earth with his legs, as if he were the Himālayas walking about. He came before Indra and swallowed him and Airāvata, his carrier, just as a big python might swallow an elephant.

4:08mahā-prāṇaḥ—very, very highly strong by bodily strength; mahā-vīryaḥ—showing uncommonly prowess; mahā-sarpaḥ—the biggest snake; iva—like; dvipam—as if another planet; kṛtvā—throwing; adharām—down; hanum—chin; bhūmau—on the ground; daityaḥ—by the asura; divy uttarām hanum—for the upper part of the chin; hanum—chin; nabhaḥ—sky; gambhīra—deep; vaktreṇa—by the mouth; leliha—skin; ulbaṇa—flames; [indistinct]-jihvayā—by the tongue; daṁṣṭrābhiḥ—by the teeth; kāla-kalpābhiḥ—exactly like the time factor, at the time of death; grasan—swallowing; iva—like; jagat-trayam—the three worlds; ati-mātra—very, very high; mahā-kāyaḥ—assuming a very great body; ākṣipan—pulling; tarasā—with great force; girīn—the mountains; giri-rāṭ—as the Himalaya Mountains; pāda-cārīva—as if moving by the legs; padbhyāṁ—by the legs; nirjarayan—punishing; mahīm—the surface of the world; jagrāsa—swallowed up; saḥ—he; samāsādya—by capturing; vajriṇam—Indra, who carries the thunderbolt; saha-vāhanam—along with carrier, the elephant.

5:05**Translation: Vṛtrāsura was very, very powerful by bodily strength and influence. Now he kept his lower part of the chin on the ground and the other part, the upper part, expanded to the sky.

5:18In this way his mouth became very, very big, and his tongue just like big serpent, and at the time of his death he was just trying to chew the whole universe by stealth.

5:33This way the great demon Vṛtrāsura, assuming a very, very big body, began to chastise even the mountain, and by his legs he began to dismantle the surface of the earth, as if Himalayan mountain is moving this way.

5:49He came before Indra, and thus he swallowed up Indra along with his carrier the elephant, exactly like a big python swallows up a big elephant.** Text number 30.

6:14SB 6.12.30वृत्रग्रस्तं तमालोक्य सप्रजापतयः सुराः ।हा कष्टमिति निर्विण्णाश्चुक्रुशुः समहर्षयः ॥३०॥vṛtra-grastaṁ tam ālokyasaprajāpatayaḥ surāḥhā kaṣṭam iti nirviṇṇāścukruśuḥ samaharṣayaḥWhen the demigods, along with Brahmā, other prajāpatis and other great saintly persons, saw that Indra had been swallowed by the demon, they became very morose. “Alas,” they lamented. “What a calamity! What a calamity!”

6:19vṛtra-grastam—Indra thus being swallowed up by Vṛtrāsura; tam—him; ālokya—seeing in that situation; sa-prajāpatayaḥ—along with Lord Brahmā and other prajāpatis; surāḥ—all the demigods; hā kaṣṭam—oh, what a tribulation; iti—thus; nirviṇṇāḥ—being very much morose; cukruśuḥ—began to lament; sa-mahā-ṛṣayaḥ—along with the great sages.

6:37Translation: When it was seen that Indra was swallowed up by the great demon, at that time the prajāpatis and Lord Brahmā and other great, great saintly persons, all the demigods, became very, very morose and began to say, "What a tribulation, tribulation!" Thus began to lament.

Indra escapes and kills Vritrasura

6:57Text number 31. SB 6.12.31निगीर्णोऽप्यसुरेन्द्रेण न ममारोदरं गतः ।महापुरुषसन्नद्धो योगमायाबलेन च ॥३१॥nigīrṇo 'py asurendreṇana mamārodaraṁ gataḥmahāpuruṣa-sannaddhoyogamāyā-balena caThe protective armor of Nārāyaṇa, which Indra possessed, was identical with Nārāyaṇa Himself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Protected by that armor and by his own mystic power, King Indra, although swallowed by Vṛtrāsura, did not die within the demon’s belly.

7:03nigīrṇaḥ—swallowed up; api—although; asura-indreṇa—by the best of the asuras, Vṛtrāsura; na—not; mamāra—died; udaram—within the abdomen; gataḥ—although he was put into there; mahā-puruṣa—the Supreme Lord, Nārāyaṇa; sannaddhaḥ—being accomplished by the talisman known as Nārāyaṇa-kavaca; yoga-māyā-balena—as realized by the mystic power which Indra possessed himself; ca—although also.

7:37**Translation: The Nārāyaṇa talisman which Indra possessed is as good as Nārāyaṇa the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

7:41Therefore being protected by that talisman as well as by dint of his mystic power, King Indra, although swallowed up within the belly of Vṛtrāsura, he did not die.** Text number 32.

7:58SB 6.12.32भित्त्वा वज्रेण तत्कुक्षिं निष्क्रम्य बलभिद् विभुः ।उच्चकर्त शिरः शत्रोर्गिरिशृङ्गमिवौजसा ॥३२॥bhittvā vajreṇa tat-kukṣiṁniṣkramya bala-bhid vibhuḥuccakarta śiraḥ śatrorgiri-śṛṅgam ivaujasāWith his thunderbolt, King Indra, who was also extremely powerful, pierced through Vṛtrāsura’s abdomen and came out. Indra, the killer of the demon Bala, then immediately cut off Vṛtrāsura’s head, which was as high as the peak of a mountain.

8:10bhittvā—piercing through; vajreṇa—by the thunderbolt; tat-kukṣim—the abdomen of Vṛtrāsura; niṣkramya—getting out; bala-bhit—with great power; vibhuḥ—the powerful Lord Indra; uccakarta—cut into pieces; śiraḥ—his head; śatroḥ—in Indra; giri-śṛṅgam—the peak of mountain; iva—like that; ojasā—great force.

8:32**Translation: King Indra also was very, very powerful.

8:37Thus by his thunderbolt he pierced through the abdomen of Vṛtrāsura, and with great force he immediately cut into two the head of Vṛtrāsura, which was as high as the peak of a mountain.** Text number 33.

9:11SB 6.12.33वज्रस्तु तत्कन्धरमाशुवेगःकृन्तन् समन्तात् परिवर्तमानः ।न्यपातयत् तावदहर्गणेनयो ज्योतिषामयने वार्त्रहत्ये ॥३३॥vajras tu tat-kandharam āśu-vegaḥkṛntan samantāt parivartamānaḥnyapātayat tāvad ahar-gaṇenayo jyotiṣām ayane vārtra-hatyeAlthough the thunderbolt revolved around Vṛtrāsura’s neck with great speed, separating his head from his body took one complete year — 360 days, the time in which the sun, moon and other luminaries complete a northern and southern journey. Then, at the suitable time for Vṛtrāsura to be killed, his head fell to the ground.

9:16vajras tu—the thunderbolt also; tat-kandharam—Vṛtrāsura's neck; āśu-vegaḥ—great force; kṛntan—to cut into two; samantāt—all round; parivartamānaḥ—was rotating to cut the head; nyapātayat—caused ultimately cut into two; tāvat—taking so much time; ahaḥ-gaṇena—so many days; yaḥ—that which; jyotiṣām—of the luminaries sun, moon and other planets; ayane—moving two sides of the equator; vārtra-hatye—took so much time just to kill Vṛtrāsura.

9:50**Translation = The thunderbolt, although rotating round the neck of Vṛtrāsura with great force, still, to separate the head from the body took complete one year, 360 days, which is taken by the sun, moon and other luminaries complete one year, or 360 days.

10:11This way the head of Vṛtrāsura fell down on the ground.** Text number 34. SB 6.12.34तदा च खे दुन्दुभयो विनेदुर्गन्धर्वसिद्धाः समहर्षिसङ्घाः ।वार्त्रघ्नलिङ्गैस्तमभिष्टुवानामन्त्रैर्मुदा कुसुमैरभ्यवर्षन् ॥३४॥tadā ca khe dundubhayo vinedurgandharva-siddhāḥ samaharṣi-saṅghāḥvārtra-ghna-liṅgais tam abhiṣṭuvānāmantrair mudā kusumair abhyavarṣanWhen Vṛtrāsura was killed, the Gandharvas and Siddhas in the heavenly planets beat kettledrums in jubilation. With Vedic hymns they celebrated the prowess of Indra, the killer of Vṛtrāsura, praising Indra and showering flowers upon him with great pleasure.

10:16tadā—at that time; ca—also; khe—in the higher planetary systems in the sky; dundubhayaḥ—the kettledrums in Indra's planet; vineduḥ—sounded; gandharva—the planetary system known as Gandharvaloka; siddhāḥ—the planet which is known as Siddhaloka; sa-maharṣi-saṅghāḥ—along with seven saintly persons residing in the planet known as sapta-ṛṣi saṅga, their group, the seven stars group; vārtra-ghna-liṅgaiḥ—in the form of killer of Vṛtrāsura; abhiṣṭuvānāḥ—just offering prayers unto Indra; mantraiḥ—by various mantra; tam—unto Indra; kusumaiḥ—by flowers; abhyavarṣan—by showering flowers upon him.

11:14Translation = In this way, when Vṛtrāsura was killed, at that time in the higher planetary system, namely the heavenly planets, Gandharvaloka, Siddhaloka, there was beating of the kettledrums in jubilation, and by Vedic hymns they begun to eulogize Indra by showering flowers upon him.

Spiritual liberation of the demon

11:32Text number 35. SB 6.12.35वृत्रस्य देहान्निष्क्रान्तमात्मज्योतिररिन्दम ।पश्यतां सर्वदेवानामलोकं समपद्यत ॥३५॥vṛtrasya dehān niṣkrāntamātma-jyotir arindamapaśyatāṁ sarva-devānāmalokaṁ samapadyataO King Parīkṣit, subduer of enemies, the living spark then came forth from Vṛtrāsura’s body and returned home, back to Godhead. While all the demigods looked on, he entered the transcendental world to become an associate of Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa.

11:43vṛtrasya—Vṛtrāsura; dehāt—from the body; niṣkrāntam—by coming out; ātma-jyotiḥ—the spirit soul, as brilliant as the effulgence of Brahmā; arim-dama—O the King Parīkṣit, who can subdue his enemies; paśyatām—as seen by; sarva-devānām—all the demigods; alokam—the supreme abode, full of Brahman effulgence; samapadyata—he achieved.

12:10Translation: O the King Parīkṣit, subduer of enemies, at that time from the body of Vṛtrāsura the spark, a living being, came out, and in order to go back to home, back to Godhead by all the demigods seeing, he entered in the transcendental world to become associate of Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa in the spiritual world.

12:27Śrīla Viśvanātha CakravartīṬhākura in this way gives an explanation that actually Vṛtrāsura was not killed; Indra was killed.

12:35He said that while Vṛtrāsura swallowed up King Indra along with his carrier elephant, certainly he thought, "Now Indra is finished. I have killed Indra, so there is no more use of fighting.

12:48Now let me go back to home, back to Godhead." In this way he became situated in trance, stopping his all bodily activities.

12:56Taking advantage of the silence of the Lord, Indra came out of the belly, piercing through the abdomen. Because Vṛtrāsura was in trance, it was possible for him to come out.

13:06Now Vṛtrāsura was in yoga-samādhi, therefore his neck became very, very stiff. Although King Indra wanted to cut his throat, it was so stiff that his thunderbolt took complete 360 days to cut into pieces.

13:21Actually, it was the body left by Vṛtrāsura that was cut into pieces by Indra; Vṛtrāsura himself was not killed.

13:28He, in his original consciousness, went back to home, back to Godhead, to become associate with Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa. Here alokam means the transcendental world, or the Vaikuṇṭhaloka, where Saṅkarṣaṇa resides eternally.

13:40Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Twelfth Chapter, Sixth Canto, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Next, Thirteenth Chapter. The summary of the thirteenth chapter is as follows:

13:50In this chapter it is described that Indra was very much afraid of killing a brāhmaṇa. Vṛtrāsura was a brāhmaṇa, thus he fled from the scene, and how he was saved by the grace of Lord Viṣṇu is described in this chapter.

14:03The story is like this.

Indra's penance and universal relief

14:08When all the demigods combined together requested Indra to kill Vṛtrāsura, who was a brāhmaṇa, he refused to do it.

14:12All the demigods, however, encouraged Indra that he should not be afraid of killing a brāhmaṇa, because Indra was being protected by Nārāyaṇa-kavaca, or by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Nārāyaṇa.

14:24As such, even by a glimpse of chanting the name of Nārāyaṇa, one becomes free from all the sinful reactions of killing woman, cow, brāhmaṇa. So he was advised to perform the sacrifice of aśvamedha-yajña, by which Nārāyaṇa is pleased, and as such, the performer of such yajña kills the whole universe, he is not implicated with the sinful reaction.

14:48Under this instruction of the demigods, King Indra became engaged in fighting with Vṛtrāsura. However, Vṛtrāsura was killed, everyone became satisfied except King Indra, because he knew what was the position of Vṛtrāsura.

15:02This is the nature of great personality. A great personality, even though he acquires illegally some opulence of the world, he remains always ashamed and regretful.

15:11Indra could understand that certainly he was entangled by sinful reaction of killing a brāhmaṇa. He could see how the sinful reaction personified was following him backward, and as such he fled out of fear here and there.

15:28He began to think of how to get rid of the sinful reaction. In this condition he went to Mānasa-sarovara, and there, being protected by the goddess of fortune, he meditated there for thousands of years.

15:39During this time, Nahuṣa reigned..., ruled over the heavenly planets as representative of Indra.

15:45Unfortunately, he became attracted by the beauty of Indra's wife, Śacīdevī; therefore on account of this sinful desire he had to accept the body of a serpent next life.

15:56In this way Indra later on performed a great fire, taking help from big, big brāhmaṇas, saintly persons, and in this way he was relieved from the reaction of sinful life on account of killing a brāhmaṇa.

16:10Text number one. SB 6.13.1श्रीशुक उवाचवृत्रे हते त्रयो लोका विना शक्रेण भूरिद ।सपाला ह्यभवन् सद्यो विज्वरा निर्वृतेन्द्रियाः ॥१॥śrī-śuka uvācavṛtre hate trayo lokāvinā śakreṇa bhūridasapālā hy abhavan sadyovijvarā nirvṛtendriyāḥŚrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King Parīkṣit, who are so charitably disposed, when Vṛtrāsura was killed, all the presiding deities and everyone else in the three planetary systems was immediately pleased and free from trouble — everyone, that is, except Indra.

16:22śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued to speak; vṛtre hate—upon the death of Vṛtrāsura; trayaḥ lokāḥ—the three planetary systems, upper, middle and lower; vinā—without; śakreṇa—Indra, who's name is Śakra; bhūri-da—O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the greatest person to give in charity; sa-pālāḥ—all the different ruler of different planets; hi—indeed; abhavan—all of them became; sadyaḥ—immediately; vijvarāḥ—without any fear of death; nirvṛta—being very much pleased; indriyāḥ—of their senses.

16:51Translation: O King Parīkṣit, who is so much charitably disposed, when Vṛtrāsura was killed, except Indra all the demigods became very, very happy and pleased. Text number two.

17:07SB 6.13.2देवर्षिपितृभूतानि दैत्या देवानुगाः स्वयम् ।प्रतिजग्मुः स्वधिष्ण्यानि ब्रह्मेशेन्द्रादयस्ततः ॥२॥devarṣi-pitṛ-bhūtānidaityā devānugāḥ svayampratijagmuḥ sva-dhiṣṇyānibrahmeśendrādayas tataḥThereafter, the demigods, the great saintly persons, the inhabitants of Pitṛloka and Bhūtaloka, the demons, the followers of the demigods, and also Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and the demigods subordinate to Indra all returned to their respective homes. While departing, however, no one spoke to Indra.[end]