Srimad Bhagavatam — Shashtha Skandha, Shloka 9
Vṛtrāsura Instructs Indra on Providence and Devotion; The Slaying of Vṛtrāsura
ओज: सहो बलं प्राणममृतं मृत्युमेव च । तमज्ञाय जनो हेतुमात्मानं मन्यते जडम् ॥ ९ ॥
ojaḥ saho balaṁ prāṇam amṛtaṁ mṛtyum eva ca tam ajñāya jano hetum ātmānaṁ manyate jaḍam
Our sensory prowess, mental power, bodily strength, living force, immortality and mortality are all subject to the superintendence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not knowing this, foolish people think the dull material body to be the cause of their activities.
FAQs
This verse states that vigor, strength, prāṇa, immortality, and even death come from the Supreme Cause; forgetting Him, a person misidentifies the self with inert matter and thinks he is independent.
In his prayers and teachings during the battle narrative, Vṛtrāsura emphasizes God’s absolute sovereignty—showing that even death is under Bhagavān—so that one abandons false ego and takes shelter of the Lord.
Recognize that your abilities and lifespan are not fully under your control; act responsibly, but with humility and devotion, reducing anxiety and ego by remembering the Supreme as the real source of all power and outcomes.