Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 32

Varāha-avatāra: The Boar Incarnation Lifts the Earth and Slays Hiraṇyākṣa

Devanagari script

जघान रुन्धानमसह्यविक्रमं स लीलयेभं मृगराडिवाम्भसि । तद्रक्तपङ्काङ्कितगण्डतुण्डो यथा गजेन्द्रो जगतीं विभिन्दन् ॥ ३२ ॥

Transliteration

jaghāna rundhānam asahya-vikramaṁ sa līlayebhaṁ mṛgarāḍ ivāmbhasi tad-rakta-paṅkāṅkita-gaṇḍa-tuṇḍo yathā gajendro jagatīṁ vibhindan

Translation

Thereupon Lord Boar killed the demon within the water, just as a lion kills an elephant. The cheeks and tongue of the Lord became smeared with the blood of the demon, just as an elephant becomes reddish from digging in the purple earth.

Synonyms

• जघान: slew/struck down
• जघान: क्रिया (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• रुन्धानम्: obstructing, blocking
• रुन्धानम्: कर्म (Object qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुध् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त, शतृ-प्रत्यय, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• असह्य-विक्रमम्: of intolerable prowess
• असह्य-विक्रमम्: विशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असह्य (प्रातिपदिक) + विक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (असह्यः विक्रमः यस्य/असह्यविक्रमः)

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• लीलया: playfully, with ease
• लीलया: करण (Instrument/Mode)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• इभम्: the elephant (i.e., the foe)
• इभम्: कर्म (Object; apposition to daitya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• मृग-राट्: a lion
• मृग-राट्: उपमान (Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक) + राज्/राट् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मृगाणां राट् = king of beasts, lion)

• इव: like
• इव: उपमा (Simile marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमावाचक

• अम्भसि: in water
• अम्भसि: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तत्-रक्त-पङ्क-अङ्कित-गण्ड-तुण्डः: with cheeks and snout smeared by that bloody mud
• तत्-रक्त-पङ्क-अङ्कित-गण्ड-तुण्डः: कर्ता (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम) + रक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + पङ्क (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्कित (कृदन्त from अङ्क्) + गण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + तुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (तत्-रक्त-पङ्केन अङ्कितौ गण्डौ तुण्डं च यस्य = whose cheeks and snout were marked with that bloody mire)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: उपमा (Comparative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; यथोपमा/यथाविधि (as/just as)

• गजेन्द्रः: the lord of elephants
• गजेन्द्रः: उपमान (Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गजानां इन्द्रः)

• जगतीम्: the earth/ground
• जगतीम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• विभिन्दन्: splitting, breaking through
• विभिन्दन्: कर्ता (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु) + वि- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त, शतृ-प्रत्यय, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Characters & Entities

• Lord Varāha
• Hiraṇyākṣa

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam 3.13.32 say about Lord Varaha killing Hiranyaksha?

It describes how Lord Varāha, as a divine pastime, easily killed the obstructing demon Hiraṇyākṣa, emphasizing the Lord’s effortless supremacy and protection of dharma.

Why does the Bhagavatam compare the Lord to a lion killing an elephant in water?

The comparison highlights overwhelming dominance: even in a challenging setting (water), a lion can overcome an elephant—similarly, the Lord overcame a seemingly formidable enemy without strain.

Practical application: what can devotees learn from Varaha’s victory over an obstructing demon?

When obstacles seem “unbearable,” this verse reminds devotees to take shelter of the Lord, who can remove impediments to righteous living and spiritual progress with ease.