Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 32
Indra Slays Namuci—The Limits of Power and the Triumph of Divine Strategy
न तस्य हि त्वचमपि वज्र ऊर्जितो बिभेद य: सुरपतिनौजसेरित: । तदद्भुतं परमतिवीर्यवृत्रभित् तिरस्कृतो नमुचिशिरोधरत्वचा ॥ ३२ ॥
na tasya hi tvacam api vajra ūrjito bibheda yaḥ sura-patinaujaseritaḥ tad adbhutaṁ param ativīrya-vṛtra-bhit tiraskṛto namuci-śirodhara-tvacā
König Indra schleuderte seinen Vajra mit gewaltiger Kraft auf Namuci, doch er vermochte nicht einmal dessen Haut zu durchdringen. Wunderbar ist es, dass der berühmte Vajra, der den Leib Vṛtrāsuras durchbohrte, die Haut an Namucis Hals nicht einmal geringfügig verletzen konnte.
FAQs
Because the demon was protected by an extraordinary, boon-like armor—described here as the skin that once covered Namuci’s head—so even Indra’s powerful vajra could not break through it.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī speaks this verse to Mahārāja Parīkṣit while narrating the Devas–Asuras battle in the Eighth Canto.
Even great power can be checked by unseen protections and past causes; the verse encourages humility, patience, and reliance on higher guidance rather than pride in one’s own strength.