Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 6
Indra Slays Namuci—The Limits of Power and the Triumph of Divine Strategy
सोऽहं दुर्मायिनस्तेऽद्य वज्रेण शतपर्वणा । शिरो हरिष्ये मन्दात्मन्घटस्व ज्ञातिभि: सह ॥ ६ ॥
so ’haṁ durmāyinas te ’dya vajreṇa śata-parvaṇā śiro hariṣye mandātman ghaṭasva jñātibhiḥ saha
Heute werde ich mit meinem Donnerkeil, der Hunderte von scharfen Kanten hat, deinen Kopf vom Rumpf trennen. Obwohl du durch Illusion so viel Gaukelei erzeugen kannst, verfügst du nur über geringes Wissen. Versuche nun, zusammen mit deinen Verwandten auf diesem Schlachtfeld zu überleben.
FAQs
In this verse Indra declares he will use the śatapārva vajra—his mighty thunderbolt weapon—to cut off Vṛtrāsura’s head, emphasizing the intensity of the Deva–Asura battle described in Canto 8.
Indra addresses Vṛtrāsura as a deceitful enemy and challenges him to fight along with his allies, reflecting the immediate wartime context where the leaders of the two sides confront each other directly.
The verse highlights decisive action and readiness in the face of conflict; in daily life, it can be applied as a call to face challenges directly rather than avoiding them—while still remembering that true dharma requires self-control and right intention.