Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 6

Vīrabhadra Destroys Dakṣa’s Sacrifice

Dakṣa-yajña-vināśa

Devanagari script

अन्वीयमान: स तु रुद्रपार्षदै- र्भृशं नदद्‌भिर्व्यनदत्सुभैरवम् । उद्यम्य शूलं जगदन्तकान्तकं सम्प्राद्रवद् घोषणभूषणाङ्‌घ्रि: ॥ ६ ॥

Transliteration

anvīyamānaḥ sa tu rudra-pārṣadair bhṛśaṁ nadadbhir vyanadat subhairavam udyamya śūlaṁ jagad-antakāntakaṁ samprādravad ghoṣaṇa-bhūṣaṇāṅghriḥ

Translation

Rudras Gefolgsleute folgten ihm, laut schreiend und ein furchtbares Getöse erhebend. Er schwang einen schrecklichen Dreizack, der selbst den Tod töten könnte, und stürmte voran; die Spangen an seinen Beinen dröhnten wie ein Brüllen.

Synonyms

• anvīyamānaḥ: being followed
• anvīyamānaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu + i (इ धातु)
• Form: Present passive participle (शानच्), Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; ‘being followed’

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), adversative/emphatic

• rudra-pārṣadaiḥ: by Rudra’s attendants
• rudra-pārṣadaiḥ: Saha/Karaṇa (सह/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (रुद्र) + pārṣada (पार्षद प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘rudrasya pārṣadaiḥ’

• bhṛśam: greatly
• bhṛśam: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhṛśam (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• nadadbhiḥ: by (them) shouting
• nadadbhiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nad (नद् धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; ‘shouting/roaring’

• vyanadat: roared
• vyanadat: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nad (नद् धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada; with prefix vi-

• su-bhairavam: a very dreadful roar
• su-bhairavam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su (सु उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + bhairava (भैरव प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (as sound), Accusative (2nd), Singular; कर्मधारय: ‘ati-bhairavam’

• udyamya: having raised
• udyamya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud + yam (यम् धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-ल्यप्), ‘having lifted/raised’

• śūlam: trident/spear
• śūlam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūla (शूल प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• jagat-antaka-antakam: slayer of the world’s death (i.e., supreme destroyer of death)
• jagat-antaka-antakam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jagat (जगत्) + antaka (अन्तक) + antaka (अन्तक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; बहु-तत्पुरुष chain: ‘jagataḥ antakaḥ’ (death of the world) + ‘tasya antakaḥ’ (slayer of that death)

• samprādravat: ran forth
• samprādravat: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + pra + drav (द्रव् धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ghoṣaṇa-bhūṣaṇa-aṅghriḥ: he whose feet were adorned with sounding ornaments
• ghoṣaṇa-bhūṣaṇa-aṅghriḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghoṣaṇa (घोषण प्रातिपदिक) + bhūṣaṇa (भूषण प्रातिपदिक) + aṅghri (अङ्घ्रि प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; बहुव्रीहि: ‘ghoṣaṇāni bhūṣaṇāni yasya aṅghrī’ = ‘whose feet are adorned with anklets that sound’

Characters & Entities

• Vīrabhadra
• Rudra (Lord Śiva)
• Rudra-pārṣadas (Śiva’s attendants)

FAQs

Who is Vīrabhadra in the Srimad Bhagavatam and why does he appear?

Vīrabhadra is a fierce manifestation connected with Lord Śiva, appearing to punish Dakṣa’s sacrificial arena after the grievous offense and the tragedy involving Satī.

Why did Lord Śiva’s attendants (Rudra-pārṣadas) roar and charge into Dakṣa’s sacrifice?

They accompanied Vīrabhadra as an avenging force, expressing the unstoppable momentum of divine justice against arrogance and offenses committed at the yajña.

What is the practical lesson of this verse for modern life?

It warns against pride and disrespect toward saints and devotees, teaching that spiritual offense and ego-driven actions invite severe consequences, while humility protects one’s dharma.