Shloka 40
Viśvarūpa’s Death, Vṛtrāsura’s Manifestation, and the Devas’ Surrender to Nārāyaṇa
त्रिभुवनात्मभवन त्रिविक्रम त्रिनयन त्रिलोकमनोहरानुभाव तवैव विभूतयो दितिजदनुजादयश्चापि तेषामुपक्रमसमयोऽयमिति स्वात्ममायया सुरनरमृगमिश्रित जलचराकृतिभिर्यथापराधं दण्डं दण्डधर दधर्थ एवमेनमपि भगवञ्जहि त्वाष्ट्रमुत यदि मन्यसे ॥ ४० ॥
tri-bhuvanātma-bhavana trivikrama tri-nayana tri-loka-manoharānubhāva tavaiva vibhūtayo ditija-danujādayaś cāpi teṣām upakrama-samayo ’yam iti svātma-māyayā sura-nara-mṛga-miśrita-jalacarākṛtibhir yathāparādhaṁ daṇḍaṁ daṇḍa-dhara dadhartha evam enam api bhagavañ jahi tvāṣṭram uta yadi manyase.
O Herr, Seele und Wohnstatt der drei Welten, Trivikrama, der Dreiaugige, der Entzückende der drei Lokas! Götter, Menschen, Daityas und Dānavas sind nur Ausweitungen Deiner Energie. Wenn die Unrechtschaffenen mächtig werden, erscheinst Du durch Deine Yogamāyā als Deva, Mensch, Tier, Mischinkarnation oder Wasserwesen und verhängst Strafe gemäß der Schuld. Darum, o Bhagavān, wenn Du es willst, töte heute Vṛtrāsura, den Sohn Tvaṣṭās.
There are two kinds of devotees, known as sakāma and akāma. Pure devotees are akāma, whereas devotees in the upper planetary systems, such as the demigods, are called sakāma because they still want to enjoy material opulence. Because of their pious activities, the sakāma devotees are promoted to the higher planetary systems, but at heart they still desire to lord it over the material resources. The sakāma devotees are sometimes disturbed by the demons and Rākṣasas, but the Lord is so kind that He always saves them by appearing as an incarnation. The Lord’s incarnations are so powerful that Lord Vāmanadeva covered the entire universe with two steps and therefore had no place for His third step. The Lord is called Trivikrama because He showed His strength by delivering the entire universe with merely three steps.
FAQs
This verse states that the Lord administers punishment “yathāparādham”—exactly according to the offense—by appearing through His own potency in various forms to restrain wrongdoing and protect cosmic order.
In the battle context, Indra appeals to the Lord as the cosmic judge who subdues destructive forces at the proper time, and he asks that Vṛtrāsura be dealt with similarly if the Lord considers it necessary.
The shloka encourages trust in divine moral order: act responsibly, avoid offenses, and remember that consequences align with actions—while seeking the Lord’s guidance rather than acting from ego or fear.