Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 14

Varāha Confronts Hiraṇyākṣa: The Challenge, the Rescue of Earth, and the Opening of the Mace-Duel

Devanagari script

सृजन्नमर्षित: श्वासान्मन्युप्रचलितेन्द्रिय: । आसाद्य तरसा दैत्यो गदयान्यहनद्धरिम् ॥ १४ ॥

Transliteration

sṛjann amarṣitaḥ śvāsān manyu-pracalitendriyaḥ āsādya tarasā daityo gadayā nyahanad dharim

Translation

Zischend vor Empörung, von Zorn in allen Sinnen erschüttert, stürzte der Dämon eilends auf den Herrn Hari zu und versetzte Ihm einen Schlag mit seiner mächtigen Keule.

Synonyms

• सृजन्: emitting/letting out
• सृजन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्तः शतृ-प्रत्ययान्तः (present active participle), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; from √सृज् ‘to emit/let out’

• अमर्षितः: enraged
• अमर्षितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमर्षित (प्रातिपदिक; अमर्ष + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्; ‘angered/indignant’

• श्वासान्: breaths
• श्वासान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम् (accusative plural)

• मन्यु-प्रचलित-इन्द्रियः: with senses driven by wrath
• मन्यु-प्रचलित-इन्द्रियः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रचलित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः; ‘whose senses are set in motion by anger’

• आसाद्य: having approached
• आसाद्य: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund/absolutive) from √सद् with उपसर्ग आ-; ‘having approached/attacked’

• तरसा: with speed/force
• तरसा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम् (instrumental singular); अव्ययीभावार्थे ‘with force/rapidly’

• दैत्यः: the demon
• दैत्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• गदया: with a mace
• गदया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम् (instrumental singular)

• न्यहनत्: struck
• न्यहनत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + हन् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (imperfect/past), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः एकवचनम्; √हन् ‘to strike/kill’ with उपसर्ग नि-

• हरिम्: Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (accusative singular)

Characters & Entities

• Hiraṇyākṣa
• Hari (Lord Varāha)

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 3 say about Hiranyaksha’s anger in the Varaha Leela?

This verse shows Hiraṇyākṣa becoming violently enraged—his senses shaken by fury—then rushing in to strike Lord Hari with a mace, highlighting demonic aggression against the Lord.

Why does Hiranyaksha attack Lord Hari (Varaha) in Bhagavatam 3.18?

In the narrative of Canto 3, Chapter 18, Hiraṇyākṣa challenges the Lord who has come to rescue the earth; driven by pride and hostility to dharma, he confronts and attacks Varāha.

What is a practical takeaway from this shloka for modern life?

Unchecked anger agitates the senses and drives reckless action; the verse encourages cultivating self-control and dharmic restraint rather than acting from rage.