Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 6
Uddhava Recalls Kṛṣṇa’s Mission: Earth’s Burden, Royal Dharma, and the Prelude to Dvārakā’s Withdrawal
सुतं मृधे खं वपुषा ग्रसन्तं दृष्ट्वा सुनाभोन्मथितं धरित्र्या । आमन्त्रितस्तत्तनयाय शेषं दत्त्वा तदन्त:पुरमाविवेश ॥ ६ ॥
sutaṁ mṛdhe khaṁ vapuṣā grasantaṁ dṛṣṭvā sunābhonmathitaṁ dharitryā āmantritas tat-tanayāya śeṣaṁ dattvā tad-antaḥ-puram āviveśa
Narakāsura, der Sohn Dharitrīs, der Erde, wollte den ganzen Himmel verschlingen; darum erschlug ihn der Herr im Kampf. Da flehte seine Mutter, die Erde, den Herrn an; Er gab das verbleibende Reich dem Sohn Narakāsuras zurück und trat in den inneren Palast des Dämons ein.
It is said in other Purāṇas that Narakāsura was the son of Dharitrī, the earth, by the Lord Himself. But he became a demon due to the bad association of Bāṇa, another demon. An atheist is called a demon, and it is a fact that even a person born of good parents can turn into a demon by bad association. Birth is not always the criterion of goodness; unless and until one is trained in the culture of good association, one cannot become good.
FAQs
This verse depicts Sudarśana (Sunābha) as so forceful that its motion churns the earth itself, showing it as the Lord’s irresistible instrument for protecting dharma.
After witnessing the battle’s intensity, the Lord called Garuḍa’s son and entrusted him with what remained to be done—illustrating how divine service is delegated within the Lord’s personal associates.
Do your duty sincerely, but remember protection and final outcomes rest with the Supreme; when responsibility is rightly handed over, one can act without panic and with faith.