Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 12
Varāha Confronts Hiraṇyākṣa: The Challenge, the Rescue of Earth, and the Opening of the Mace-Duel
त्वं पद्रथानां किल यूथपाधिपो घटस्व नोऽस्वस्तय आश्वनूह: । संस्थाप्य चास्मान् प्रमृजाश्रुस्वकानां य: स्वां प्रतिज्ञां नातिपिपर्त्यसभ्य: ॥ १२ ॥
tvaṁ pad-rathānāṁ kila yūthapādhipo ghaṭasva no ’svastaya āśv anūhaḥ saṁsthāpya cāsmān pramṛjāśru svakānāṁ yaḥ svāṁ pratijñāṁ nātipiparty asabhyaḥ
You are supposed to be the commander of many foot soldiers, and now you may take prompt steps to overthrow Us. Give up all your foolish talk and wipe out the cares of your kith and kin by slaying Us. One may be proud, yet he does not deserve a seat in an assembly if he fails to fulfill his promised word.
A demon may be a great soldier and commander of a large number of infantry, but in the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead he is powerless and is destined to die. The Lord, therefore, challenged the demon not to go away but to fulfill his promised word to kill Him.
FAQs
This verse shows Bhū-devī appealing to Lord Varāha to rescue and reassure His own, emphasizing that the Lord acts swiftly for the welfare of those who take shelter of Him.
During the Varāha-līlā narrative, the Earth is in distress and urges Lord Varāha to act quickly for her welfare and to console His devotees, invoking the principle that a noble protector fulfills his promise.
The verse highlights integrity: a respectable person completes what he has vowed. Practically, it teaches reliability—keeping commitments, protecting dependents, and acting promptly when others’ welfare is at stake.