Shloka 9
अमरेषु ममावज्ञा जायते दैत्यपुंगवाः हास्यं मे जायते वीरास् तेषु यत्नपरेष्व् अपि
amareṣu mamāvajñā jāyate daityapuṃgavāḥ hāsyaṃ me jāyate vīrās teṣu yatnapareṣv api
O foremost of the Daityas—when I behold the gods, contempt rises in me; and, O heroes, even when they strain with all their effort, laughter comes to me at their striving.
A Daitya/Asura leader addressing fellow Daityas (as reported in the Purāṇic narration)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: The pride of daityas/kings and their hostility to the devas
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: revealing
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: Krishna exposes and ultimately neutralizes the arrogance that mocks the devas and destabilizes dharma.
Leela: Loka-rakshana
Dharma Restored: Respect for cosmic administrators (devas) and the moral order they uphold under Vishnu’s sovereignty
Concept: Derision of the devas signifies tamasic pride; contempt for dharmic order precedes downfall.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Watch for arrogance that mocks others’ sincere effort; cultivate humility and reverence for moral order and its stewards.
Vishishtadvaita: Devas function as organs of the Lord’s cosmic body; scorning them is scorning the Lord’s governance of the world.
Vishnu Form: Hari
FAQs
This verse frames the conflict as not merely military but moral: contempt for the Devas signals an asuric stance that opposes dharma and the cosmic order ultimately upheld by Vishnu.
By showing an Asura leader laughing at the Devas even when they strive, the text highlights hubris—mistaking temporary strength for ultimate sovereignty, which in Purāṇic theology belongs to Vishnu alone.
Even when Vishnu is not named in the line, the narrative logic assumes that true supremacy and victory depend on Vishnu’s sustaining order; asuric derision is portrayed as opposition to that supreme reality.