Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 32
Indra Slays Namuci—The Limits of Power and the Triumph of Divine Strategy
न तस्य हि त्वचमपि वज्र ऊर्जितो बिभेद य: सुरपतिनौजसेरित: । तदद्भुतं परमतिवीर्यवृत्रभित् तिरस्कृतो नमुचिशिरोधरत्वचा ॥ ३२ ॥
na tasya hi tvacam api vajra ūrjito bibheda yaḥ sura-patinaujaseritaḥ tad adbhutaṁ param ativīrya-vṛtra-bhit tiraskṛto namuci-śirodhara-tvacā
El rey Indra arrojó su rayo con gran fuerza contra Namuci, pero ni siquiera pudo perforar su piel. Es asombroso que el célebre rayo que atravesó el cuerpo de Vṛtrāsura no lograra herir ni levemente la piel del cuello de Namuci.
FAQs
Because the demon was protected by an extraordinary, boon-like armor—described here as the skin that once covered Namuci’s head—so even Indra’s powerful vajra could not break through it.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī speaks this verse to Mahārāja Parīkṣit while narrating the Devas–Asuras battle in the Eighth Canto.
Even great power can be checked by unseen protections and past causes; the verse encourages humility, patience, and reliance on higher guidance rather than pride in one’s own strength.