Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 1

Mohinī-mūrti Distributes Amṛta; Rāhu is Severed; Results Differ by Shelter

Devanagari script

श्रीशुक उवाच तेऽन्योन्यतोऽसुरा: पात्रं हरन्तस्त्यक्तसौहृदा: । क्षिपन्तो दस्युधर्माण आयान्तीं दद‍ृशु: स्त्रियम् ॥ १ ॥

Transliteration

śrī-śuka uvāca te ’nyonyato ’surāḥ pātraṁ harantas tyakta-sauhṛdāḥ kṣipanto dasyu-dharmāṇa āyāntīṁ dadṛśuḥ striyam

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī dijo: Entonces, los demonios se volvieron enemigos unos de otros. Arrojando y arrebatando el recipiente de néctar como ladrones, vieron acercarse a una mujer.

Synonyms

• śrī-śukaḥ: Śrī Śuka
• śrī-śukaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī + śuka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• te: they
• te: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• anyonyataḥ: from one another / mutually
• anyonyataḥ: Hetu/Source (अपादानार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyonya (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तसिल्-प्रत्यय; अव्ययीभावार्थ)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण), ablatival sense ‘from one another’ (तसिलन्त अव्यय)

• asurāḥ: the demons
• asurāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• pātram: the vessel
• pātram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• harantaḥ: carrying off / seizing
• harantaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hṛ (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (वर्तमानकाले शतृ), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); qualifying ‘asurāḥ’

• tyakta-sauhṛdāḥ: having cast off amity
• tyakta-sauhṛdāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tyakta (√tyaj, क्त-प्रत्यय) + sauhṛda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); ‘having abandoned friendship’ qualifying ‘asurāḥ’

• kṣipantaḥ: throwing / hurling
• kṣipantaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṣip (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (वर्तमानकाले शतृ), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); qualifying ‘asurāḥ’

• dasyu-dharmāṇaḥ: acting like bandits
• dasyu-dharmāṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dasyu + dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); ‘of robber-nature’ qualifying ‘asurāḥ’

• āyāntīm: coming
• āyāntīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + yā (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (वर्तमानकाले शतृ), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying ‘striyam’

• dadṛśuḥ: they saw
• dadṛśuḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• striyam: a woman
• striyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

Characters & Entities

• Śukadeva Gosvāmī
• Asuras
• Mohinī-mūrti (the approaching woman)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the nature of asuras when they obtain power or wealth?

This verse shows that asuras abandon friendship and act like plunderers—snatching, fighting, and behaving lawlessly—revealing how greed destroys unity and dharma.

Why did the demons start fighting over the nectar (amrita) after the churning of the ocean?

Because they gave up mutual goodwill (tyakta-sauhṛdāḥ) and became driven by selfish desire; thus, even the nectar became a cause of conflict rather than harmony.

Practical application: what is the modern-life lesson from the asuras snatching the vessel from one another?

When cooperation is replaced by envy and possessiveness, even valuable gains create chaos; cultivate goodwill, restraint, and ethical conduct to prevent success from turning into conflict.