Shloka 23
Vṛtrāsura Rebukes Indra; Heroic Combat and the Asura’s Pure Devotional Prayers
त्रैवर्गिकायासविघातमस्मत्- पतिर्विधत्ते पुरुषस्य शक्र । ततोऽनुमेयो भगवत्प्रसादो यो दुर्लभोऽकिञ्चनगोचरोऽन्यै: ॥ २३ ॥
trai-vargikāyāsa-vighātam asmat- patir vidhatte puruṣasya śakra tato ’numeyo bhagavat-prasādo yo durlabho ’kiñcana-gocaro ’nyaiḥ
Ô Indra, notre Seigneur empêche Ses dévots de peiner en vain pour le dharma, l’artha et le kāma. On peut ainsi déduire combien le prasāda du Bhagavān est bienveillant. Une telle miséricorde n’est accessible qu’aux dévots purs, sans désir de gain matériel, et non à ceux qui le recherchent.
There are four objectives in human life — namely, religiosity ( dharma ), economic development ( artha ), sense gratification ( kāma ), and liberation ( mokṣa ) from the bondage of material existence. People generally aspire for religiosity, economic development and sense gratification, but a devotee has no other desire than to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead both in this life and in the next. The special mercy for the unalloyed devotee is that the Lord saves him from hard labor to achieve the results of religion, economic development and sense gratification. Of course, if one wants such benefits, the Lord certainly awards them. Indra, for example, although a devotee, was not much interested in release from material bondage; instead, he desired sense gratification and a high standard of material happiness in the heavenly planets. Vṛtrāsura, however, being an unalloyed devotee, aspired only to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore the Lord arranged for him to go back to Godhead after his bodily bondage was destroyed by Indra. Vṛtrāsura requested Indra to release his thunderbolt against him as soon as possible so that both he and Indra would benefit according to their proportionate advancement in devotional service.
FAQs
This verse says the Lord’s mercy (bhagavat-prasāda) is difficult for ordinary materially driven people to obtain, but it becomes reachable for the akiñcana—those who have no material shelter and depend only on Him.
Indra is addressed because the battle threatens his position and heavenly prosperity, which symbolize the struggle for dharma, artha, and kāma; the verse contrasts those aims with the higher reality of the Lord’s grace.
Practice reducing dependence on possessions and ego-based security, and increase dependence on God through sincere prayer, service, and simplicity—cultivating inner surrender rather than external accumulation.