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Shloka 37

Prahlāda’s Prayers Pacify Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva

Prahlāda-stuti and the Lord’s Benediction Offer

तस्मै भवान्हयशिरस्तनुवं हि बिभ्रद् वेदद्रुहावतिबलौ मधुकैटभाख्यौ । हत्वानयच्छ्रुतिगणांश्च रजस्तमश्च सत्त्वं तव प्रियतमां तनुमामनन्ति ॥ ३७ ॥

tasmai bhavān haya-śiras tanuvaṁ hi bibhrad veda-druhāv atibalau madhu-kaiṭabhākhyau hatvānayac chruti-gaṇāṁś ca rajas tamaś ca sattvaṁ tava priyatamāṁ tanum āmananti

ຂ້າແຕ່ພຣະອົງຜູ້ເປັນທີ່ຮັກ ເມື່ອພຣະອົງປາກົດເປັນຫະຍະກຣີວະ ມີສີສະເປັນມ້າ ພຣະອົງໄດ້ປະຫານອະສູຣາຜູ້ລົບຫຼູ່ພຣະເວດ ຄື ມະທຸ ແລະ ໄກຕະພະ ຜູ້ເຕັມໄປດ້ວຍຣະຈັສ ແລະ ຕະມັສ. ແລ້ວພຣະອົງໄດ້ມອບຄືນບົດສຣຸຕິແຫ່ງພຣະເວດໃຫ້ແກ່ພຣະພຣົມ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນບັນດາລະສີໃຫຍ່ຈຶ່ງຍອມຮັບວ່າພຣະຮູບຂອງພຣະອົງເປັນເຫນືອຄຸນວັດຖຸ ບໍ່ປົນເປື້ອນດ້ວຍຄຸນສານ ເປັນຮູບແຫ່ງສຸດທະ-ສັດຕະວະ ອັນເປັນທີ່ຮັກຍິ່ງຂອງພຣະອົງ.

तस्मैto him
तस्मै:
सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Recipient)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formचतुर्थी (Dative/चतुर्थी), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग
भवान्you (honored Lord)
भवान्:
कर्ता (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootभवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक/आदरार्थ)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग (honorific ‘you’)
हय-शिरःHayagrīva (horse-headed one)
हय-शिरः:
सम्बोधन/विशेषण (appositive epithet of bhavān)
TypeNoun
Rootहय (प्रातिपदिक) + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—हयस्य शिरः यस्य सः (one whose head is that of a horse)
तन्वम्a body/form
तन्वम्:
कर्म (Object of bibhrad)
TypeNoun
Rootतनु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन
हिindeed
हि:
सम्बन्ध (emphasis)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (emphatic/causal particle)
बिभ्रत्bearing/assuming
बिभ्रत्:
कर्ता (agent; participial)
TypeVerb
Root√भृ (धातु)
Formवर्तमान-कृदन्त (present participle/शतृ), परस्मैपद; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
वेद-द्रुहौthe two who injured the Vedas
वेद-द्रुहौ:
कर्म (Objects of hatvā)
TypeNoun
Rootवेद (प्रातिपदिक) + द्रुह् (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-प्राय)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual); समासः—वेदस्य द्रुहौ (those who harm the Veda)
अति-बलौexceedingly strong (two)
अति-बलौ:
विशेषण (Qualifier of vedadruhau)
TypeAdjective
Rootअति (अव्यय) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; अव्ययीभावः—अत्यन्तं बलवन्तौ
मधु-कैटभ-आख्यौnamed Madhu and Kaiṭabha
मधु-कैटभ-आख्यौ:
सम्बन्ध/विशेषण (appositive naming)
TypeNoun
Rootमधु (प्रातिपदिक) + कैटभ (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; समासः—मधुकैटभ इति आख्या यस्य (named Madhu and Kaiṭabha)
हत्वाhaving killed
हत्वा:
पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (prior action)
TypeVerb
Root√हन् (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund): ‘having slain’
अनयत्brought/led (back)
अनयत्:
क्रिया (Verb)
TypeVerb
Root√नी (धातु)
Formलङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
श्रुति-गणान्the collections of Vedic revelations
श्रुति-गणान्:
कर्म (Object of anayat)
TypeNoun
Rootश्रुति (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), बहुवचन; समासः—श्रुतीनां गणाः (groups of śrutis/Vedas)
and
:
सम्बन्ध (coordination)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय (conjunction)
रजःrajas (passion)
रजः:
कर्म (Object of anayat; coordinated)
TypeNoun
Rootरजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन
तमःtamas (darkness)
तमः:
कर्म (Object of anayat; coordinated)
TypeNoun
Rootतमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
and
:
सम्बन्ध (coordination)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय (conjunction)
सत्त्वम्sattva (goodness)
सत्त्वम्:
कर्म (Object of āmananti—predicate object)
TypeNoun
Rootसत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
तवyour
तव:
सम्बन्ध (Genitive/possessor)
TypeNoun
Rootयुष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन
प्रियतमाम्most dear
प्रियतमाम्:
विशेषण (Qualifier of तनुम्)
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रियतम (प्रातिपदिक; superlative)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तमप्-प्रत्यय (superlative)
तनुम्form/body
तनुम्:
कर्म (Object of āmananti)
TypeNoun
Rootतनु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
आमनन्तिthey declare/call
आमनन्ति:
क्रिया (Verb)
TypeVerb
Root√मन् (धातु) आ +
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

The Supreme Personality of Godhead in His transcendental form is always ready to give protection to His devotees. As mentioned herein, the Lord in the form of Hayagrīva killed two demons named Madhu and Kaiṭabha when they attacked Lord Brahmā. Modern demons think that there was no life in the beginning of creation, but from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we understand that the first living creature created by the Supreme Personality of Godhead was Lord Brahmā, who is full of Vedic understanding. Unfortunately, those entrusted with distributing Vedic knowledge, such as the devotees engaged in spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, may sometimes be attacked by demons, but they must rest assured that demoniac attacks will not be able to harm them, for the Lord is always prepared to give them protection. The Vedas provide the knowledge by which we can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead ( vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ ). The devotees of the Lord are always ready to spread knowledge by which one may understand the Lord through Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but the demons, being unable to understand the Supreme Lord, are full of ignorance and passion. Thus the Lord, whose form is transcendental, is always ready to kill the demons. By culturing the mode of goodness, one can understand the position of the transcendental Lord and how the Lord is always prepared to remove all obstacles on the path of understanding Him.

H
Hayagrīva
M
Madhu
K
Kaiṭabha
B
Brahmā
L
Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva (Hari/Viṣṇu)

FAQs

In this verse, Prahlāda recalls that the Lord assumed the Hayagrīva form, killed Madhu and Kaiṭabha who had violated the Vedas, and restored the śruti—showing the Lord as the eternal protector of Vedic revelation.

Prahlāda is glorifying the same Supreme Lord who appeared as Nṛsiṁha by citing earlier divine deeds—especially the rescue of the Vedas—thereby praising the Lord’s guardianship of dharma and sacred knowledge.

The verse highlights purity (sattva) as dearest to the Lord; a devotee can cultivate it through truthful living, self-control, clean habits, and regular hearing/reading of sacred teachings that elevate the mind.