Shloka 16
Dadhīci’s Supreme Charity and the Opening of Indra’s War with Vṛtrāsura
तत: सुराणामसुरै रण: परमदारुण: । त्रेतामुखे नर्मदायामभवत्प्रथमे युगे ॥ १६ ॥
tataḥ surāṇām asurai raṇaḥ parama-dāruṇaḥ tretā-mukhe narmadāyām abhavat prathame yuge
അതിനുശേഷം സത്യയുഗത്തിന്റെ അവസാനും ത്രേതായുഗത്തിന്റെ ആരംഭവും ആയപ്പോൾ, നർമദാ തീരത്ത് ദേവന്മാരും അസുരന്മാരും തമ്മിൽ അത്യന്തം ഭീകരമായ യുദ്ധം നടന്നു.
Herein the Narmadā does not mean the Narmadā River in India. The five sacred rivers in India — Gaṅgā, Yamunā, Narmadā, Kāverī and Kṛṣṇā — are all celestial. Like the Ganges River, the Narmadā River also flows in the higher planetary systems. The battle between the demigods and the demons took place in the higher planets.
FAQs
This verse states that the fierce battle occurred at the mouth of the Narmadā River.
The verse situates the event within sacred cosmic time, indicating it occurred in the first age-cycle, at the beginning of Tretā-yuga, to frame the narrative historically within the yuga system.
The Bhāgavatam uses such conflicts to highlight the ongoing struggle between dharma and adharma—encouraging one to choose discipline, devotion, and righteousness even amid intense opposition.