Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 6

Indra Slays Namuci—The Limits of Power and the Triumph of Divine Strategy

Devanagari script

सोऽहं दुर्मायिनस्तेऽद्य वज्रेण शतपर्वणा । शिरो हरिष्ये मन्दात्मन्घटस्व ज्ञातिभि: सह ॥ ६ ॥

Transliteration

so ’haṁ durmāyinas te ’dya vajreṇa śata-parvaṇā śiro hariṣye mandātman ghaṭasva jñātibhiḥ saha

Translation

วันนี้ เราจะตัดหัวเจ้าออกจากร่างด้วยวัชระที่มีคมนับร้อย แม้เจ้าจะสร้างภาพมายาได้มากมาย แต่เจ้าก็มีปัญญาน้อยนิด จงพยายามเอาชีวิตรอดในสนามรบนี้พร้อมกับ ญาติมิตรของเจ้าเถิด

Synonyms

• saḥ: he / that (I)
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nominative, Singular (pronoun)

• durmāyinaḥ: of you, the wicked deceiver
• durmāyinaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dur-māyin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; ‘of the evil-trickster’

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (pronoun)

• adya: today / now
• adya: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: Temporal adverb (कालवाचक-अव्यय)

• vajreṇa: with the thunderbolt
• vajreṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vajra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• śata-parvaṇā: hundred-jointed
• śata-parvaṇā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक) + parvan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular; dvigu compound used adjectivally qualifying vajreṇa: ‘with the hundred-jointed (thunderbolt)’

• śiraḥ: head
• śiraḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• hariṣye: I shall take away / sever
• hariṣye: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √hṛ (हृ) (धातु)
• Form: Simple Future (लृट्), 1st person, Singular; parasmaipada

• manda-ātman: O dull-witted one!
• manda-ātman: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manda (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular; karmadhāraya: ‘mandaḥ ātmā yasya’ in address

• ghaṭasva: prepare yourself / make effort
• ghaṭasva: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ghaṭ (घट्) (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd person, Singular; ātmanepada

• jñātibhiḥ: with (your) kinsmen
• jñātibhiḥ: Sahakāraka (सह/साकं)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakāraka (सह/साकं)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: Prepositional indeclinable (सह-प्रयोग) governing instrumental

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Vṛtrāsura

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Indra’s thunderbolt (vajra) in the battle with Vritrasura?

In this verse Indra declares he will use the śatapārva vajra—his mighty thunderbolt weapon—to cut off Vṛtrāsura’s head, emphasizing the intensity of the Deva–Asura battle described in Canto 8.

Why did Indra speak so harshly to Vritrasura in Bhagavatam 8.11?

Indra addresses Vṛtrāsura as a deceitful enemy and challenges him to fight along with his allies, reflecting the immediate wartime context where the leaders of the two sides confront each other directly.

What is a practical lesson from this shloka for modern life?

The verse highlights decisive action and readiness in the face of conflict; in daily life, it can be applied as a call to face challenges directly rather than avoiding them—while still remembering that true dharma requires self-control and right intention.