Shloka 7

Nara-Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi and the Lord’s Unlimited Incarnations

Devanagari script

इन्द्रो विशङ्‍क्य मम धाम जिघृक्षतीति कामं न्ययुङ्क्त सगणं स बदर्युपाख्यम् । गत्वाप्सरोगणवसन्तसुमन्दवातै: स्त्रीप्रेक्षणेषुभिरविध्यदतन्महिज्ञ: ॥ ७ ॥

Transliteration

indro viśaṅkya mama dhāma jighṛkṣatīti kāmaṁ nyayuṅkta sa-gaṇaṁ sa badary-upākhyam gatvāpsaro-gaṇa-vasanta-sumanda-vātaiḥ strī-prekṣaṇeṣubhir avidhyad atan-mahi-jñaḥ

Translation

พระอินทร์หวาดหวั่น คิดว่านร-นารายณ์ฤๅษิจะทรงพลังยิ่งด้วยตบะอันเข้มข้นและยึดครองสวรรค์ของตน ดังนั้น โดยไม่รู้พระสิริอันเหนือโลกของอวตารแห่งพระผู้เป็นเจ้า พระอินทร์จึงส่งกามเทพพร้อมบริวารไปยังบทรพักตร์ที่บทรกาศรม ณ บทริกา ที่นั่นสายลมอ่อนหอมของฤดูใบไม้ผลิและหมู่อัปสราทำให้บรรยากาศเย้ายวน กามเทพจึงโจมตีพระองค์ด้วยศรคือสายตาอันยากต้านของสตรีงาม

Synonyms

• indraḥ: Indra
• indraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• viśaṅkya: suspecting
• viśaṅkya: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√śaṅk (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having suspected’

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• dhāma: abode
• dhāma: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• jighṛkṣati: wants to seize
• jighṛkṣati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √grah (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; इच्छार्थक-प्रयोग (desiderative sense: ‘wants to seize’)

• iti: thinking/that
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-उक्त्यर्थक

• kāmam: Kāma (Cupid)
• kāmam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; देवता-नाम (Kāma)

• nyayuṅkta: deployed/assigned
• nyayuṅkta: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√yuj (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• sa-gaṇam: together with his retinue
• sa-gaṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/सह) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः (सगणम् = गणेन सह)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• badarī-upākhyam: (place) called Badarī
• badarī-upākhyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: badarī (प्रातिपदिक) + upākhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (बदर्या उपाख्यम्—नाम)

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having gone’

• apsaraḥ-gaṇa-vasanta-sumanda-vātaiḥ: with hosts of apsarases, spring, and gentle breezes
• apsaraḥ-gaṇa-vasanta-sumanda-vātaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apsaras (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + vasanta (प्रातिपदिक) + su-manda (प्रातिपदिक) + vāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (अप्सरोगणः+वसन्तः+सुमन्दवाताः)

• strī-prekṣaṇa-iṣubhiḥ: with arrows of women’s glances
• strī-prekṣaṇa-iṣubhiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक) + prekṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + iṣu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (स्त्रीणां प्रेक्षणानि इव इषवः)

• avidhyat: pierced/struck
• avidhyat: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√vyadh (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• atan-mahi-jñaḥ: one ignorant of his (the Lord’s) greatness
• atan-mahi-jñaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-tat (निषेध) + mahī (प्रातिपदिक) + jña (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √jñā धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (तत्-महिमानं न जानाति इति)

Purport

This verse and the following nine verses illustrate the Personality of Godhead’s opulence of supreme renunciation. The word atan-mahi-jñaḥ, “not understanding the glories of the Lord,” indicates that King Indra was placing the Personality of Godhead on the same level as he himself, considering the Lord an ordinary enjoyer who would be attracted by mundane sex life. Indra’s plot to cause the falldown of Nara-Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi could not affect the Lord, but it reveals the shortsightedness of Indra himself. Because Indra is attached to his heavenly kingdom, he took it for granted that the Supreme Lord was performing austerities to acquire such flickering phantasmagoria as the kingdom of heaven ( tridaśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate ).

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Kāma (Cupid)
• Apsarās
• The sage at Badarī (Badarikāśrama)

FAQs

Why does Indra try to disturb sages in the Srimad Bhagavatam?

This verse shows Indra’s fear that a powerful ascetic might “take his position,” so he uses Kāma and apsarās to disrupt the sage’s austerity and spiritual strength.

Who is speaking this verse in Bhagavatam 11.4.7?

Śukadeva Gosvāmī speaks this verse while narrating how Indra, out of suspicion, sent Cupid and apsarās to Badarī to tempt the sage.

How can this teaching be applied in modern life when facing temptation?

The verse highlights that temptation often targets one’s spiritual focus; practical application is to strengthen discipline and devotion, avoid provocative environments, and keep the mind anchored in higher purpose.