Varāha Confronts Hiraṇyākṣa: The Challenge, the Rescue of Earth, and the Opening of the Mace-Duel
श्रीभगवानुवाच सत्यं वयं भो वनगोचरा मृगा युष्मद्विधान्मृगये ग्रामसिंहान् । न मृत्युपाशै: प्रतिमुक्तस्य वीरा विकत्थनं तव गृह्णन्त्यभद्र ॥ १० ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca satyaṁ vayaṁ bho vana-gocarā mṛgā yuṣmad-vidhān mṛgaye grāma-siṁhān na mṛtyu-pāśaiḥ pratimuktasya vīrā vikatthanaṁ tava gṛhṇanty abhadra
Ang Personalidad ng Diyos ay nagsabi: Tunay nga, Kami ay mga nilalang ng gubat, at Kami ay naghahanap ng mga asong pangaso na tulad mo. Ang sinumang malaya mula sa pagkakabuhol ng kamatayan ay walang takot sa mga walang kwentang salita na iyong sinasabi, sapagkat ikaw ay nakatali sa mga batas ng kamatayan.
Demons and atheistic persons can go on insulting the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but they forget that they are subjected to the laws of birth and death. They think that simply by decrying the existence of the Supreme Lord or defying His stringent laws of nature, one can be freed from the clutches of birth and death. In Bhagavad-gītā it is said that simply by understanding the transcendental nature of God one can go back home, back to Godhead. But demons and atheistic persons do not try to understand the nature of the Supreme Lord; therefore they remain in the entanglement of birth and death.
This verse shows that the Lord dismisses empty bravado—true heroes do not respect the boasting of someone who has merely escaped death and speaks arrogantly.
Hiraṇyākṣa challenged and taunted the Lord; Varāha responds by exposing his false pride, calling him a “village-lion” and warning that such boasting is not honored by the truly brave.
Avoid performative confidence and ego-driven talk; let actions, integrity, and steadiness under pressure define strength rather than loud self-praise.