Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 32
Indra Slays Namuci—The Limits of Power and the Triumph of Divine Strategy
Devanagari script
न तस्य हि त्वचमपि वज्र ऊर्जितो बिभेद य: सुरपतिनौजसेरित: । तदद्भुतं परमतिवीर्यवृत्रभित् तिरस्कृतो नमुचिशिरोधरत्वचा ॥ ३२ ॥
Transliteration
na tasya hi tvacam api vajra ūrjito bibheda yaḥ sura-patinaujaseritaḥ tad adbhutaṁ param ativīrya-vṛtra-bhit tiraskṛto namuci-śirodhara-tvacā
Translation
天帝因陀罗以巨力掷出金刚杵击向那牟支，却连他的皮肤也无法刺穿。真是奇异：那曾洞穿弗利陀罗阿修罗之身的著名金刚杵，竟连那牟支颈项之皮也不能稍伤。
Synonyms
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation scope)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)
tasyaof him
tasya:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (contextual)
hiindeed
hi:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/discourse particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothi (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/खल्वर्थ (indeed/for)
tvacamskin
tvacam:
Karma (कर्म/object)
TypeNoun
Roottvac (त्वच्-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)
apieven
api:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle), अपि = even/also
vajraḥthe thunderbolt
vajraḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootvajra (वज्र-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)
ūrjitaḥmighty
ūrjitaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootūrjita (ऊर्जित-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective) of वज्रः
bibhedasplit/pierced
bibheda:
Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootbhid (भिद्-धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)
yaḥwhich/that (thunderbolt)
yaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/relative subject)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (यद्-सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)
sura-pati-naujasā-īritaḥimpelled by the strength of the lord of the gods (Indra)
sura-pati-naujasā-īritaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/qualifier of यः/वज्रः)
TypeAdjective
Rootsura (सुर-प्रातिपदिक) + pati (पति-प्रातिपदिक) + naujas (नौजस्-प्रातिपदिक) + īrita (ईरित-प्रातिपदिक, √īr प्रेरणे)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) ईरितः = प्रेरितः; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष: नौजसा (by the strength) + ईरितः; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: सुरपतिः (lord of gods) + नौजस् (strength)
tatthat
tat:
Karta (कर्ता/subject of implied 'was')
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)
adbhutamwonderful
adbhutam:
Karta (कर्ता/qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootadbhuta (अद्भुत-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण of तत्
paramasupreme
parama:
Karta (कर्ता/qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootparama (परम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective) of वृत्रभित्
ativīrya-vṛtra-bhitthe very powerful slayer of Vṛtra (Indra)
ativīrya-vṛtra-bhit:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootati (अति-अव्यय) + vīrya (वीर्य-प्रातिपदिक) + vṛtra (वृत्र-प्रातिपदिक) + bhid (भिद्-धातु; भित्-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); भित् = कृदन्त (agent noun) 'splitter'; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: वृत्रस्य भित् (slayer of Vṛtra); कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-पूर्वपद: अतिवीर्य (very powerful) as qualifier
tiraskṛtaḥrepulsed/foiled
tiraskṛtaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/qualifier of वृत्रभित्)
TypeAdjective
Roottiraskṛta (तिरस्कृत-प्रातिपदिक; √kṛ with तिरस्)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) = 'having been repelled/foiled'
namuci-śirodhara-tvacāby the skin of Namuci’s neck/head
namuci-śirodhara-tvacā:
Karana (करण/instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootnamuci (नमुचि-प्रातिपदिक) + śiras (शिरस्-प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (धर-प्रातिपदिक) + tvac (त्वच्-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: नमुचेः (of Namuci) + शिरोधरत्वचा (skin of the neck/head-bearer); शिरोधर = कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (bearing the head/neck)
Characters & Entities
I
IndraV
VṛtraN
NamuciFAQs
Because the demon was protected by an extraordinary, boon-like armor—described here as the skin that once covered Namuci’s head—so even Indra’s powerful vajra could not break through it.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī speaks this verse to Mahārāja Parīkṣit while narrating the Devas–Asuras battle in the Eighth Canto.
Even great power can be checked by unseen protections and past causes; the verse encourages humility, patience, and reliance on higher guidance rather than pride in one’s own strength.