Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 7
Dhruva Uses the Nārāyaṇāstra; Manu Checks His Wrath and Teaches Dharma
मनुरुवाच अलं वत्सातिरोषेण तमोद्वारेण पाप्मना । येन पुण्यजनानेतानवधीस्त्वमनागस: ॥ ७ ॥
manur uvāca alaṁ vatsātiroṣeṇa tamo-dvāreṇa pāpmanā yena puṇya-janān etān avadhīs tvam anāgasaḥ
摩奴主说：我亲爱的儿子，请停下来。不必要地发怒是不好的——那是通往地狱生活之路。你现在杀戮那些实际上并非罪犯的夜叉，已经越过了界限。
In this verse the word atiroṣeṇa means “with unnecessary anger.” When Dhruva Mahārāja went beyond the limits of necessary anger, his grandfather, Svāyambhuva Manu, immediately came to protect him from further sinful action. From this we can understand that killing is not bad, but when killing is done unnecessarily or when an offenseless person is killed, such killing opens the path to hell. Dhruva Mahārāja was saved from such sinful action because he was a great devotee.
FAQs
This verse warns that uncontrolled anger is a sinful force that becomes a “doorway to darkness” (tamas), leading one to harmful, irreligious actions.
Dhruva, enraged after his brother’s death, was destroying the Yakṣas indiscriminately; Manu intervened to stop the violence and restore dharma by protecting the innocent.
Pause before acting in anger, verify facts instead of blaming groups, and choose restraint and justice over revenge—so emotions do not push you into harmful, regrettable decisions.