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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 4, Ch. 7]
सुरविद्विट्क्षपणैरुदायुधै- भुजदण्डैरुपपन्नमष्टमिः ॥३२॥
indra uvāca idam apy acyuta viśva-bhāvanam vapur ānanda-karam mano-dṛśām sura-vidviṭ-kṣapaṇair ud-āyudhair bhuja-daṇḍair upapannam aṣṭabhiḥ
indraḥ uvāca —King Indra said;  idam —this;  api —certainly;  acyuta —O infallible one;  viśva-bhāvanam —for the welfare of the universe;  vapuḥ —transcendental form;  ānanda-karam —a cause of pleasure;  manaḥ-dṛśām —to the mind and the eye;  sura-vidviṣ —envious of Your devotees;  kṣapaṇaiḥ —by punishment;  ud-āyudhaiḥ —with uplifted weapons;  bhuja-daṇḍaiḥ —with arms;  upapannam —possessed of;  aṣṭabhiḥ —with eight.
TRANSLATION
King Indra said:  My dear Lord, Your transcendental form with eight hands and weapons in each of them appears for the welfare of the entire universe, and it is very pleasing to the mind and eyes. In such a form Your Lordship is always prepared to punish the demons, who are envious of Your devotees.
PURPORT
It is generally understood from revealed scriptures that Lord Viṣṇu appears with four hands, but in this particular sacrificial arena Lord Viṣṇu arrived with eight hands. King Indra said, “Even though we are accustomed to see Your four-handed Viṣṇu form, still this appearance with eight hands is as real as the four-handed form.” As Lord Brahmā had said, to realize the transcendental form of the Lord is beyond the power of the senses. In reply to that statement of Brahmā, King Indra here says that even though the transcendental form of the Lord is not perceivable by the material senses, His activities and His transcendental form can be understood. The Lord’s uncommon features, uncommon activities and uncommon beauty can be perceived even by an ordinary man. For example, when Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared just like a six- or seven-year-old boy in Vṛndāvana, He was approached by the residents there. There were torrents of rain, and the Lord saved the residents of Vṛndāvana by lifting Govardhana Hill and