216
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 6, Ch. 12]
TEXT 1
श्रीऋषिरुवाच
एवं जिहासुर्नृप देहमाजौ
मृत्युं वरं विजयान्मन्यमानः ।
शूलं प्रगृह्याभ्यपतत् सुरेन्द्रं
यथा महापुरुषं कैटभोऽप्सु ॥ १ ॥
śrī-ṛṣīr uvāca
evam jihāsur nṛpa deham ājau
mṛtyum varam vijayān manyamānaḥ
śūlam pragṛhyābhyapatat surendram
yathā mahā-puruṣam kaiṭabho 'psu
śrī-ṛṣīḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; evam—thus; jihāsuḥ—very eager to give up; nṛpa—O King Parikṣit; deham—the body; ājau—in battle; mṛtyum—death; varam—better; vijayāt—than victory; manyamānaḥ—thinking; śūlam—trident; pragṛhya—taking up; abhyapatat—attacked; sura-indram—the King of heaven, Indra; yathā—just as; mahā-puruṣam—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kaiṭabhaḥ—the demon Kaiṭabha; apsu—when the whole universe was inundated.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Desiring to give up his body, Vṛtrāsura considered death in the battle preferable to victory. O King Parikṣit, he vigorously took up his trident and with great force attacked Lord Indra, the King of heaven, just as Kaiṭabha had forcefully attacked the Supreme Personality of Godhead when the universe was inundated.
PURPORT
Although Vṛtrāsura repeatedly encouraged Indra to kill him with the thunderbolt, King Indra was morose at having to kill such a great devotee and was hesitant to throw it. Vṛtrāsura, disappointed that King Indra