Text 9]
Vṛtrāsura's Glorious Death
223
lokāḥ sapālā yasyeme śvasanti vivaśā vaśe dvijā iva śicā baddhāḥ sa kāla iha kāraṇam
lokāḥ —the worlds;  sa-pālāḥ —with their chief deities or controllers;  yasya —of whom;  ime —all these;  śvasanti —live;  vivaśāḥ —fully dependent;  vaśe —under the control;  dvijāḥ —birds;  iva —like;  śicā —by a net;  baddhāḥ —bound;  saḥ —that;  kālaḥ —time factor;  iha —in this;  kāraṇam —the cause.
TRANSLATION
All living beings in all the planets of this universe, including the presiding deities of all the planets, are fully under the control of the Lord. They work like birds caught in a net, who cannot move independently.
PURPORT
The difference between the  suras  and the  asuras  is that the  suras  know that nothing can happen without the desire of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whereas the  asuras  cannot understand the supreme will of the Lord. In this fight, Vṛtrāsura is actually the  sura , whereas Indra is the  asura . No one can act independently; rather, everyone acts under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore victory and defeat come according to the results of one's  karma , and the judgment is given by the Supreme Lord ( karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa ). Since we act under the control of the Supreme according to our  karma , no one is independent, from Brahmā down to the insignificant ant. Whether we are defeated or victorious, the Supreme Lord is always victorious because everyone acts under His directions.
TEXT 9
ओजः सहो बलं प्राणममृतं मृत्युमेव च । तमज्ञाय जनो हेतुमात्मानं मन्यते जडम् ॥ ९ ॥
ojaḥ saho balaṁ prāṇam amṛtaṁ mṛtyum eva ca tam ajñāya jano hetum ātmānaṁ manyate jaḍam