Text 38] Mother Parvati Curses Citraketu 205

ways powerful, but a devotee does not wish to show his power unneces-
sarily. However, when a less intelligent person has some power, he wants
to use it for sense gratification. This is not the behavior of a devotee.

TEXT 38

HS ABSA aTaat aif:
a gaenant sealsaradga: 3c

Jajfie tvastur daksinagnau
danavirh yonim Gsritah

urtra ity abhivikhyato
Jfidna-vijfiana-samyutah

Jajne—was born: tvastuh—of the brahmana known as Tvasta; dak-
sina-agnau—in the fire sacrifice known as daksinégni; danavim—
demoniac; yonim—species of life; asritah—taking shelter of: vrtrah—
Vrtra; iti—thus; abhivikhyatah—celebrated; = jfna-vijridna-
samyutah—fully equipped with transcendental knowledge and practical
application of that knowledge in life.

TRANSLATION

Being cursed by mother Durga [Bhavani, the wife of Lord Siva],
that same Citraketu accepted birth in a demoniac species of life.
Although still fully equipped with transcendental knowledge and
practical application of that knowledge in life, he appeared as a
demon at the fire sacrifice performed by Tvasta, and thus he be-
came famous as Vrtrasura.

PURPORT

The word yont is generally understood to mean jati—family, group or
species. Although Vrtrasura appeared in a family of demons. it is clearly
said that his knowledge of spiritual life still existed. Jridna-vijnana-
samyutah: his spiritual knowledge and the practical application of that
knowledge in life were not lost. Therefore it is said that even if a devotee
falls down for some reason, he is still not lost.
