136 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 7, Ch. 8
sa vikraman putra-vadhepsur ojasa
nisamya nirhradam apiirvam adbhutam
antah-sabhayam na dadarsa tat-padam
vitatrasur yena surari-yiitha-pah
sah—he (Hiranyakagipu); vikraman—exhibiting his prowess; putra-
vadha-ipsuh—desirous of killing his own son; ojasé—with great
strength; nisamya—hearing; nirhrédam—the fierce sound; apiirvam—
never heard before; adbhutam—very wonderful; antah-sabhayam—
within the jurisdiction of the great assembly; na—not; dadarsa—saw;
tat-padam—the source of that tumultuous sound; vitatraswh—became
afraid; yena—by which sound; sura-ari-yitha-pah—the other leaders
of the demons (not only Hiranyakaéipu).
TRANSLATION
While showing his extraordinary prowess, Hiranyakasipu, who
desired to kill his own son, heard that wonderful, tumultuous
sound, which had never before been heard. Upon hearing the
sound, the other leaders of the demons were afraid. None of them
could find the origin of that sound in the assembly.
PURPORT
In Bhagavad-gita (7.8), Krsna explains Himself by saying:
raso "ham apsu kaunteya
prabhasmi Sasi stiryayoh
pranavah sarva-vedesu
Sabdah khe paurusam nrsu
“O son of Kunti [Arjuna], I am the taste of water, the light of the sun
and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; | am the sound in
ether and ability in man.” Here the Lord exhibited His presence every-
where by the tumultuous sound in the sky (sabdah khe). The tumultuous
thundering sound was proof of the Lord’s presence. The demons like
Hiranyakasipu could now realize the supreme ruling power of the Lord,
and thus Hiranyakasipu became afraid. However powerful a man may
be, he always fears the sound of a thunderbolt. Similarly, Hiranyakasipu
