162 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 7, Ch. 8
grastam—devoured by time; kiyat—insignificant; idam—this (world);
aho—alas; natha—O Lord; susriisatam—for those who are always
engaged in the service; te—of You; muktih—liberation from material
bondage; tesam—of them (the pure devotees); na—not; hi—indeed;
bahumataéa—thought very important; ndra-simha—O Lord
Nrsitnhadeva, half lion and half human being; aparaih kim—then what
is the use of other possessions.
TRANSLATION

King Indra said: O Supreme Lord, You are our deliverer and
protector. Our shares of sacrifices, which are actually Yours, have
been recovered from the demon by You. Because the demoniac
king Hiranyakasipu was most fearsome, our hearts, which are
Your permanent abode, were all overtaken by him. Now, by Your
presence, the gloom and darkness in our hearts have been dissi-
pated. O Lord, for those who always engage in Your service, which
is more exalted than liberation, all material opulence is insignifi-
cant. They do not even care for liberation, not to speak of the
benefits of kama, artha and dharma.

PURPORT

In this material world there are two kinds of people—the devatas
(demigods) and the asuras (demons). Although the demigods are at-
tached to material enjoyment, they are devotees of the Lord who act ac-
cording to the rules and regulations of the Vedic injunctions. During the
reign of Hiranyakasipu, everyone was disturbed in the routine duties of
Vedic civilization. When Hiranyakasipu was killed, all the demigods,
who had always been disturbed by Hiranyakasipu, felt relief in their
general way of life.

Because the government in Kali-yuga is full of demons, the living con-
ditions of devotees are always disturbed. Devotees cannot perform yajfa,
and thus they cannot partake of the remnants of food offered in yajra
for the worship of Lord Visnu. The hearts of the demigods are always
filled with fear of the demons, and therefore they cannot think of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. The engagement of the demigods is to
think of the Lord always within the cores of their hearts. The Lord says
in Bhagavad-gita (6.47):
