Chapter Eight
The Churning of the Milk Ocean
TEXT 30
athāsīd vāruṇī devī
kanyā kamala-locanā
asurā jagṛhus tāṁ vai
harer anumatena te
SYNONYMS
atha—thereafter (after the appearance of the goddess of fortune); āsīt—there was; vāruṇī—Vāruṇī; devī—the demigoddess who controls drunkards; kanyā—a young girl; kamala-locanā—lotus-eyed; asurāḥ—the demons; jagṛhuḥ—accepted; tām—her; vai—indeed; hareḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; anumatena—by the order; te—they (the demons).
TRANSLATION
Next appeared Vāruṇī, the lotus-eyed goddess who controls drunkards. With the permission of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, the demons, headed by Bali Mahārāja, took possession of this young girl.
TEXT 31
athodadher mathyamānāt
kāśyapair amṛtārthibhiḥ
udatiṣṭhan mahārāja
puruṣaḥ paramādbhutaḥ
SYNONYMS
atha—thereafter; udadheḥ—from the ocean of milk; mathyamānāt—while being churned; kāśyapaiḥ—by the sons of Kaśyapa, namely the demigods and the demons; amṛta-arthibhiḥ—anxious to get nectar from the churning; udatiṣṭhat—there appeared; mahārāja—O King; puruṣaḥ—a male person; parama—highly; adbhutaḥ—wonderful.
TRANSLATION
O King, thereafter, while the sons of Kaśyapa, both demons and demigods, were engaged in churning the ocean of milk, a very wonderful male person appeared.
TEXT 32
dīrgha-pīvara-dor-daṇḍaḥ
kambu-grīvo ’ruṇekṣaṇaḥ
śyāmalas taruṇaḥ sragvī
sarvābharaṇa-bhūṣitaḥ
SYNONYMS
dīrgha—long; pīvara—stout and strong; doḥ-daṇḍaḥ—the arms; kambu—like a conchshell; grīvaḥ—the neck; aruṇa-īkṣaṇaḥ—reddish eyes; śyāmalaḥ—blackish complexion; taruṇaḥ—very young; sragvī—wearing a flower garland; sarva—all; ābharaṇa—with ornaments; bhūṣitaḥ—decorated.
TRANSLATION
He was strongly built; his arms were long, stout and strong; his neck, which was marked with three lines, resembled a conchshell; his eyes were reddish; and his complexion was blackish. He was very young, he was garlanded with flowers, and his entire body was fully decorated with various ornaments.
TEXT 33
pīta-vāsā mahoraskaḥ
sumṛṣṭa-maṇi-kuṇḍalaḥ
snigdha-kuñcita-keśānta-
subhagaḥ siṁha-vikramaḥ
amṛtāpūrṇa-kalasaṁ
bibhrad valaya-bhūṣitaḥ
SYNONYMS
pīta-vāsāḥ—wearing yellow garments; mahā-uraskaḥ—his chest very broad; su-mṛṣṭa-maṇi-kuṇḍalaḥ—whose earrings were well polished and made of pearls; snigdha—polished; kuñcita-keśa—curling hair; anta—at the end; su-bhagaḥ—separated and beautiful; siṁha-vikramaḥ—strong like a lion; amṛta—with nectar; āpūrṇa—filled to the top; kalasam—a jar; bibhrat—moving; valaya—with bangles; bhūṣitaḥ—decorated.
TRANSLATION
He was dressed in yellow garments and wore brightly polished earrings made of pearls. The tips of his hair were anointed with oil, and his chest was very broad. His body had all good features, he was stout and strong like a lion, and he was decorated with bangles. In his hand he carried a jug filled to the top with nectar.
TEXT 34
sa vai bhagavataḥ sākṣād
viṣṇor aṁśāṁśa-sambhavaḥ
dhanvantarir iti khyāta
āyur-veda-dṛg ijya-bhāk
SYNONYMS
saḥ—he; vai—indeed; bhagavataḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sākṣāt—directly; viṣṇoḥ—of Lord Viṣṇu; aṁśa-aṁśa-sambhavaḥ—incarnation of the plenary portion of a plenary portion; dhanvantariḥ—Dhanvantari; iti—thus; khyātaḥ—celebrated; āyuḥ-veda-dṛk—fully conversant in the medical science; ijya-bhāk—one of the demigods eligible to share the benefits of sacrifices.
TRANSLATION
This person was Dhanvantari, a plenary portion of a plenary portion of Lord Viṣṇu. He was very conversant with the science of medicine, and as one of the demigods he was permitted to take a share in sacrifices.
PURPORT
Śrīla Madhvācārya remarks:
teṣāṁ satyāc cālanārthaṁ
harir dhanvantarir vibhuḥ
samartho ’py asurāṇāṁ tu
sva-hastād amucat sudhām
Dhanvantari, who was carrying the jug containing nectar, was a plenary incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but although he was very strong, the asuras were able to take the jug of nectar from his hands.
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