← Canto 2: The Cosmic Manifestation

Chapter 7: Scheduled Incarnations with Specific Functions

Verse 29 of 50
SB 2.7.29

तत्कर्म दिव्यमिव यन्निशि निःशयानं दावाग्निना शुचिवने परिदह्यमाने उन्नेष्यति व्रजमतो ऽवसितान्तकालं नेत्रे पिधाप्य सबलो ऽनधिगम्यवीर्यः

tat karma divyam iva yan niśi niḥśayānaṁ dāvāgninā śuci-vane paridahyamāne unneṣyati vrajam ato 'vasitānta-kālaṁ netre pidhāpya sabalo 'nadhigamya-vīryaḥ

Synonyms

tatthat; karmaactivity; divyamsuperhuman; ivalike; yatwhich; niśiat night; niḥśayānamsleeping carefreely; dāva-agnināby the flare of the forest fire; śuci-vanein the dry forest; paridahyamānebeing set ablaze; unneṣyatiwould deliver; vrajamall the inhabitants of Vraja; ataḥhence; avasitasurely; anta-kālamlast moments of life; netreon the eyes; pidhāpyasimply by closing; sabalaḥalong with Baladeva; anadhigamyaunfathomable; vīryaḥprowess..

Translation

On the very night of the day of the chastisement of the Kāliya snake, when the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi were sleeping carefreely, there was a forest fire ablaze due to dry leaves, and it appeared that all the inhabitants were sure to meet their death. But the Lord, along with Balarāma, saved them simply by closing His eyes. Such are the superhuman activities of the Lord.

Purport

Although in this verse the Lord's activity has been described as superhuman, it should be noted that the Lord's activities are always superhuman, and that distinguishes Him from the ordinary living being. Uprooting a gigantic banyan or arjuna tree and extinguishing a blazing forest fire simply by closing one's eyes are certainly impossible by any kind of human endeavor. But not only are these activities amazing to hear, but in fact all other activities of the Lord, whatever He may do, are all superhuman, as is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (Bg. 4.9). And whoever knows the superhuman activities of the Lord, due to their very transcendental nature, becomes eligible to enter the kingdom of Kṛṣṇa, and as such, after quitting this present material body, the knower of the transcendental activities of the Lord goes back home, back to Godhead.

Verse 29 of 50
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