Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 6 Chapter 12 Verse 20

Canto 6: Prescribed Duties for Mankind | Chapter 12: Vṛtrāsura's Glorious Death

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.12.20

bhavān atārṣīn māyāḿ vai

vaiṣṇavīḿ jana-mohinīm

yad vihāyāsuraḿ bhāvaḿ

mahā-puruṣatāḿ gataḥ

SYNONYMS

bhavān — your good self; atārṣīt — has surmounted; māyām — the illusory energy; vai — indeed; vaiṣṇavīm — of Lord Viṣṇu; jana-mohinīm — which deludes the mass of people; yat — since; vihāya — giving up; āsuram — of the demons; bhāvam — the mentality; mahā-puruṣatām — the position of an exalted devotee; gataḥ — obtained.

TRANSLATION

You have surmounted the illusory energy of Lord Viṣṇu, and because of this liberation, you have given up the demoniac mentality and have attained the position of an exalted devotee.

PURPORT

Lord Viṣṇu is the mahā-puruṣa. Therefore one who becomes a Vaiṣṇava attains the position of a mahā-pauruṣya. This position was attained by Mahārāja Parīkṣit. It is said in the Padma Purāṇa that the distinction between a demigod and a demon is that a demigod is a devotee of Lord Viṣṇu whereas a demon is just the opposite: viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ smṛto daiva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Vṛtrāsura was considered a demon, but actually he was more than qualified as a devotee, or mahā-pauruṣya. If one somehow becomes a devotee of the Supreme Lord, whatever his position, he can be brought to the position of a perfect person. This is possible if an unalloyed devotee tries to serve the Lord by delivering him in this way. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī says in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.4.18):

kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā

ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ

ye 'nye ca pāpā yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ

śudhyanti tasmai prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ

"Kirātas, Hūṇas, Āndhras, Pulindas, Pulkaśas, Ābhīras, Śumbhas, Yavanas and members of the Khasa races, and even others addicted to sinful acts can be purified by taking shelter of the devotees of the Lord, for He is the supreme power. I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto Him." Anyone can be purified if he takes shelter of a pure devotee and molds his character according to the pure devotee's direction. Then, even if one is a Kirāta, Āndhra, Pulinda or whatever, he can be purified and elevated to the position of a mahā-pauruṣya.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness