Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 8 Chapter 9 Verse 24

Canto 8: Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations | Chapter 9: The Lord Incarnates as Mohinī-Mūrti

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 8.9.24

deva-lińga-praticchannaḥ

svarbhānur deva-saḿsadi

praviṣṭaḥ somam apibac

candrārkābhyāḿ ca sūcitaḥ

SYNONYMS

deva-lińga-praticchannaḥ — covering himself with the dress of a demigod; svarbhānuḥ — Rāhu (who attacks and eclipses the sun and moon); deva-saḿsadi — in the group of the demigods; praviṣṭaḥ — having entered; somam — the nectar; apibat — drank; candra-arkābhyām — by both the moon and the sun; ca — and; sūcitaḥ — was pointed out.

TRANSLATION

Rāhu, the demon who causes eclipses of the sun and moon, covered himself with the dress of a demigod and thus entered the assembly of the demigods and drank nectar without being detected by anyone, even by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The moon and the sun, however, because of permanent animosity toward Rāhu, understood the situation. Thus Rāhu was detected.

PURPORT

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Mohinī-mūrti, was able to bewilder all the demons, but Rāhu was so clever that he was not bewildered. Rāhu could understand that Mohinī-mūrti was cheating the demons, and therefore he changed his dress, disguised himself as a demigod, and sat down in the assembly of the demigods. Here one may ask why the Supreme Personality of Godhead could not detect Rāhu. The reason is that the Lord wanted to show the effects of drinking nectar. This will be revealed in the following verses. The moon and sun, however, were always alert in regard to Rāhu. Thus when Rāhu entered the assembly of the demigods, the moon and sun immediately detected him, and then the Supreme Personality of Godhead also became aware of him.

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