| Canto 10: The Summum Bonum | Chapter 4: The Atrocities of King Kamsa |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.4.42
SYNONYMS
sah — He (Lord Vishnu); hi — indeed; sarva-sura-adhyakshah — the leader of all the demigods; hi — indeed; asura-dvit — the enemy of the asuras; guhā-śayah — He is the Supersoul within the core of everyone's heart; tat-mūlāh — taking shelter at His lotus feet; devatāh — the demigods exist; sarvāh — all of them; sa-īśvarāh — including Lord Śiva; sa-catuh-mukhāh — as well as Lord Brahmā, who has four faces; ayam — this is; vai — indeed; tat-vadha-upāyah — the only means of killing Him (Vishnu); yat — which; rishīnām — of great sages, saintly persons, or Vaishnavas; vihimsanam — suppression with all kinds of persecution.
TRANSLATION
Lord Vishnu, the Supersoul within the core of everyone's heart, is the ultimate enemy of the asuras and is therefore known as asura-dvit. He is the leader of all the demigods because all the demigods, including Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā, exist under His protection. The great saintly persons, sages and Vaishnavas also depend upon Him. To persecute the Vaishnavas, therefore, is the only way to kill Vishnu.
PURPORT
The demigods and the Vaishnavas especially are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, Vishnu, because they are always obedient to His orders (om tad vishnoh paramam padam sadā paśyanti sūrayah). The demoniac followers of Kamsa thought that if the Vaishnavas, saintly persons and sages were persecuted, the original body of Vishnu would naturally be destroyed. Thus they decided to suppress Vaishnavism. The asuras perpetually struggle to persecute the Vaishnavas because they do not want Vaishnavism to spread. Vaishnavas preach only devotional service, not encouraging karmīs, jñānīs and yogīs, because if one must liberate oneself from material, conditional life, one must ultimately become a Vaishnava. Our Krishna consciousness movement is directed with this understanding, and therefore the asuras always try to suppress it.
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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
His Holiness Hrdayananda dasa Goswami
Gopiparanadhana dasa Adhikari
Dravida dasa Brahmacari