Canto 4: Creation of the Fourth OrderChapter 18: Prithu Mahārāja Milks the Earth Planet

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.18.21

yaksha-rakshāmsi bhūtāni

piśācāh piśitāśanāh

bhūteśa-vatsā duduhuh

kapāle kshatajāsavam

SYNONYMS

yaksha — the Yakshas (the descendants of Kuvera); rakshāmsi — the Rākshasas (meat-eaters); bhūtāni — ghosts; piśācāh — witches; piśita-aśanāh — who are all habituated to eating flesh; bhūteśa — Lord Śiva's incarnation Rudra; vatsāh — whose calf; duduhuh — milked out; kapālein a pot of skulls; kshata-ja — blood; āsavama fermented beverage.

TRANSLATION

Then the Yakshas, Rākshasas, ghosts and witches, who are habituated to eating flesh, transformed Lord Śiva's incarnation Rudra [Bhūtanātha] into a calf and milked out beverages made of blood and put them in a pot made of skulls.

PURPORT

There are some types of living entities in the form of human beings whose living conditions and eatables are most abominable. Generally they eat flesh and fermented blood, which is mentioned in this verse as kshatajāsavam. The leaders of such degraded men known as Yakshas, Rākshasas, bhūtas and piśācas, are all in the mode of ignorance. They have been placed under the control of Rudra. Rudra is the incarnation of Lord Śiva and is in charge of the mode of ignorance in material nature. Another name of Lord Śiva is Bhūtanātha, meaning "master of ghosts." Rudra was born from between Brahmā's eyes when Brahmā was very angry at the four Kumāras.

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