Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 6.4.5

drumebhyah krudhyamanas te

tapo-dipita-manyavah

mukhato vayum agnim ca

sasrijus tad-didhakshaya

SYNONYMS

drumebhyah -- unto the trees; krudhyamanah -- being very angry; te -- they (the ten sons of Pracinabarhi); tapah-dipita-manyavah -- whose anger was inflamed because of long austerities; mukhatah -- from the mouth; vayum -- wind; agnim -- fire; ca -- and; sasrijuh -- they created; tat -- those forests; didhakshaya -- with the desire to burn.

TRANSLATION

Because of having undergone long austerities in the water, the Pracetas were very angry at the trees. Desiring to burn them to ashes, they generated wind and fire from their mouths.

PURPORT

Here the word tapo-dipita-manyavah indicates that persons who have undergone severe austerity (tapasya) are endowed with great mystic power, as evinced by the Pracetas, who created fire and wind from their mouths. Although devotees undergo severe tapasya, however, they are vimanyavah, sadhavah, which means that they are never angry. They are always decorated with good qualities. Bhagavatam (3.25.21) states:

titikshavah karunikah

suhridah sarva-dehinam

ajata-satravah santah

sadhavah sadhu-bhushanah

A sadhu, a devotee, is never angry. Actually the real feature of devotees who undergo tapasya, austerity, is forgiveness. Although a Vaishnava has sufficient power in tapasya, he does not become angry when put into difficulty. If one undergoes tapasya but does not become a Vaishnava, however, one does not develop good qualities. For example, Hiranyakasipu and Ravana also performed great austerities, but they did so to demonstrate their demoniac tendencies. Vaishnavas must meet many opponents while preaching the glories of the Lord, but Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommends that they not become angry while preaching. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given this formula: trinad api sunicena taror api sahishnuna/ amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. adi 17.31]. "One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and should be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly." Those engaged in preaching the glories of the Lord should be humbler than grass and more tolerant than a tree; then they can preach the glories of the Lord without difficulty.

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