Devanagari
अथाप्यभिभवन्त्येनं नैव ते घोरदर्शना: ।
जिघांसयैनमासाद्य नश्यन्त्यग्नौ पतङ्गवत् ॥ ५६ ॥
Verse text
athāpy abhibhavanty enaṁ
naiva te ghora-darśanāḥ
jighāṁsayainam āsādya
naśyanty agnau pataṅgavat
Synonyms
atha api
—
although they come to attack
;
abhibhavanti
—
they are able to kill
;
enam
—
this boy
;
na
—
not
;
eva
—
certainly
;
te
—
all of them
;
ghora
—
darśanāḥ — very fierce looking
;
jighāṁsayā
—
because of envy
;
enam
—
unto Kṛṣṇa
;
āsādya
—
approaching
;
naśyanti
—
are vanquished (death occurs to the aggressor)
;
agnau
—
in fire
;
pataṅga
—
vat — like flies .
Translation
Although the causes of death, the daityas, were very fierce, they could not kill this boy Kṛṣṇa. Rather, because they came to kill innocent boys, as soon as they approached they themselves were killed, exactly like flies attacking a fire.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Although the causes of death, the daityas, were very fierce, they could not kill this boy Kṛṣṇa. Rather, because they came to kill innocent boys, as soon as they approached they themselves were killed, exactly like flies attacking a fire.
KB 10.11.56
They continued to converse amongst themselves about how so many great demons in such fierce bodies had attacked Kṛṣṇa to kill Him but, by the grace of Hari, had not been able to cause even a slight injury. Rather, they had died like small flies in a fire.
Purport
Nanda Mahārāja innocently thought, “Perhaps this boy Kṛṣṇa formerly killed all these demons, and therefore in this life they are envious and are attacking Him. But Kṛṣṇa is a fire, and they are flies, and in a fight between fire and flies, the fire is always victorious.” Fighting is always taking place between the demons and the power of the Supreme Personality.
Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
(
Bg. 4.8
). Anyone who is against the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead must be killed, life after life. Ordinary living beings are subject to
karma,
but the Supreme Personality of Godhead is always victorious over the demons.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
"It is not possible that because in previous lives this boy caused trouble to the demons, in this life the demons are causing trouble to him?" This verse answers the question. "If that were true, then they would have been able to destroy Krsna. But they were unable to kill him (enam na abhibhavanti) . Rather, when they desired to kill Krsna, they got killed by him."
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
This described the demons’ death. They appeared ferocious, since they tried to kill him. They speculated about the cause of his being saved. Taking the last line of the previous verse, the meaning can be as follows. Garga had said:
purānena vraja-pate sādhavo dasyu-pīḍitāḥ
arājake rakṣyamāṇā jigyur dasyūn samedhitāḥ
In a previous birth, when Indra was dethroned, and the devatās were afflicted by the demons, they were rescued by Kṛṣṇa, conquered the demons and then flourished. SB 10.8.17
In a previous birth Kṛṣṇa had thus killed fearful demons. But even if they had now come to kill him, because he killed them in the past, they could not kill him now (athāpy abhibhavanty enaṁ naiva te ghora-darśanāḥ). These demons, like Baka, look fierce, what to speak of their actions. This indicates that they are most sinful. Another version has naivam te. The demons could not injure him at all (eva). Not only that, they immediately died on their own. How is it that so many of them came and suddenly died on their own? An example is given. They were like moths entering fire. This shows the power of Kṛṣṇa’s pious acts. It is suggested that those who are violent die by their sins.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
Though they came to harm (abhibhavanti) him, they could not, even though Baka and others, looked fierce. What to speak of their actions. Eva indicates certainty. They speak like ordinary people out of great affection for Kṛṣṇa. This is not a fault. Not only this, they were immediately killed. Many demons came from somewhere, but were suddenly killed, like moths entering a flame.