SB 6.13.15 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

स आवसत्पुष्करनालतन्तू- नलब्धभोगो यदिहाग्निदूत: । वर्षाणि साहस्रमलक्षितोऽन्त: सञ्चिन्तयन् ब्रह्मवधाद्विमोक्षम् ॥ १५ ॥

Verse text

sa āvasat puṣkara-nāla-tantūn alabdha-bhogo yad ihāgni-dūtaḥ varṣāṇi sāhasram alakṣito ’ntaḥ saṣcintayan brahma-vadhād vimokṣam

Synonyms

saḥ — he (Indra) ; āvasat — lived ; puṣkara — nāla — tantūn — in the network of the fibers of a lotus stem ; alabdha — bhogaḥ — not getting any material comfort (practically starving for all material needs) ; yat — which ; iha — here ; agni — dūtaḥ — the fire-god messenger ; varṣāṇi — celestial years ; sāhasram — one thousand ; alakṣitaḥ — invisible ; antaḥ — within his heart ; saṣcintayan — always thinking of ; brahma — vadhāt — from the killing of a brāhmaṇa ; vimokṣam — liberation .

Translation

Always thinking of how he could be relieved from the sinful reaction for killing a brāhmaṇa, King Indra, invisible to everyone, lived in the lake for one thousand years in the subtle fibers of the stem of a lotus. The fire-god used to bring him his share of all yajṣas, but because the fire-god was afraid to enter the water, Indra was practically starving.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Always thinking of relief from the sinful reaction for killing a brāhmaṇa, Indra, invisible to everyone, lived for one thousand years in the subtle fibers of the stem of a lotus without food, since the messenger of Agni could not deliver his share of sacrifice in the water. He lived unseen in the fibers of the lotus stem. He did not get any food, because the messenger of Agni did not deliver his share of the sacrifices, since he could not enter the water. It is not difficult for Agni to enter water, since he delivers to Varuṇa, who is situated in the water, his share. However, this water was difficult to enter because the followers of Śiva were guarding it. And thus, the sin of killing a brāhmaṇa, which followed him everywhere, could also not enter the water. He remained invisible to all people for a thousand years.