SB 6.13.17 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

ततो गतो ब्रह्मगिरोपहूत ऋतम्भरध्याननिवारिताघ: । पापस्तु दिग्देवतया हतौजा- स्तं नाभ्यभूदवितं विष्णुपत्‍न्या ॥ १७ ॥

Verse text

tato gato brahma-giropahūta ṛtambhara-dhyāna-nivāritāghaḥ pāpas tu digdevatayā hataujās taṁ nābhyabhūd avitaṁ viṣṇu-patnyā

Synonyms

tataḥ — thereafter ; gataḥ — gone ; brahma — of the brāhmaṇas ; girā — by the words ; upahūtaḥ — being invited ; ṛtambhara — on the Supreme Lord, who maintains truth ; dhyāna — by meditation ; nivārita — impeded ; aghaḥ — whose sin ; pāpaḥ — the sinful activity ; tu — then ; dik — devatayā — by the demigod Rudra ; hata — ojāḥ — with all prowess diminished ; tam — him (Indra) ; na abhyabhūt — could not overcome ; avitam — being protected ; viṣṇu — patnyā — by Lord Viṣṇu’s wife, the goddess of fortune .

Translation

Indra’s sins were diminished by the influence of Rudra, the demigod of all directions. Because Indra was protected by the goddess of fortune, Lord Viṣṇu’s wife, who resides in the lotus clusters of Mānasa-sarovara Lake, Indra’s sins could not affect him. Indra was ultimately relieved of all the reactions of his sinful deeds by strictly worshiping Lord Viṣṇu. Then he was called back to the heavenly planets by the brāhmaṇas and reinstated in his position.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

When the reaction to the offense of committing sin on the strength of atonement was destroyed by meditation on the Lord, he was invited back to Svarga by the brāhmaṇas. The sin of killing a brāhmaṇa, depleted of its strength by Śiva, guardian of the northeast, could not overcome him, since he was also protected by Lakṣmī, who lives in the lotus. He went back to Svarga by the words of Brahmā and the brāhmaṇas, who said, “We will have you perform a horse sacrifice.” Ṛtambharaḥ means “one who preserves truth, Viṣṇu.” The offense of committing sin on the strength of atonement is called aghah in this verse. The sin of killing a brāhmaṇa is called pāpaḥ. Masculine gender instead of neuter is poetic license. Śiva is the guardian of the northeast direction. Lakṣmī resides in the lotuses of Mānasa Sarovara.