Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.12.33
Nirodha· Winding upVṛtrāsura’s Head Fell at the Suitable Time
“Although the thunderbolt revolved around Vṛtrāsura’s neck with great speed, separating his head from his body took one complete year — 360 days, the time in which the sun, moon and other luminaries complete a northern and southern journey. Then, at the suitable time for Vṛtrāsura to be killed, his head fell to the ground.”
What the purport teaches
- The thunderbolt revolved around Vṛtrāsura’s neck with great speed, yet separating his head from his body took one complete year.
- The translation describes this year as 360 days, during which the sun, moon and other luminaries complete a northern and southern journey.
- Vṛtrāsura’s head fell to the ground at the suitable time for him to be killed.
Try this today
Read the translation slowly once, noticing both “one complete year” and “at the suitable time.”
Ask yourself
What strikes you about the contrast between the thunderbolt’s great speed and the time required?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.