Chapter 1 · Prathamo’dhyāyaḥ (First Chapter)
Verse 67
आस्तीर्य शेषमभजत्कल्पान्ते भगवान् प्रभुः। तदा द्वावसुरौ घोरौ विख्यातौ मधुकैटभौ ॥ ६७ ॥
āstīrya śēṣamabhajatkalpāntē bhagavān prabhuḥ | tadā dvāvasurau ghōrau vikhyātau madhukaiṭabhau || 67 ||
Translation
'At the end of the kalpa, the Blessed Lord, the Master, spread Śeṣa (as his bed) and rested. Then two terrible and renowned demons, Madhu and Kaitabha, came into being.'
Word by word
- āstīrya
- having spread
- śeṣam
- Śeṣa (the serpent)
- abhajat
- he rested, lay down
- kalpānte
- at the end of the kalpa (cosmic cycle)
- bhagavān
- the Blessed Lord
- prabhuḥ
- the Lord
- tadā
- then
- dvau
- two
- asurau
- demons
- ghorau
- terrible, fierce
- vikhyātī
- renowned
- madhukaiṭabhau
- Madhu and Kaitabha
Meaning
The scene is set for the divine play. At the time of cosmic dissolution, Lord Vishnu, the sustainer, rests. From the wax of his ears, the two fierce demons Madhu and Kaitabha are born. Their emergence represents the rise of ignorance and ego (tamasic and rajasic qualities) when the cosmic consciousness is in a dormant state.