इन्द्रो वृत्रवचः श्रुत्वा गतालीकमपूजयत् ।
गृहीतवज्रः प्रहसंस्तमाह गतविस्मयः ॥१८॥
Å›rÄ«-Å›uka uvÄca
indro vá¹›tra-vacaḥ Å›rutvÄ
gatÄlÄ«kam apÅ«jayat
gá¹›hÄ«ta-vajraḥ prahasaá¹s
tam Äha gata-vismayaḥ
Å›rÄ«-Å›ukaḥ uvÄca - ÅšrÄ« Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« said; indraḥ - King Indra; vá¹›tra-vacaḥ - the words of Vá¹›trÄsura; Å›rutvÄ - hearing; gata-alÄ«kam - without duplicity; apÅ«jayat - worshiped; gá¹›hÄ«ta-vajraḥ - taking up the thunderbolt; prahasan - smiling; tam - unto Vá¹›trÄsura; Äha - said; gata-vismayaḥ - giving up his wonder.
Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« said: Hearing the straightforward, instructive words of Vá¹›trÄsura, King Indra praised him and again took the thunderbolt in his hand. Without bewilderment or duplicity, he then smiled and spoke to Vá¹›trÄsura as follows.
King Indra, the greatest of the demigods, was astonished to hear the instructions of Vá¹›trÄsura, who was supposed to be a demon. He was struck with wonder that a demon could speak so intelligently. Then he remembered great devotees like PrahlÄda MahÄrÄja and Bali MahÄrÄja, who had been born in the families of demons, and thus he came to his senses. Even so-called demons sometimes have exalted devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Indra smiled reassuringly at Vá¹›trÄsura.
