tasya tyakta-svabhÄvasya
ghṛṇer mÄyÄ-vanaukasaḥ
bhajantaá¹ bhajamÄnasya
bÄlasyevÄsthirÄtmanaḥ
mac-chūla-bhinna-grīvasya
bhÅ«riá¹‡Ä rudhireṇa vai
asá¹›k-priyaá¹ tarpayiá¹£ye
bhrÄtaraá¹ me gata-vyathaḥ
tasya - of Him (the Supreme Personality of Godhead); tyakta-svabhÄvasya - who has given up His natural position (of being equal to everyone); ghṛṇeḥ - most abominable; mÄyÄ - under the influence of the illusory energy; vana-okasaḥ - behaving exactly like an animal in the jungle; bhajantam - unto the devotee engaged in devotional service; bhajamÄnasya - being worshiped; bÄlasya - a child; iva - like; asthira-Ätmanaḥ - who is always restless and changing; mat - my; śūla - by the trident; bhinna - separated; grÄ«vasya - whose neck; bhÅ«riá¹‡Ä - profuse; rudhireṇa - by blood; vai - indeed; asá¹›k-priyam - who was fond of blood; tarpayiá¹£ye - I shall please; bhrÄtaram - brother; me - my; gata-vyathaḥ - becoming peaceful myself.
The defect of the demoniac mentality is expressed in this verse very clearly. HiraṇyakaÅ›ipu thought that Viṣṇu also becomes partial, like a child whose mind is not steady or resolute. The Lord can change His mind at any time, HiraṇyakaÅ›ipu thought, and therefore His words and activities are like those of children. Actually, because the demons are ordinary human beings, their minds change, and being materially conditioned, they think that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is conditioned also. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (9.11), avajÄnanti mÄá¹ mÅ«á¸hÄ mÄnuṣīṠtanum ÄÅ›ritam: “Fools deride Me when I descend in a human form.â€
Demons always think that Viṣṇu can be killed. Therefore, being absorbed in thoughts of Viṣṇu’s form to kill Him, at least they have the opportunity to think of Viṣṇu unfavorably. Although they are not devotees, their thinking of Viṣṇu is effective, and thus they generally attain sÄyujya-mukti. Because the demons consider the Supreme Lord an ordinary living being, they think that they can kill Lord Viṣṇu as one might kill an ordinary person. Another fact disclosed herein is that demons are very much fond of sucking blood. Indeed, all of them are meat-eaters and bloodsuckers.
HiraṇyakaÅ›ipu accused the Supreme Lord of having a restless mind like that of a small child who can be induced to do anything if simply offered some cakes and lÄá¸á¸us. Indirectly, this indicates the true position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who says in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (9.26):
patraá¹ puá¹£paá¹ phalaá¹ toyaá¹
yo me bhaktyÄ prayacchati
tad ahaá¹ bhakty-upahá¹›tam
aÅ›nÄmi prayatÄtmanaḥ
“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.†The Lord accepts the offerings of devotees because of their transcendental love. Because they are in love with the Supreme Lord, they do not eat anything without offering it first to the Lord. The Lord does not hanker for a small leaf or flower; He has enough to eat. Indeed, He is feeding all living entities. Nonetheless, because He is very merciful and is bhakta-vatsala, very favorable to the devotees, He certainly eats whatever they offer Him with love and devotion. This quality should not be misjudged to be childish. The highest quality of the Supreme Lord is that He is bhakta-vatsala; in other words, He is always extremely pleased with His devotees. As for the word mÄyÄ, when used in reference to the dealings of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His devotees, this word means “affection.†The actions of the Lord to favor His devotees are not disqualifications but signs of His natural affection.
As for rudhira, or the blood of Lord Viṣṇu, since there is no possibility of severing Lord Viṣṇu’s head from His body, there is no question of blood. But the garland that decorates Viṣṇu’s body is as red as blood. When the demons achieve sÄyujya-mukti and leave behind their sinful activities, they are blessed by Viṣṇu’s garland, which is red like blood. After attaining sÄyujya-mukti, the demons are sometimes promoted to the Vaikuṇá¹ha world, where they receive the reward of the Lord’s garland prasÄda.