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ŚB 9.9.33

Devanagari

एवं करुणभाषिण्या विलपन्त्या अनाथवत् ।
व्याघ्र: पशुमिवाखादत् सौदास: शापमोहित: ॥ ३३ ॥

Text

evaṁ karuṇa-bhāṣiṇyā
vilapantyā anāthavat
vyāghraḥ paśum ivākhādat
saudāsaḥ śāpa-mohitaḥ

Synonyms

evam — in this way; karuṇa-bhāṣiṇyāḥ — while the brāhmaṇa’s wife was speaking very pitiably; vilapantyāḥ — lamenting severely; anātha-vat — exactly like a woman who has no protector; vyāghraḥ — a tiger; paśum — prey animal; iva — like; akhādat — ate up; saudāsaḥ — King Saudāsa; śāpa — by the curse; mohitaḥ — because of being condemned.

Translation

Being condemned by the curse of Vasiṣṭha, King Saudāsa devoured the brāhmaṇa, exactly as a tiger eats its prey. Even though the brāhmaṇa’s wife spoke so pitiably, Saudāsa was unmoved by her lamentation.

Purport

This is an example of destiny. King Saudāsa was condemned by the curse of Vasiṣṭha, and therefore even though he was well qualified he could not restrain himself from becoming a tigerlike Rākṣasa, for this was his destiny. Tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham (Bhāg. 1.5.18). As one is put into distress by destiny, destiny can also put one in a happy situation. Destiny is extremely strong, but one can change destiny if one comes to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām (Brahma-samhitā 5.54).