Passage 5

Anger drastically reduces one's stamina

Here, you must pay attention to a strange strategy that the Lord employed. The Lord invaded Narakasura's kingdom, not once but again and again! Of course, He could have accomplished the asura's destruction during the very first campaign. But He did not do so. He forced him to explode into furious anger again and again, and each attack by the Lord made him automatically weaker. His resistance became feebler and feebler. Anger is debilitating in its effect. 'The nerves become weak; blood is rendered warmer; its composition changes. A simple burst of fury consumes the strength gained from food during three months! Anger drastically reduces one's stamina. So, the Lord made Narakasura flare up in anger, again and again, and even when he was rendered faint and flickering, the Lord decided that he did not deserve death at His Hands. He took His consort, Sathyabhama, with Him and directed her to kill the ruffian. She could do it easily, for three-quarters of his might had been subtracted by the Lord's strategy. The metropolis of Narakasura's kingdom was named Prak Jyothishpuram. This is a very meaningful name. Prak means "previous," Jyothi means "lamp, light" - "city which was previously fully lit;" that is to say, it was effulgent and luminous (with Atmaic Wisdom) until Narakasura succeeded to the throne.