Bhagvatam: POWER OF MANTRA - BUT IF NOT UTTERED CORRECTLY, ENTIRE MEANING OF MANTRA CHANGES
TRANSLATION
After Vishvarüpa was killed, his father, Tvashtä, performed ritualistic ceremonies to kill Indra. He offered oblations in the sacrificial fire, saying, "O enemy of Indra, flourish to kill your enemy without delay."
PURPORT
There was some defect in Tvashtä's chanting of the mantra because he chanted it long instead of short, and therefore the meaning changed. Tvashtä intended to chant the word indra-shatro, meaning, "O enemy of Indra."
In this mantra, the word indra is in the possessive case (shashthi), and the word indra-shatro is called a tat-purusha compound (tatpurusha-samäsa). Unfortunately, instead of chanting the mantra short, Tvashtä chanted it long, and its meaning changed from "the enemy of Indra" to "Indra, who is an enemy." Consequently instead of an enemy of Indra's, there emerged the body of Vrträsura, of whom Indra was the enemy.
Thereafter, from the southern side of the sacrificial fire known as Anvähärya came a fearful personality who looked like the destroyer of the entire creation at the end of the millennium.
Like arrows released in the four directions, the demon's body grew, day after day. Tall and blackish, he appeared like a burnt hill and was as lustrous as a bright array of clouds in the evening. The hair on the demon's body and his beard and moustache were the color of melted copper, and his eyes were piercing like the midday sun. He appeared unconquerable, as if holding the three worlds on the points of his blazing trident.
Dancing and shouting with a loud voice, he made the entire surface of the earth tremble as if from an earthquake. As he yawned again and again, he seemed to be trying to swallow the whole sky with his mouth, which was as deep as a cave. He seemed to be licking up all the stars in the sky with his tongue and eating the entire universe with his long, sharp teeth. Seeing this gigantic demon, everyone, in great fear, ran here and there in all directions.
TRANSLATION
That very fearful demon, who was actually the son of Tvashtä, covered all the planetary systems by dint of austerity. Therefore he was named Vrtra, or one who covers everything.
PURPORT
In the Vedas it is said, sa imäû lokän ävrnot tad vrtrasya vrtratvam: because the demon covered all the planetary systems, his name was Vrträsura.
