ŚB 4.10.9
Devanagari
ते वै ललाटलग्नैस्तैरिषुभि: सर्व एव हि । मत्वा निरस्तमात्मानमाशंसन् कर्म तस्य तत् ॥ ९ ॥
Verse text
te vai lalāṭa-lagnais tair
iṣubhiḥ sarva eva hi
matvā nirastam ātmānam
āśaṁsan karma tasya tat
iṣubhiḥ sarva eva hi
matvā nirastam ātmānam
āśaṁsan karma tasya tat
Synonyms
Translation
When the heroes of the Yakṣas saw that all their heads were being thus threatened by Dhruva Mahārāja, they could very easily understand their awkward position, and they concluded that they would certainly be defeated. But, as heroes, they lauded the action of Dhruva.
Purport
This spirit of fighting in a sporting attitude is very significant in this verse. The Yakṣas were severely attacked. Dhruva Mahārāja was their enemy, but still, upon witnessing the wonderful, heroic acts of Mahārāja Dhruva, they were very pleased with him. This straightforward appreciation of an enemy’s prowess is a characteristic of real kṣatriya spirit.