Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 2

Aghāsura-vadha: The Killing and Deliverance of Aghāsura

Devanagari script

तेनैव साकं पृथुका: सहस्रश: स्‍निग्धा: सुशिग्वेत्रविषाणवेणव: । स्वान् स्वान् सहस्रोपरिसङ्ख्ययान्वितान् वत्सान् पुरस्कृत्य विनिर्ययुर्मुदा ॥ २ ॥

Transliteration

tenaiva sākaṁ pṛthukāḥ sahasraśaḥ snigdhāḥ suśig-vetra-viṣāṇa-veṇavaḥ svān svān sahasropari-saṅkhyayānvitān vatsān puraskṛtya viniryayur mudā

Translation

At that time, hundreds and thousands of cowherd boys came out of their respective homes in Vrajabhūmi and joined Kṛṣṇa, keeping before them their hundreds and thousands of groups of calves. The boys were very beautiful, and they were equipped with lunch bags, bugles, flutes, and sticks for controlling the calves.

Synonyms

• तेन: with him
• तेन: Saha/Instrument (सह/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• साकम्: together with
• साकम्: Sahārtha (सहार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साकम् (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अर्थक अव्यय (adverb: together/with)

• पृथुकाः: the boys (companions)
• पृथुकाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचन

• सहस्रशः: by the thousands
• सहस्रशः: Quantifier (परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशः (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण-अव्यय (distributive adverb: by thousands)

• स्निग्धाः: affectionate
• स्निग्धाः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्निग्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणं ‘पृथुकाः’

• सु-शिग्-वेत्र-विषाण-वेणवः: (having) fine sticks, canes, horns, and flutes
• सु-शिग्-वेत्र-विषाण-वेणवः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (अव्यय-उपसर्ग) + शिग् (प्रातिपदिक) + वेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विषाण (प्रातिपदिक) + वेणु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समास: (शिग्, वेत्र, विषाण, वेणु) इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व; ‘सु’ उपसर्गः (good/beautiful)

• स्वान्: their own
• स्वान्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषणं ‘वत्सान्’

• स्वान्: each his own
• स्वान्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; पुनरुक्ति-बलार्थ (emphatic repetition)

• सहस्र-उपरि-सङ्ख्यया-अन्वितान्: numbering more than a thousand
• सहस्र-उपरि-सङ्ख्यया-अन्वितान्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + उपरि (अव्यय) + सङ्ख्या (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; √अनु-इ/अन्वि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणं ‘वत्सान्’; समासार्थः: सहस्रस्य उपरि या सङ्ख्या तया अन्विताः (बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-प्राय)

• वत्सान्: calves
• वत्सान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), बहुवचन

• पुरस्कृत्य: having put in front/leading
• पुरस्कृत्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पुरस्-√कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• विनिर्ययुः: went out
• विनिर्ययुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-निर्-√या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• मुदा: with joy
• मुदा: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Vraja-gopa boys (cowherd boys)

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam 10.12.2 describe about Krishna’s Vrindavan pastimes?

It describes Kṛṣṇa going out with thousands of affectionate cowherd boys, each leading his own calves, as they joyfully set off for grazing—highlighting the sweetness of Kṛṣṇa’s Vraja-līlā.

Who is speaking Bhagavatam 10.12.2 and to whom?

Śukadeva Gosvāmī speaks this verse to King Parīkṣit while narrating Kṛṣṇa’s childhood pastimes in Vṛndāvana.

What is a practical lesson from this verse for modern devotional life?

It encourages cultivating simple, affectionate companionship centered on Kṛṣṇa—bringing joy through devotional remembrance and sincere community in daily life.