Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 23

The Killing of Keśī and Vyomāsura; Nārada’s Prophetic Praise of Kṛṣṇa

Devanagari script

त्वामीश्वरं स्वाश्रयमात्ममायया विनिर्मिताशेषविशेषकल्पनम् । क्रीडार्थमद्यात्तमनुष्यविग्रहं नतोऽस्मि धुर्यं यदुवृष्णिसात्वताम् ॥ २३ ॥

Transliteration

tvām īśvaraṁ svāśrayam ātma-māyayā vinirmitāśeṣa-viśeṣa-kalpanam krīḍārtham adyātta-manuṣya-vigrahaṁ nato ’smi dhuryaṁ yadu-vṛṣṇi-sātvatām

Translation

I bow down to You, the supreme controller, who are dependent only on Yourself. By Your potency You have constructed the unlimited particular arrangements of this universe. Now you have appeared as the greatest hero among the Yadus, Vṛṣṇis and Sātvatas and have chosen to participate in human warfare.

Synonyms

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Puṁliṅga (सर्वनाम-प्रयोगः), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana

• īśvaram: the Lord
• īśvaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana

• sva-āśrayam: self-dependent; having oneself as refuge
• sva-āśrayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + āśraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (स्वः आश्रयः यस्य/स्वयमेव आश्रयः)

• ātma-māyayā: by His own māyā
• ātma-māyayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक) + māyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया), Ekavacana; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (आत्मनः माया)

• vinirmita-aśeṣa-viśeṣa-kalpanam: who has fashioned all particular manifestations
• vinirmita-aśeṣa-viśeṣa-kalpanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vinirmita (कृदन्त/भूतकृदन्त) + aśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + kalpana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (विनिर्मिता अशेष-विशेष-कल्पना यस्य)

• krīḍā-artham: for sport
• krīḍā-artham: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krīḍā (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (क्रीडायाः अर्थम्)

• adya-ātta-manuṣya-vigraham: who has today assumed a human form
• adya-ātta-manuṣya-vigraham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adya (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + ātta (कृदन्त/भूतकृदन्त) + manuṣya (प्रातिपदिक) + vigraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अद्य आत्तः मनुष्य-विग्रहः यस्य)

• nataḥ: bowed down
• nataḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nam (धातु)
• Form: Kta (क्त) past passive participle used predicatively; Puṁliṅga, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana

• asmi: I am
• asmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (Present/वर्तमान), Uttama-puruṣa (1st person/उत्तम), Ekavacana

• dhuryam: foremost; chief
• dhuryam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhurya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana

• yadu-vṛṣṇi-sātvatām: of the Yadus, Vṛṣṇis, and Sātvatas
• yadu-vṛṣṇi-sātvatām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yadu (प्रातिपदिक) + vṛṣṇi (प्रातिपदिक) + sātvatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (6th/षष्ठी), Bahuvacana; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (यदवः च वृष्णयः च सात्वताः च)

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Yadu
• Vṛṣṇi
• Sātvata

FAQs

Why does Krishna take a human form in the Srimad Bhagavatam?

This verse says Kṛṣṇa assumes a humanlike body for krīḍā—His divine pastimes—while remaining the independent Supreme Lord.

Who is speaking this prayer to Krishna in Canto 10 Chapter 37?

Ariṣṭāsura, the bull demon, addresses Kṛṣṇa, acknowledging Him as the Supreme Controller who manifests creation by His own māyā.

How can I apply the teaching of 'svāśraya' (self-sheltered Lord) in daily life?

Remembering that Kṛṣṇa is fully independent helps a devotee rely less on anxiety and more on surrender, offering actions and outcomes to Him.