Shloka 48

The Greatness of Hari’s Janmāṣṭamī (Jayantī) Vow

Devanagari script

कंसो हसंतीं तां दृष्ट्वा विद्युत्स्फुरितलोचनाम् । आदिदेशासुरश्रेष्ठो जहि नीत्वा शिलोपरि

Transliteration

kaṃso hasaṃtīṃ tāṃ dṛṣṭvā vidyutsphuritalocanām | ādideśāsuraśreṣṭho jahi nītvā śilopari

Translation

فلما رآها كَمْسَا تضحك وعيناها تلمعان كالبرق، أمرَ سيّدُ الأسورا: «خذوها واقتلوها على صخرة».

Word by Word

• कंसः: Kaṃsa
• कंसः: कर्ता (Karta/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• हसन्तीम्: laughing
• हसन्तीम्: कर्म (Karma/Object) (ताम् इति विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हस् (धातु) + शतृ-प्रत्यय (कृदन्त); हसन्ती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present active participle, शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: पूर्वकाल (Prior action) (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial to main verb)

• विद्युत्-स्फुरित-लोचनाम्: whose eyes flashed like lightning
• विद्युत्-स्फुरित-लोचनाम्: कर्म (Karma/Object) (ताम् इति विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विद्युत् (प्रातिपदिक) + स्फुरित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास (Compound): षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-सम्भाव्य (determinative; ‘lightning-flashing-eyed’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आदिदेश: commanded/ordered
• आदिदेश: क्रिया (Action) (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दिश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• असुर-श्रेष्ठः: the best of the demons
• असुर-श्रेष्ठः: कर्ता (Karta/Agent) (कंसस्य विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास (Compound): षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: ‘best of the asuras’), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• जहि: kill (you)!
• जहि: क्रिया (Action) (आज्ञार्थक)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• नीत्वा: having taken/led (her)
• नीत्वा: पूर्वकाल (Prior action) (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नी (धातु) + क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial to ‘जहि’)

• शिला-उपरि: upon a stone/rock
• शिला-उपरि: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शिला (प्रातिपदिक) + उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), स्थानवाचक (locative adverbial phrase: ‘upon a stone/rock’)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual narration describing Kaṃsa’s command)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: city

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: कंसो→कंसः; आदिदेशासुरश्रेष्ठो→आदिदेश असुरश्रेष्ठः; शिलोपरि→शिला उपरि

Characters & Entities

• Kaṃsa

FAQs

Who is issuing the command in this verse, and what is it?

Kaṃsa is the one issuing the order. He commands that she be taken and killed upon a stone.

What does the imagery “eyes flashing like lightning” convey?

It conveys intense energy and a striking, fearlessly vivid presence—highlighting her extraordinary nature in contrast to Kaṃsa’s violent intent.

What ethical lesson is implied by Kaṃsa’s command?

The verse underscores how fear and tyranny can drive cruelty; it implicitly warns against adharma expressed as violence toward the vulnerable.