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Shloka 21

Aghāsura-vadha: The Killing and Deliverance of Aghāsura

प्रतिस्पर्धेते सृक्कभ्यां सव्यासव्ये नगोदरे । तुङ्गश‍ृङ्गालयोऽप्येतास्तद्दंष्ट्राभिश्च पश्यत ॥ २१ ॥

pratispardhete sṛkkabhyāṁ savyāsavye nagodare tuṅga-śṛṅgālayo ’py etās tad-daṁṣṭrābhiś ca paśyata

„Links und rechts sind zwei Vertiefungen wie Berghöhlen die Mundwinkel; und diese Erhebungen wie Gipfel sind seine Zähne—seht!“

प्रतिस्पर्धेते(the two) vie/compete
प्रतिस्पर्धेते:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootप्रति-√स्पर्ध् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), 3rd person, Dual (द्विवचन), आत्मनेपद; ‘the two compete with each other’
सृक्कभ्याम्with the two mouth-corners
सृक्कभ्याम्:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootसृक्क (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Dual; ‘with the two corners of the mouth/jaws’
सव्य-असव्येon the left and right
सव्य-असव्ये:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootसव्य + असव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Dual; द्वन्द्व: ‘सव्ये च असव्ये च’ (on left and right)
नग-उदरेin the mountain-like belly (cave)
नग-उदरे:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootनग + उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; तत्पुरुष: ‘नगस्य उदरम्’ (mountain-cave/belly-like interior)
तुङ्ग-शृङ्ग-आलयःlofty peak-like abodes (protuberances)
तुङ्ग-शृङ्ग-आलयः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतुङ्ग + शृङ्ग + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; ‘abodes of lofty peaks’ (i.e., raised protuberances)
अपिalso
अपि:
Avyaya (अव्यय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
FormParticle (निपात) ‘also/even’
एताःthese
एताः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootएतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; demonstrative pronoun
तत्-दंष्ट्राभिःwith its fangs
तत्-दंष्ट्राभिः:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् + दंष्ट्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; ‘with its fangs’
and
:
Avyaya (अव्यय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
FormConjunction (समुच्चय) ‘and’
पश्यतlook!
पश्यत:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√पश् (धातु)
Formलोट् (Imperative), 2nd person, Plural, परस्मैपद; ‘see!’
Ś
Śrī Kṛṣṇa
C
Cowherd boys (gopāḥ)

FAQs

It poetically describes the Vṛndāvana landscape as if the mountains on both sides are ‘competing’ with one another, their peaks likened to teeth—an expression of wonder while beholding Kṛṣṇa’s līlā and surroundings.

Śukadeva uses devotional poetic imagery (bhakti-rasa) to show how Kṛṣṇa becomes the reference point for everything in Vraja—nature itself appears to mirror His beauty and presence.

Train the mind to remember Bhagavān in ordinary sights—seeing the world through remembrance (smaraṇa) turns daily perception into a form of bhakti.