Shloka 31

The Killing of Ariṣṭāsura and Kaṁsa’s Plot to Summon Kṛṣṇa

Devanagari script

निसृष्ट: किल मे मृत्युर्देवैर्वैकुण्ठसंश्रयै: । तावानय समं गोपैर्नन्दाद्यै: साभ्युपायनै: ॥ ३१ ॥

Transliteration

nisṛṣṭaḥ kila me mṛtyur devair vaikuṇṭha-saṁśrayaiḥ tāv ānaya samaṁ gopair nandādyaiḥ sābhyupāyanaiḥ

Translation

Man sagt, die Halbgötter, die unter dem Schutz Viṣṇus von Vaikuṇṭha stehen, hätten diese beiden Knaben als meinen Tod gesandt. Bring Sie her und lass auch Nanda und die übrigen Kuhhirten mit Abgaben und Gaben kommen.

Synonyms

• nisṛṣṭaḥ: sent/appointed
• nisṛṣṭaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/predicate adjective with mṛtyuḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni-√sṛj (सृज्, धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular; ‘sent forth/appointed’

• kila: indeed
• kila: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kila (किल, अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) indicating report/emphasis: ‘indeed/it is said’

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (षष्ठी) Singular pronoun

• mṛtyuḥ: death
• mṛtyuḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛtyu (मृत्यु, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular

• devaiḥ: by the gods
• devaiḥ: Kartr-karana (कर्तृ-करण/agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (देव, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (तृतीया) Plural

• vaikuṇṭha-saṁśrayaiḥ: who are sheltered in Vaikuṇṭha
• vaikuṇṭha-saṁśrayaiḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण of devaiḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaikuṇṭha (वैकुण्ठ, प्रातिपदिक) + saṁśraya (संश्रय, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (तृतीया) Plural; compound: वैकुण्ठसंश्रयैः = ‘those who have taken refuge in Vaikuṇṭha’ (सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष sense) qualifying devaiḥ

• tau: those two
• tau: Karma (कर्म/object of ānaya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (द्वितीया) Dual pronoun

• ānaya: bring
• ānaya: Kriya (क्रिया/command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√nī (नी, धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd person Singular; parasmaipada

• samam: together with
• samam: Sahartha (सहार्थ/association)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sama (सम, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) from adjective ‘equal/together’: ‘together/along with’

• gopaiḥ: the cowherds
• gopaiḥ: Sahakari (सहकारी/associate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gopa (गोप, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (तृतीया) Plural; used in sense of accompaniment with samam

• nanda-ādyaiḥ: with Nanda and others
• nanda-ādyaiḥ: Sahakari (सहकारी/associate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nanda (नन्द, प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (आदि, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (तृतीया) Plural; compound: नन्दाद्यैः = ‘with Nanda and others’ (आदि-समास, तत्पुरुष)

• sa-abhyupāyanaiḥ: with presents
• sa-abhyupāyanaiḥ: Sahakari (सहकारी/associate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sa (स, अव्यय/उपसर्ग-सदृश) + abhyupāyana (अभ्युपायन, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter/Masculine, Instrumental (तृतीया) Plural; अव्ययीभाव: साभ्युपायनैः = ‘together with gifts/presents’

Characters & Entities

• Kaṁsa
• Vaikuṇṭha
• Nanda

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Kaṁsa’s fear of Krishna?

This verse shows Kaṁsa believes his death has been arranged by the gods sheltered in Vaikuṇṭha, so he urgently orders Krishna to be brought to him—revealing his deep fear and sense of impending destiny.

Why did Kaṁsa say to bring Nanda and the gopas with gifts?

Kaṁsa wants Krishna brought to Mathurā, and by calling Nanda and the cowherds with “offerings,” he attempts to disguise his hostile plan under the appearance of royal hospitality.

Practical application of this teaching in modern life?

The verse warns that fear and envy distort judgment: instead of reforming one’s heart, one may try to control or trap what one fears—so a seeker should choose humility and surrender over manipulation.