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Shloka 1

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

Devanagari script

श्रीशुक उवाच केशी तु कंसप्रहित: खुरैर्महीं महाहयो निर्जरयन् मनोजव: । सटावधूताभ्रविमानसङ्कुलं कुर्वन् नभो हेषितभीषिताखिल: ॥ १ ॥ तं त्रासयन्तं भगवान् स्वगोकुलं तद्धेषितैर्वालविघूर्णिताम्बुदम् । आत्मानमाजौ मृगयन्तमग्रणी- रुपाह्वयत् स व्यनदन्मृगेन्द्रवत् ॥ २ ॥

Transliteration

śrī-śuka uvāca keśī tu kaṁsa-prahitaḥ khurair mahīṁ mahā-hayo nirjarayan mano-javaḥ saṭāvadhūtābhra-vimāna-saṅkulaṁ kurvan nabho heṣita-bhīṣitākhilaḥ

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī sprach: Keśī, der von Kaṁsa gesandte Dämon, erschien in Vraja als gewaltiges Pferd. Mit der Schnelligkeit des Geistes rannte er dahin, riss die Erde mit seinen Hufen auf; das Schütteln seiner Mähne zerstreute Wolken und die Himmelswagen der Devas, und sein furchtbares Wiehern versetzte alle in Schrecken.

Synonyms
श्रीrevered
श्री:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeAdjective
Rootश्री (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययवत्-पूर्वपद (honorific prefix)
शुकःShuka
शुकः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootशुक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
केशीKeshi (the demon)
केशी:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकेशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
तुbut, indeed
तु:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (निपात; contrast/emphasis)
कंसप्रहितःsent by Kamsa
कंसप्रहितः:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootकंस (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रहित (कृदन्त; √हि/प्र+हि ‘to send’)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
खुरैःwith (his) hooves
खुरैः:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootखुर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन
महीम्the earth
महीम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootमही (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
महाहयःthe great horse
महाहयः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootमहा (प्रातिपदिक) + हय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formकर्मधारय-समास; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
निर्जरयन्wearing down, crushing
निर्जरयन्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootनि + जॄ/जर् (धातु; ‘to wear down’) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
Formशतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; केशी-विशेषण
मनोजवःswift as thought
मनोजवः:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootमनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + जव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘mind-speed’
सटावधूताभ्रविमानसङ्कुलम्(the sky) crowded with cloud-like aerial chariots (stirred by his mane)
सटावधूताभ्रविमानसङ्कुलम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootसटा (प्रातिपदिक) + अवधूत (कृदन्त; √धू ‘shake off’) + अभ्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विमान (प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formबहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘sky crowded with cloud-like aerial cars (as if) shaken by (his) mane’
कुर्वन्making
कुर्वन्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
Formशतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; केशी-विशेषण
नभःthe sky
नभः:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootनभस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
हेषितभीषिताखिलःwhose neighing terrified everyone
हेषितभीषिताखिलः:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootहेषित (कृदन्त; √हृष्/हेष् ‘to neigh’) + भीषित (कृदन्त; √भी ‘to frighten’) + अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘all (were) frightened by (his) neighing’
Purport

When the Supreme Personality of Godhead saw how the demon was frightening His village of Gokula by neighing terribly and shaking the clouds with his tail, the Lord came forward to meet him. Keśī was searching for Kṛṣṇa to fight, so when the Lord stood before him and challenged him to approach, the horse responded by roaring like a lion.

Characters & Entities
Ś
Śukadeva Gosvāmī
K
Keśī
K
Kaṁsa

FAQs

Keśī is a powerful horse-demon sent by Kaṁsa to terrorize Vraja and kill Kṛṣṇa, continuing Kaṁsa’s repeated attempts to destroy the Lord’s devotees and the Lord’s divine presence in Gokula.

It shows Kaṁsa relied on fear and brute force—sending formidable demons to create panic in Vraja—yet these efforts ultimately fail against Bhagavān’s protection.

Even when problems arrive suddenly and seem overwhelming, the Bhagavatam emphasizes steady remembrance of Bhagavān and trust that divine protection is stronger than fear.

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