Shloka 1

Kṛṣṇa’s Queens, Their Sons, and Balarāma’s Victory over Rukmī at Dice

Aniruddha–Rocanā Marriage Context

Devanagari script

श्रीशुक उवाच एकैकशस्ता: कृष्णस्य पुत्रान् दश दशाबला: । अजीजनन्ननवमान्पितु: सर्वात्मसम्पदा ॥ १ ॥

Transliteration

śrī-śuka uvāca ekaikaśas tāḥ kṛṣṇasya putrān daśa-daśābaāḥ ajījanann anavamān pituḥ sarvātma-sampadā

Translation

Śukadeva sprach: Jede der Gemahlinnen Kṛṣṇas gebar zehn Söhne; sie standen ihrem Vater in nichts nach, denn sie besaßen seine ganze persönliche Herrlichkeit und Fülle.

Synonyms

• śrī-śukaḥ: Śrī Śuka
• śrī-śukaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī + śuka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• eka-ekaśaḥ: one by one
• eka-ekaśaḥ: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eka + eka + śas (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (distributive adverb): ‘one by one / each’

• tāḥ: they (those women)
• tāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• kṛṣṇasya: of Kṛṣṇa
• kṛṣṇasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• putrān: sons
• putrān: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• daśa-daśa: ten each
• daśa-daśa: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् वितरणार्थे (distributive numeral): ‘ten each’; रूपतः नपुंसक/अव्ययप्राय प्रयोग

• abalāḥ: the women
• abalāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘अबला’ = woman

• ajījanan: they bore / gave birth to
• ajījanan: Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jan (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense (णिच्) implied: अजीजनन् = caused to be born/bore

• anavamān: excellent / without disgrace
• anavamān: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anavamāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; नञ्-समासभाव: ‘without disrespect’ → ‘unabased/excellent’ (as epithet of sons)

• pituḥ: of the father
• pituḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• sarva-ātma-sampadā: with all (his) excellences/wealth
• sarva-ātma-sampadā: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + ātman + sampad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: सर्वात्मनः सम्पदा / सर्वात्मसम्पदा (with all excellences)

Purport

Lord Kṛṣṇa had 16,108 wives, and thus this verse indicates that the Lord begot 161,080 sons.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Kṛṣṇa’s wives

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Krishna’s sons in Dvaraka?

This verse states that each of Krishna’s wives bore ten sons, and these sons were fully worthy of their father, possessing excellent qualities.

Why does Shukadeva Goswami describe Krishna’s children as ‘not inferior’ to their father?

Śuka emphasizes the extraordinary virtue and capability of Krishna’s descendants, showing that the Lord’s household pastimes manifest divine prosperity and noble lineage.

What is a practical lesson from this shloka for modern life?

It highlights the ideal of raising children with strong character and virtues—seeing family life as a field for dharma and spiritual culture, not merely worldly success.