Shloka 20

Kṛṣṇa Slays Kuvalayāpīḍa and Enters Kaṁsa’s Wrestling Arena

Devanagari script

निरीक्ष्य तावुत्तमपूरुषौ जनामञ्चस्थिता नागरराष्ट्रका नृप । प्रहर्षवेगोत्कलितेक्षणानना:पपुर्न तृप्ता नयनैस्तदाननम् ॥ २० ॥

Transliteration

nirīkṣya tāv uttama-pūruṣau janā mañca-sthitā nāgara-rāṣṭrakā nṛpa praharṣa-vegotkalitekṣaṇānanāḥ papur na tṛptā nayanais tad-ānanam

Translation

O King, as the citizens and the people from the outlying districts gazed from the galleries upon those two Supreme Persons, the surge of joy made their eyes open wide and their faces blossom. They drank the Lords’ faces with their eyes, yet were never satiated.

Synonyms

• nirīkṣya: having seen
• nirīkṣya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √nir-īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), avyaya-kṛdanta (अव्ययकृदन्त)

• tau: those two
• tau: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Dual (द्विवचन)

• uttama-pūruṣau: the two best persons
• uttama-pūruṣau: Karma (कर्म) (apposition to tau)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uttama + pūruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya-samāsa (कर्मधारय): uttamau pūruṣau; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Dual (द्विवचन)

• janāḥ: people
• janāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• mañca-sthitāḥ: seated on the platforms
• mañca-sthitāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of janāḥ
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mañca + sthita (प्रातिपदिक; √sthā-क्त)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa-samāsa (तत्पुरुष): mañce sthitāḥ; Past participle (क्त) from √sthā; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• nāgara-rāṣṭrakāḥ: townsmen and countryfolk
• nāgara-rāṣṭrakāḥ: Apposition (समनाधिकरण) to janāḥ
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāgara + rāṣṭraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Itaretara-dvandva (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व): nāgarāḥ ca rāṣṭrakāḥ; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• nṛpa: O king
• nṛpa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन/8), Singular (एकवचन)

• praharṣa-vega-utkalita-īkṣaṇa-ānanāḥ: whose eyes and faces were uplifted/animated by a surge of joy
• praharṣa-vega-utkalita-īkṣaṇa-ānanāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of janāḥ
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praharṣa + vega + utkalita + īkṣaṇa + ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Multi-member Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) descriptive: praharṣa-vegena utkalite īkṣaṇe ānane ca yeṣām; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• papuḥ: they drank (in)
• papuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pā (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (लिट्/perfect), Prathama-puruṣa (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-अव्यय)

• tṛptāḥ: satisfied
• tṛptāḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (predicate adjective of janāḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tṛpta (प्रातिपदिक; √tṛp-क्त)
• Form: Past participle (क्त) from √tṛp ‘to be satisfied’; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• nayanaiḥ: with (their) eyes
• nayanaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nayana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural (बहुवचन)

• tad-ānanam: that face
• tad-ānanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad + ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष): tasya ānanam; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Balarāma

FAQs

Why are devotees never satisfied even after seeing Krishna in the Srimad Bhagavatam?

This verse says the people “drank” Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma’s faces with their eyes yet remained unsatisfied—because the Lord’s beauty and sweetness are unlimited, and loving devotion naturally longs for ever-fresh darśana.

Who is being described in Bhagavatam 10.43.20, and where is this happening?

Śukadeva describes the citizens and villagers in Mathurā, seated in the arena stands, beholding Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma as They appear for the wrestling festival connected to Kaṁsa.

How can I apply the teaching of Bhagavatam 10.43.20 in modern life?

Cultivate “darśana-bhāva” daily—seek the Lord’s presence through attentive deity worship, hearing and chanting, and mindful viewing of sacred forms—so the heart learns to relish devotion rather than temporary sights.