Shloka 7

Devanagari script

सङ्‌क्रुद्धस्तमचक्षाणो घ्राणद‍ृष्टि: स केशवम् । परामृशत् पुष्करेण स प्रसह्य विनिर्गत: ॥ ७ ॥

Transliteration

saṅkruddhas tam acakṣāṇo ghrāṇa-dṛṣṭiḥ sa keśavam parāmṛśat puṣkareṇa sa prasahya vinirgataḥ

Translation

Unable to see Lord Keśava, the elephant grew furious and searched for Him by smell. Again he seized the Lord with the tip of his trunk, but the Lord forcefully freed Himself.

Synonyms

• सङ्क्रुद्धः: enraged
• सङ्क्रुद्धः: कर्तृविशेषण (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-क्रुध् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; agrees with सः (गजः)

• तम्: him
• तम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अचक्षाणः: not seeing (blindly)
• अचक्षाणः: कर्तृविशेषण (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-चक्ष् (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present participle/शानच्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘not seeing’

• घ्राणदृष्टिः: guided by smell (using smell as sight)
• घ्राणदृष्टिः: कर्तृविशेषण (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घ्राण + दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘घ्राणेन दृष्टिः यस्य’ इत्यर्थे (करण-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समास); nominative masculine singular

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• केशवम्: Keshava (Krishna)
• केशवम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; accusative masculine singular

• परामृशत्: touched, seized, grasped
• परामृशत्: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परा-मृश् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (aorist/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पुष्करेण: with (his) trunk
• पुष्करेण: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental neuter singular; here ‘with the trunk’

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रसह्य: forcibly
• प्रसह्य: क्रियाविशेषण (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-सह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having forced/forcibly’

• विनिर्गतः: having come out, emerged
• विनिर्गतः: कर्तृविशेषण (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-निर्-गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having come out’

Purport

Lord Kṛṣṇa allowed the elephant to seize Him so that the beast would be encouraged to keep fighting. Once Kuvalayāpīḍa had thus become proud, Lord Kṛṣṇa again thwarted him with His superior potency.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa (Keśava)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Krishna’s protection in the Mathura arena?

This verse depicts an enraged opponent blindly trying to seize Keśava, showing that even forceful aggression becomes futile before Kṛṣṇa’s supreme control in His līlā.

Why is the attacker described as using smell as sight (ghrāṇa-dṛṣṭiḥ)?

The narration emphasizes his blindness and rage—unable to see, he tries to locate Kṛṣṇa by scent, highlighting both his desperation and Kṛṣṇa’s unassailable position.

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

Anger and obsession can make a person ‘blind,’ acting impulsively and losing discernment; cultivating devotion and self-control restores clear vision and right action.