Shloka 43
Kṛṣṇa Comforts His Parents, Restores Ugrasena, Studies with Sāndīpani, and Returns the Guru’s Son
तदङ्गप्रभवं शङ्खमादाय रथमागमत् । तत: संयमनीं नाम यमस्य दयितां पुरीम् ॥ ४२ ॥ गत्वा जनार्दन: शङ्खं प्रदध्मौ सहलायुध: । शङ्खनिर्ह्रादमाकर्ण्य प्रजासंयमनो यम: ॥ ४३ ॥ तयो: सपर्यां महतीं चक्रे भक्त्युपबृंहिताम् । उवाचावनत: कृष्णं सर्वभूताशयालयम् । लीलामनुष्ययोर्विष्णो युवयो: करवाम किम् ॥ ४४ ॥
tad-aṅga-prabhavaṁ śaṅkham ādāya ratham āgamat tataḥ saṁyamanīṁ nāma yamasya dayitāṁ purīm
Lord Janārdana took up the conchshell that had grown from the demon’s body, returned to the chariot, and then went to Saṁyamanī, the beloved capital of Yamarāja, lord of death. Arriving there with Lord Balarāma, He blew His conch with a mighty sound, and Yamarāja, who restrains the conditioned souls, came at once upon hearing that reverberation. With great devotion Yamarāja offered elaborate worship to the two Lords and, bowing to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who dwells in the hearts of all beings, said: “O Supreme Viṣṇu, what shall I do for You and for Balarāma, who are enacting the pastime of ordinary humans?”
The conchshell the Lord took from Pañcajana, which is called Pāñcajanya, is the same one He sounded at the beginning of the Bhagavad-gītā. According to the ācāryas, Pañcajana had become a demon in a way similar to that of Jaya and Vijaya. In other words, though appearing in the form of a demon, he was actually a devotee of the Lord. The Skanda Purāṇa, Avanti-khaṇḍa, describes the wonderful things that happened when Lord Kṛṣṇa sounded His conchshell:
FAQs
Saṁyamanī is described here as the beloved city of Yamarāja, the ruler who administers justice over the departed souls.
In the context of serving His teacher Sandīpani Muni, Kṛṣṇa proceeds toward Yamarāja’s realm to recover the guru’s lost son.
It highlights guru-sevā and responsibility—true devotion expresses itself through sincere service and keeping one’s promises.