Shloka 37

The Slaying of Narakāsura (Bhaumāsura), Rescue of the Princesses, and the Pārijāta Episode Begins

Devanagari script

ऐरावतकुलेभांश्च चतुर्दन्तांस्तरस्विन: । पाण्डुरांश्च चतु:षष्टिं प्रेरयामास केशव: ॥ ३७ ॥

Transliteration

airāvata-kulebhāṁś ca catur-dantāṁs tarasvinaḥ pāṇḍurāṁś ca catuḥ-ṣaṣṭiṁ prerayām āsa keśavaḥ

Translation

Keshava also dispatched sixty-four swift white elephants, descendants of Airāvata, each bearing four tusks.

Synonyms

• ऐरावत-कुलेभान्: elephants of Airāvata’s lineage
• ऐरावत-कुलेभान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐरावत + कुलेभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ऐरावतस्य कुलेभाः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• चतुर्-दन्तान्: four-tusked
• चतुर्-दन्तान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + दन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (चत्वारः दन्ताः यस्य)

• तरस्विनः: swift/strong
• तरस्विनः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तरस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; -इन्/विन्-प्रातिपदिक (strong, swift)

• पाण्डुरान्: pale/whitish
• पाण्डुरान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाण्डुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• चतुः-षष्टिम्: sixty-four (in number)
• चतुः-षष्टिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुः + षष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (चतुःषष्टिः = 64)

• प्रेरयामास: dispatched/sent forth
• प्रेरयामास: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + ईर्/इर् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिप्रास-परफेक्ट/Periphrastic perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; causative sense ‘to cause to go/dispatch’

• केशवः: Keśava (Krishna)
• केशवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

Characters & Entities

• Keśava (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
• Airāvata

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Krishna’s military power in the Narakasura episode?

This verse shows Keśava directing an elite force of swift, four-tusked elephants—sixty-four in number—highlighting His commanding presence and the grandeur of the battle.

Why are Airavata’s lineage elephants mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatam 10.59?

By invoking Airāvata’s lineage, the narration emphasizes the exceptional, royal-quality elephants involved, intensifying the majesty and scale of Kṛṣṇa’s campaign.

Practical application: what can devotees learn from Krishna ‘urging forward’ the elephants?

A devotee can reflect on purposeful direction—placing one’s strength and resources in disciplined service under divine guidance rather than acting impulsively.