Shloka 1

श्रीशुक उवाच अथान्यदपि कृष्णस्य श‍ृणु कर्माद्भ‍ुतं नृप । क्रीडानरशरीरस्य यथा सौभपतिर्हत: ॥ १ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca athānyad api kṛṣṇasya śṛṇu karmādbhutaṁ nṛpa krīḍā-nara-śarīrasya yathā saubha-patir hataḥ

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King, now hear another wondrous deed of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who appeared in a humanlike form to relish His transcendental līlās. Hear how He slew the lord of Saubha.

श्री-शुकःŚrī Śuka
श्री-शुकः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootश्रीशुक (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); proper noun; compound: श्री + शुक (honorific + name)
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
FormPerfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada
अथthen
अथ:
Sambandha/Discourse marker (सम्बन्ध/वाक्योपक्रम)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथ (अव्यय)
FormIndeclinable particle (निपात) indicating sequence
अन्यत्another (thing)
अन्यत्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootअन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
अपिalso
अपि:
Modifier (विशेषक)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
FormIndeclinable particle (निपात)
कृष्णस्यof Kṛṣṇa
कृष्णस्य:
Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootकृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)
शृणुhear
शृणु:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootश्रु (धातु)
FormImperative (लोट्), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada
कर्मdeed
कर्म:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
अद्भुतम्wonderful
अद्भुतम्:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootअद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with कर्म
नृपO king
नृप:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootनृप (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)
क्रीडा-नर-शरीरस्यof (him who had) a human body for play
क्रीडा-नर-शरीरस्य:
Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootक्रीडा + नर + शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग) head: शरीर; Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन); compound: क्रीडायै (for play) नर-शरीरम् (human body)
यथाhow; as
यथा:
Prakaraṇa (प्रकरण/रीति)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा (अव्यय)
FormIndeclinable adverb/conjunction (अव्यय) introducing manner/comparison
सौभ-पतिःthe lord of Saubha (Śālva)
सौभ-पतिः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootसौभ + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); compound: सौभस्य पति (lord of Saubha)
हतःwas slain
हतः:
Karta-predicate (कर्तृ-विशेषण/विधेय)
TypeAdjective
Rootहन् (धातु)
FormPast passive participle (क्त/कृत), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with सौभपतिः
Ś
Śukadeva Gosvāmī
P
Parīkṣit Mahārāja
K
Kṛṣṇa
Ś
Śālva (Saubhapati)

FAQs

This verse describes Kṛṣṇa as krīḍā-nara-śarīra—He manifests a human-like form for His divine pastimes, while His deeds remain extraordinary and worship-worthy.

Śukadeva is continuing Krishna-kathā for Parīkṣit, introducing the next episode—Kṛṣṇa’s slaying of Śālva, the master of Saubha—as another astonishing divine act to be heard with devotion.

Regularly hearing and reflecting on Kṛṣṇa’s līlā builds faith, steadies the mind, and redirects attention from fear and distraction toward devotion and inner strength.