Shloka 4

Kṛṣṇa Kills Dantavakra; Balarāma’s Pilgrimage and the Slaying of Romaharṣaṇa

Devanagari script

गदामुद्यम्य कारूषो मुकुन्दं प्राह दुर्मद: । दिष्‍ट्या दिष्‍ट्या भवानद्य मम द‍ृष्टिपथं गत: ॥ ४ ॥

Transliteration

gadām udyamya kārūṣo mukundaṁ prāha durmadaḥ diṣṭyā diṣṭyā bhavān adya mama dṛṣṭi-pathaṁ gataḥ

Translation

Raising his club, the reckless King of Karūṣa said to Lord Mukunda, “What luck! What luck — to have You come before me today!

Synonyms

• गदाम्: mace
• गदाम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उद्यम्य: having raised
• उद्यम्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + यम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• कारूषः: the Kāruṣa (king)
• कारूषः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारूष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुकुन्दम्: Mukunda (Kṛṣṇa)
• मुकुन्दम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुकुन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह्/ब्रू (धातु; ‘आह’ रूप)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• दुर्मदः: arrogant, intoxicated with pride
• दुर्मदः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्मद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कारूषस्य)

• दिष्ट्या: by good fortune!
• दिष्ट्या: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Exclamation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण निपातवत् (interjection: ‘by good fortune!’)

• दिष्ट्या: indeed, by great fortune!
• दिष्ट्या: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Exclamation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पूर्ववत्; पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)

• भवान्: you (sir)
• भवान्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; आदरार्थक-सर्वनाम

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दृष्टि-पथम्: range/path of sight
• दृष्टि-पथम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दृष्टेः पथः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गतः: has come, has entered
• गतः: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle used predicatively); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Purport

Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that after having waited for three lifetimes, Dantavakra, formerly a gatekeeper in Vaikuṇṭha, could now return to the spiritual world. Therefore the transcendental meaning of his statement is: “How fortunate! How fortunate I am that today I can return to my constitutional position in the spiritual world!”

Characters & Entities

• Dantavakra
• Mukunda (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about pride before confronting Krishna?

This verse shows Dantavakra’s durmada (arrogance): he interprets seeing Kṛṣṇa as “good fortune,” but his pride drives him toward confrontation rather than surrender.

Why did Dantavakra say this to Mukunda (Krishna)?

In the narrative, Dantavakra—an ally of Śiśupāla—approaches Kṛṣṇa as an enemy; raising his mace, he taunts Kṛṣṇa for finally coming within his sight, signaling imminent combat.

Practical application of this shloka in modern life?

It warns that ego can distort even “good fortune” into hostility; when opportunities to approach the divine arise, choose humility and devotion over pride and aggression.