Shloka 10

अरिष्टवृषभदैत्यवधः (गोव्रजत्राणम्)

Devanagari script

आयान्तं दैत्यवृषभं दृष्ट्वा कृष्णो महाबलः न चचाल ततः स्थानाद् अवज्ञास्मितलीलया

Transliteration

āyāntaṃ daityavṛṣabhaṃ dṛṣṭvā kṛṣṇo mahābalaḥ na cacāla tataḥ sthānād avajñāsmitalīlayā

Translation

Seeing the bull-like foremost of the Daityas advancing, mighty Kṛṣṇa did not move from his place at all, but remained with a calm, disdainful smile, as if in playful līlā.

Word by Word

• आयान्तम्: coming, approaching
• आयान्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + यान्त (कृदन्त; √या धातु, शतृ/शानच्-आधारित वर्तमान-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-कृदन्त (present participle); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to दैत्यवृषभम्)

• दैत्यवृषभम्: the demon bull
• दैत्यवृषभम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य + वृषभ (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—दैत्यः वृषभः (the demon-bull)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• कृष्णः: Krishna
• कृष्णः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• महाबलः: mighty, of great strength
• महाबलः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + बल (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—महद् बलं यस्य/महाबलः; विशेषणम् (to कृष्णः)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• चचाल: moved
• चचाल: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चल् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ततः: from there
• ततः: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अपादानार्थ/देशवाचक-अव्यय (from there/from that)

• स्थानात्: from (his) place
• स्थानात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन

• अवज्ञास्मितलीलया: with a playful, contemptuous smile
• अवज्ञास्मितलीलया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवज्ञा + स्मित + लीला (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अवज्ञया स्मितं, तेन सह लीला) समाहारार्थे; करणवाचक-तृतीया

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Kṛṣṇa descends to neutralize demonic violence effortlessly, revealing divine supremacy while protecting Vraja.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Fearlessness and order in Vraja; the triumph of divine play over brute adharma.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Bhagavān’s effortless stillness before danger reveals absolute lordship; devotees gain fearlessness by trusting that sovereignty.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Practice inner steadiness (smṛti and śaraṇāgati) so external threats do not dislodge one’s center.

Vishishtadvaita: The Supreme Person remains transcendent yet acts within the world in līlā; His calm mastery reassures the dependent soul (jīva) of protective grace.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Daitya (demon) champion

FAQs

What is the significance of Krishna not moving from his place in this verse of the Vishnu Purana?

It signals divine sovereignty and inner unshakability: Krishna, as Vishnu’s avatara, remains unmoved before hostile शक्ति, showing that demonic force cannot disturb the Supreme.

How does Sage Parāśara convey the concept of līlā here?

By describing Krishna’s calm, almost playful smile of disregard while danger approaches, Parāśara frames the event not as anxiety-driven struggle but as controlled divine sport rooted in omnipotence.

What is the theological importance of calling the enemy a “daitya-vṛṣabha” in this context?

Even the ‘best of the Daityas’ is still powerless before the Lord; the epithet heightens the threat to emphasize that Krishna’s supremacy is absolute, not dependent on the opponent’s strength.