Shloka 9

अरिष्टवृषभदैत्यवधः (गोव्रजत्राणम्)

Devanagari script

अग्रन्यस्तविषाणाग्रः कृष्णकुक्षिकृतेक्षणः अभ्यधावत दुष्टात्मा कृष्णं वृषभदानवः

Transliteration

agranyastaviṣāṇāgraḥ kṛṣṇakukṣikṛtekṣaṇaḥ abhyadhāvata duṣṭātmā kṛṣṇaṃ vṛṣabhadānavaḥ

Translation

Lowering the sharp tip of his horns in front and fixing his gaze upon Kṛṣṇa’s flank, that wicked-souled bull-demon charged straight at Kṛṣṇa.

Word by Word

• अग्रन्यस्तविषाणाग्रः: whose horn-tips were thrust forward
• अग्रन्यस्तविषाणाग्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्र + न्यस्त + विषाण + अग्र (प्रातिपदिकानि; न्यस्त = √न्यस्/न्यास् क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘यस्य विषाणाग्रे अग्रे न्यस्ते (स्थिते)’; विशेषणम् (to वृषभदानवः/दुष्टात्मा)

• कृष्णकुक्षिकृतेक्षणः: whose gaze was fixed on Krishna’s belly
• कृष्णकुक्षिकृतेक्षणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण + कुक्षि + कृत + ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिकानि; कृत = √कृ क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘यस्य ईक्षणं कृष्णस्य कुक्षौ कृतम्’ (whose gaze fixed on Krishna’s belly); विशेषणम्

• अभ्यधावत: rushed toward
• अभ्यधावत: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + √धाव् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• दुष्टात्मा: the wicked-souled one
• दुष्टात्मा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्ट + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—दुष्टः आत्मा यस्य/दुष्ट आत्मा (as epithet)

• कृष्णम्: Krishna
• कृष्णम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• वृषभदानवः: the bull-demon
• वृषभदानवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ + दानव (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—वृषभः (वृषभ-रूपः) दानवः

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Kṛṣṇa descends to destroy violent asuric embodiments that threaten the devotees and the moral order.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Protection of Vraja and the defeat of brute-force adharma.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Vṛṣabha-dānava (bull-demon)

FAQs

What is the significance of the bull-demon charging Kṛṣṇa in the Vishnu Purana?

It dramatizes adharma’s direct assault on the Divine, while implying that such force is ultimately powerless before Kṛṣṇa, the supreme protector and ruler of cosmic order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the immediacy of danger in this scene?

By detailing the demon’s posture—horns thrust forward and eyes fixed on Kṛṣṇa’s side—Parāśara frames the attack as deliberate and lethal, heightening the narrative tension before divine resolution.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu (as Kṛṣṇa) in this context?

Kṛṣṇa is presented as Vishnu’s supreme presence within the world: even when confronted by violent, embodied adharma, the Lord remains the ultimate ground of sovereignty and protection.