Shloka 11

नारदेन कंसबोधनम्, कंसस्योपायचिन्ता, अक्रूरप्रेषणम् (मथुरागमनप्रस्तावः)

Devanagari script

गजः कुवलायापीडो मत्समीपम् उपागतौ घातयिष्यति वा गोपौ वसुदेवसुताव् उभौ

Transliteration

gajaḥ kuvalāyāpīḍo matsamīpam upāgatau ghātayiṣyati vā gopau vasudevasutāv ubhau

Translation

The elephant Kuvalayāpīḍa—once the two cowherd youths, the sons of Vasudeva, come near me—will surely strike them down and kill them both.

Word by Word

• गजः: the elephant
• गजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कुवलायापीडः: Kuvalayāpīḍa (name of the elephant)
• कुवलायापीडः: Samanaadhikarana (Apposition/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुवलय-आपीड (प्रातिपदिक: कुवलय + आपीड)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; गजस्य नाम (proper name)

• मत्समीपम्: to my vicinity
• मत्समीपम्: Karman (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्-समীপ (प्रातिपदिक: अस्मद्-षष्ठी 'मत्' + समीप)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; गन्तव्यस्थान (towards my vicinity)

• उपागतौ: have come near / have approached
• उपागतौ: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-गम् (धातु; √गम्)
• Form: क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; गजः कुवलायापीडः इत्यर्थे समन्वयः (both have come)

• घातयिष्यति: he will kill / cause to be slain
• घातयिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: घातय् (धातु; √हन् causative)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; णिच् (causative) प्रयोग

• वा: or / perhaps
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive/alternative particle)

• गोपौ: the two cowherd boys
• गोपौ: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन

• वसुदेवसुतौ: the two sons of Vasudeva
• वसुदेवसुतौ: Visheshya (Apposition/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुदेव-सुत (प्रातिपदिक: वसुदेव + सुत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन; गोपौ इत्यस्य विशेषण/समनाधिकरण

• उभौ: both
• उभौ: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन; संख्यावाचक

Speaker

Kamsa (as reported by Sage Parashara in narration to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Kaṃsa’s layered assassination plan—elephant at the gate, then wrestlers, then final attack

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Kṛṣṇa comes to end Kaṃsa’s violent oppression; even Kaṃsa’s staged obstacles like Kuvalayāpīḍa become occasions for the avatar’s protective victory.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Removal of unjust force and intimidation from public life; protection of the divine mission in Mathurā

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Characters & Entities

• Kamsa
• Kuvalayapida
• Vasudeva
• Krishna
• Balarama

FAQs

What is the significance of Kuvalayāpīḍa in the Vishnu Purana?

Kuvalayāpīḍa represents Kamsa’s weaponized power—state violence turned into a ‘test’ for the divine youths—yet it becomes a stage where adharma is exposed and inevitably overturned by the Lord’s presence.

How does Sage Parashara frame Kamsa’s plan in this episode?

Parashara presents it as calculated hostility: Kamsa expects the elephant to kill the sons of Vasudeva upon their approach, highlighting the king’s fear-driven schemes against destiny and divine will.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Krishna, as Vishnu’s manifestation, is shown as the Supreme protector of dharma—human plots to destroy righteousness fail when confronted by the Lord’s sovereign presence and purpose.