Shloka 6

नारदेन कंसबोधनम्, कंसस्योपायचिन्ता, अक्रूरप्रेषणम् (मथुरागमनप्रस्तावः)

Devanagari script

यावन् न बलम् आरूढौ रामकृष्णौ सुबालकौ तावद् एव मया वध्याव् असाध्यौ रूढयौवनौ

Transliteration

yāvan na balam ārūḍhau rāmakṛṣṇau subālakau tāvad eva mayā vadhyāv asādhyau rūḍhayauvanau

Translation

So long as Rāma and Kṛṣṇa had not yet come into their full strength—while they were still mere boys—then and there they ought to have been slain by me; for once they rise into youth, they will become unassailable.

Word by Word

• यावत्: as long as, until
• यावत्: काल/परिमाण (Correlative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्धाव्यय; correl. with तावत्)

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

• बलम्: strength, power
• बलम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; 'आरूढौ' इत्यस्य कर्म/उपपदसम्बन्धः (to have mounted strength)

• आरूढौ: having mounted/attained
• आरूढौ: कर्ता (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + रुह् (धातु) → आरूढ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; विशेषणम्

• रामकृष्णौ: Rāma and Kṛṣṇa
• रामकृष्णौ: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक) + कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (द्वन्द्वः); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन

• सुबालकौ: very young boys
• सुबालकौ: कर्ता (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + बालक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (कर्मधारयः; 'सुबालकौ' = अतिशयेन बालकौ); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; रामकृष्णयोः विशेषणम्

• तावत्: so long, until then
• तावत्: काल/परिमाण (Correlative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative with यावत्)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: अवधारण (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis)

• मया: by me
• मया: करण/कर्ता (Agent-instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; त्रिलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• वध्यौ: to be killed
• वध्यौ: विधेय (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वध् (धातु) → वध्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्-प्रत्यय, gerundive/future passive participle: 'to be slain'); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; विधेयविशेषणम्

• असाध्यौ: not difficult (i.e., doable) / not impossible
• असाध्यौ: विधेय (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्) + साध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्-तत्पुरुषभावः (negated adjective); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; वध्यौ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• रूढयौवनौ: having reached youth
• रूढयौवनौ: विधेय/विशेषण (Predicate/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूढ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; रुह् धातु) + यौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः; रूढं यौवनं ययोः); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; रामकृष्णयोः विशेषणम्

Speaker

Kaṁsa (as reported within the Purāṇic narration by Sage Parāśara to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Kaṃsa’s strategic fear and realization about the brothers’ growing power.

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To confront and eliminate Kaṃsa, whose fear recognizes the avatāra’s inevitable ascendancy from childhood to unassailable power.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Removal of tyrannical adharma and protection of the righteous through the avatāra’s destined victory.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Adharma, sensing the rise of dharma’s power, turns desperate and accelerates violence—yet such fear itself signals the certainty of divine victory.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: When facing intimidation, remember that panic-driven aggression often reveals weakness; remain steady and align with dharma rather than react in fear.

Vishishtadvaita: Bhagavān’s śakti manifests progressively in time (childhood to youth) without implying limitation—His accessible form grows while His supremacy remains constant.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Characters & Entities

• Rama (Balarama)
• Krishna
• Kamsa

FAQs

What is the significance of Kaṁsa fearing Rāma and Kṛṣṇa in the Vishnu Purana?

It highlights the Purāṇic motif that adharma recognizes its own doom: even royal power senses that the divine order will mature and become impossible to resist.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the unfolding of destiny in such episodes?

Through narrated speech and events, Parāśara shows that human schemes act within a larger dhārmic and cosmic sovereignty—where Vishnu’s presence makes evil ultimately self-defeating.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu here, even though the verse names Rāma and Kṛṣṇa?

Rāma (Balarāma) and Kṛṣṇa function as manifestations of divine power; the verse underscores that as the Lord’s līlā progresses, hostile forces cannot finally subdue the Supreme’s purpose.