Shloka 1

केशीवधः तथा ‘केशव’ नामप्रसिद्धिः

Devanagari script

केशी चापि बलोदग्रः कंसदूतप्रचोदितः कृष्णस्य निधनाकाङ्क्षी वृन्दावनम् उपागमत्

Transliteration

keśī cāpi balodagraḥ kaṃsadūtapracoditaḥ kṛṣṇasya nidhanākāṅkṣī vṛndāvanam upāgamat

Translation

Keshi too—mighty and swollen with brute force—spurred on by Kamsa’s messengers, came to Vṛndāvana, longing for Kṛṣṇa’s death.

Word by Word

• keśī: Keśī (the demon)
• keśī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (कर्ता) एकवचन (Masculine; Nominative; Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (and)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-शब्दः (also)

• balodagraḥ: very strong, mighty
• balodagraḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bala + udagra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Masculine; Nominative; Singular); तत्पुरुष (exceeding in strength)

• kaṃsadūtapracoditaḥ: urged by Kaṃsa’s messenger
• kaṃsadūtapracoditaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kaṃsa + dūta + pracodita (प्रातिपदिक; √cud + pra + kta)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Masculine; Nominative; Singular); बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (impelled by Kaṃsa’s messenger)

• kṛṣṇasya: of Kṛṣṇa
• kṛṣṇasya: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध) एकवचन (Masculine; Genitive; Singular)

• nidhanākāṅkṣī: desiring (Kṛṣṇa’s) death
• nidhanākāṅkṣī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nidhana + ākāṅkṣin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Masculine; Nominative; Singular); तत्पुरुष (desiring death [for him])

• vṛndāvanam: Vṛndāvana
• vṛndāvanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛndāvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म) एकवचन (Neuter; Accusative; Singular)

• upāgamat: came, approached
• upāgamat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-ā-√gam (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Imperfect; 3rd person; Singular)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: revealing

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Kṛṣṇa descends to protect Vraja and destroy demon-forces dispatched by Kaṃsa, re-establishing safety for devotees.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Protection of the cowherd community and the righteous order of Vraja against asuric violence.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Asuric force, even when driven by political hatred, is drawn into the Lord’s sphere where it meets its destined defeat and the devotee is protected.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: When adversity approaches, anchor the mind in the Lord’s protective presence and continue dharmic life without panic.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s saulabhya (easy accessibility) within the world: divine sovereignty is present in Vraja as lived protection for embodied devotees.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Vatsalya

Characters & Entities

• Keśī
• Kaṃsa
• Kṛṣṇa
• Vṛndāvana

FAQs

What is the significance of Keshi coming to Vrindavana in the Vishnu Purana?

It marks Kamsa’s intensifying attempt to eliminate Krishna and sets the stage for the defeat of adharma as hostile forces enter the sacred space of Vrindavana.

How does Sage Parāśara frame Kamsa’s actions in this episode?

Parāśara presents Kamsa as acting through agents (messengers and demons), highlighting a recurring pattern: worldly power schemes against the avatara, yet inevitably fails before Vishnu’s ordained protection.

What is the theological importance of Krishna in this context?

Krishna is implied as the avatara of Vishnu—supreme reality governing order—so the demon’s death-wish becomes self-defeating, underscoring Vishnu’s sovereignty over fate and dharma.