Shloka 11

केशीवधः तथा ‘केशव’ नामप्रसिद्धिः

Devanagari script

कृष्णस्य ववृधे बाहुः केशिदेहगतो द्विज विनाशाय यथा व्याधिर् आसंभूतेर् उपेक्षितः

Transliteration

kṛṣṇasya vavṛdhe bāhuḥ keśidehagato dvija vināśāya yathā vyādhir āsaṃbhūter upekṣitaḥ

Translation

O twice-born one, when Kṛṣṇa’s arm entered Keśī’s body it expanded within him—like a disease that, ignored from its very first arising, grows only for the destruction (of the host).

Word by Word

• कृष्णस्य: of Krishna
• कृष्णस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ववृधे: grew; increased
• ववृधे: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृध् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• बाहुः: arm
• बाहुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• केशिदेहगतः: having entered Keśin’s body
• केशिदेहगतः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केशि (प्रातिपदिक) + देह (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त, √गम् + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘केशेः देहे गतः’

• द्विज: O twice-born (sage)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• विनाशाय: for destruction
• विनाशाय: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थ (for the purpose of)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/just as)

• व्याधिः: a disease
• व्याधिः: Karta (Subject—of implied comparison/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आसंभूतेः: of its first arising; at the onset
• आसंभूतेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसंभूति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘आसन्न-सम्भव’ (incipient arising)

• उपेक्षितः: neglected
• उपेक्षितः: Karta (Predicate adjective in simile/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + ईक्ष् (धातु) + क्त (भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘neglected/ignored’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: didactic

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Kṛṣṇa’s indwelling force expands within Keśin to bring about the demon’s destruction and protect the righteous.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Removal of a destructive asuric agent to preserve communal peace and dharmic stability.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Unchecked wrongdoing, like an untreated disease, grows from within until it becomes self-destructive.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Address harmful habits early through discipline, confession, and satsanga; do not ‘normalize’ small lapses that later harden into suffering.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord as inner governor: divine power operates within beings, turning adharma toward its own dissolution under cosmic law.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Keshi

FAQs

What is the significance of the disease simile in this Vishnu Purana verse?

It portrays adharma/asuric force as self-defeating: once it allows the Divine to enter (here, Kṛṣṇa’s arm within Keśī), its own neglect and arrogance become the cause of inevitable destruction.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the defeat of Keśī here?

Parāśara narrates a concrete physical miracle—Kṛṣṇa’s arm expanding inside Keśī—framed with a moral analogy, showing how evil ripens into its own end when unchecked.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Kṛṣṇa’s effortless victory signals Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty: the Avatar restores dharma not merely by strength, but by the irresistible presence of the Supreme within the forces of chaos.