Shloka 9

केशीवधः तथा ‘केशव’ नामप्रसिद्धिः

Devanagari script

बाहुम् आभोगिनं कृत्वा मुखे तस्य जनार्दनः प्रवेशयाम् आस तदा केशिनो दुष्टवाजिनः

Transliteration

bāhum ābhoginaṃ kṛtvā mukhe tasya janārdanaḥ praveśayām āsa tadā keśino duṣṭavājinaḥ

Translation

Then Janārdana, making His arm expand and swell with irresistible might, thrust it into the mouth of Keśin—the wicked horse-demon—subduing the insolent force that rose against the Lord’s sovereignty.

Word by Word

• बाहुम्: arm
• बाहुम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आभोगिनम्: stretched out; extended
• आभोगिनम्: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आभोगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (expanded/extended)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having made)

• मुखे: in the mouth
• मुखे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him (Keśin)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• जनार्दनः: Janārdana (Krishna)
• जनार्दनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रवेशयाम्: caused to enter; inserted
• प्रवेशयाम्: Kriya (Main action—part of periphrastic perfect/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + विश् (धातु) णिच् (causative)
• Form: लिट् (Periphrastic Perfect/परस्मैपदी-परिप्रयोग), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातोः णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative: ‘to cause to enter’)

• आस: did; was (aux.)
• आस: Kriya (Auxiliary/सहायक-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; सहायक-क्रिया (auxiliary in periphrastic perfect)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• केशिनः: of Keśin
• केशिनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दुष्टवाजिनः: of the wicked horse
• दुष्टवाजिनः: Sambandha (Genitive apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + वाजिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘दुष्टः वाजी’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: revealing

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Kṛṣṇa subdues Keśin by overpowering him from within, removing a demonic threat to Vraja.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Protection of the innocent and containment of asuric violence.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s mastery is effortless and inward—He can conquer adharma from within, not merely by external force.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: When facing overpowering impulses or hostility, seek inner alignment through nāma-smaraṇa and surrender rather than reactive aggression.

Vishishtadvaita: Vishnu’s immanence: the Supreme can pervade and govern beings from within while remaining transcendent.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Janardana (Vishnu/Krishna)
• Keshi (Keśin, horse-demon)

FAQs

What is the significance of Keśin’s defeat in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse highlights how Krishna, as Janārdana, neutralizes a destructive asuric threat with effortless divine power, reaffirming that adharma cannot prevail against the Lord’s rule.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Krishna’s power in this episode?

Through vivid action—Krishna enlarging His arm and thrusting it into Keśin’s mouth—Parāśara conveys that the avatāra’s might is innate and sovereign, not dependent on external weapons or aids.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu (Krishna) here?

Krishna’s act functions as a theological statement: Vishnu’s avatāra is the Supreme Reality actively safeguarding cosmic order, with demonic aggression rendered powerless before Him.