Shloka 12

अक्रूरस्य यमुनादर्शनम्, मथुराप्रवेशः, रजकवधः, माल्यजीवकवरदानम्

Devanagari script

इत्य् उक्त्वा प्रविवेशाथ सो ऽक्रूरो मथुरां पुरीम् प्रविष्टौ रामकृष्णौ च राजमार्गम् उपागतौ

Transliteration

ity uktvā praviveśātha so 'krūro mathurāṃ purīm praviṣṭau rāmakṛṣṇau ca rājamārgam upāgatau

Translation

Having spoken thus, Akrūra entered the city of Mathurā. Rāma and Kṛṣṇa too, reaching the royal highway, made their entrance—moving onward in accord with the Lord’s lila that orders kings and realms.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: वाक्यसमाप्ति/उद्धरण (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: पूर्वकालक्रिया (Absolutive; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: वच्; ‘having said’

• प्रविवेश: entered
• प्रविवेश: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-विश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: प्र-

• अथ: then
• अथ: सम्बन्ध (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक अव्यय (sequencing particle)

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अक्रूरः: Akrūra
• अक्रूरः: कर्ता (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्रूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मथुराम्: Mathurā
• मथुराम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मथुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पुरीम्: the city
• पुरीम्: कर्म (Appositional object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; मथुरायाः विशेषणार्थे समनाधिकरण

• प्रविष्टौ: having entered / entered
• प्रविष्टौ: कर्ता-विशेषण (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; उपसर्ग: प्र-; ‘having entered/entered’ (of रामकृष्णौ)

• रामकृष्णौ: Rāma and Kṛṣṇa
• रामकृष्णौ: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक) + कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• राजमार्गम्: the royal road
• राजमार्गम्: कर्म/देश (Goal/place as object of motion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (राज्ञः मार्गः)

• उपागतौ: arrived at / approached
• उपागतौ: क्रिया-सम्बन्ध (Predicative participle of subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; उपसर्ग: उप-; ‘having approached/arrived’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Kṛṣṇa enters Mathurā to consummate the removal of Kaṃsa and restore righteous order.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Rightful governance and protection of devotees

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s līlā unfolds through ordinary public spaces, revealing divine governance (niyati) within history.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: See daily life as a field for remembrance—recognize providence and act with steady devotion amid public duties.

Vishishtadvaita: Antaryāmin-sense: Bhagavān’s inner governance directs worldly events without negating human agency.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Akrura
• Mathura
• Rama (Balarama)
• Krishna

FAQs

What is the significance of Akrura entering Mathura in the Vishnu Purana?

Akrura’s entry signals the transition from Vrindavana episodes to the decisive Mathura phase, where Krishna’s divine purpose begins to unfold openly in the political center of Kamsa’s rule.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the movement of Krishna and Balarama in this episode?

Parāśara narrates their approach as a purposeful advance into Mathura’s public space (the royal road), indicating that the avatar’s mission now proceeds from pastoral concealment to visible, world-ordering action.

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

Krishna’s entry into Mathura is presented as the Supreme Lord’s governance of history—Vishnu’s avatar acts within time and society to re-establish dharma, showing divine sovereignty operating through human events.