Shloka 14

कुब्जानुग्रहः, धनुर्भङ्गः, कुवलयापीडवधः, मल्लयुद्धं, कंसवधः, स्तुतयः

Devanagari script

आयोगवं धनूरत्नं ताभ्यां पृष्टैस् तु रक्षिभिः आख्याते सहसा कृष्णो गृहीत्वापूरयद् धनुः

Transliteration

āyogavaṃ dhanūratnaṃ tābhyāṃ pṛṣṭais tu rakṣibhiḥ ākhyāte sahasā kṛṣṇo gṛhītvāpūrayad dhanuḥ

Translation

When the guards, questioned by the two, pointed out that jewel among bows—Āyogava—Kṛṣṇa at once seized it and, in an instant, strung and drew the bow to its full stretch.

Word by Word

• आयोगवम्: made of āyogava (iron/metal)
• आयोगवम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आयोगव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• धनूरत्नम्: the precious bow
• धनूरत्नम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (‘रत्नभूतं धनुः’ = precious bow)

• ताभ्याम्: by those two
• ताभ्याम्: करण/कर्ता (Agent in passive context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• पृष्टैः: asked
• पृष्टैः: विशेषण (Qualifier of rakṣibhiḥ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पृच्छ् (धातु; √पृच्छ् ‘to ask’)
• Form: क्त (भूतकृदन्त/Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; ‘asked (by)’

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: निपात (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (adversative/contrast particle)

• रक्षिभिः: by the guards
• रक्षिभिः: कर्ता (Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• आख्याते: when (it was) reported
• आख्याते: सति-सप्तमी (Locative absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ख्या (धातु; √ख्या ‘to tell/declare’)
• Form: क्त (भूतकृदन्त/Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; लोके/सति-सप्तमी (‘when it was told’)

• सहसा: suddenly/at once
• सहसा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय (adverb)

• कृष्णः: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• गृहीत्वा: having taken
• गृहीत्वा: पूर्वकालक्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु; √ग्रह् ‘to seize’)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभाव; ‘having taken’

• अपूरयत्: strung/filled (the bow)
• अपूरयत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-पूॄ (धातु; √पूॄ/पूर् ‘to fill/fit, string’)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धनुः: the bow
• धनुः: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How Krishna handled Kamsa’s famed bow and what sign it gave to Mathura

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To publicly demonstrate irresistible divine strength in Mathura and initiate the collapse of Kamsa’s oppressive order.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Rightful protection of the righteous and the removal of fear enforced by tyrannical power

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s supreme power appears as effortless play (līlā), revealing that divine sovereignty is unconditioned by worldly measures of strength.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Cultivate trust that obstacles symbolizing fear and oppression can be overcome by reliance on the Lord rather than by anxiety-driven self-assertion.

Vishishtadvaita: The transcendent Lord acts within history in a tangible form, making his protective power accessible to embodied devotees.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Guards (rakṣin)
• Āyogava (the bow)

FAQs

What is the significance of Krishna stringing the Āyogava bow in the Vishnu Purana?

It signals Krishna’s effortless divine mastery and rightful sovereignty—power aligned with dharma rather than brute force.

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

Through narrative immediacy: the moment the bow is identified, Krishna instantly takes it and makes it ready, showing innate, unsurpassed capability characteristic of the avatāra.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Krishna’s action functions as a visible mark of the Supreme Reality (Vishnu) acting in the world—upholding cosmic order by demonstrating authority that no worldly guardian can obstruct.