Shloka 23

कुब्जानुग्रहः, धनुर्भङ्गः, कुवलयापीडवधः, मल्लयुद्धं, कंसवधः, स्तुतयः

Devanagari script

तम् अप्य् आज्ञाप्य दृष्ट्वा च मञ्चान् सर्वान् उपाकृतान् आसन्नमरणः कंसः सूर्योदयम् उदैक्षत

Transliteration

tam apy ājñāpya dṛṣṭvā ca mañcān sarvān upākṛtān āsannamaraṇaḥ kaṃsaḥ sūryodayam udaikṣata

Translation

Having issued those further orders and seeing all the viewing platforms prepared, Kaṃsa—his death now near—fixed his gaze upon the sunrise.

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd); एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-कार (also/even)

• आज्ञाप्य: having ordered
• आज्ञाप्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having commanded’

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having seen’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• मञ्चान्: platforms/seats
• मञ्चान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मञ्च (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd); बहुवचन

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन; मञ्चान् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• उपाकृतान्: prepared/arranged
• उपाकृतान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + आ√कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन; मञ्चान् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• आसन्नमरणः: one whose death was near
• आसन्नमरणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आसन्न + मरण (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (आसन्नं मरणं यस्य)

• कंसः: Kaṃsa
• कंसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); एकवचन

• सूर्योदयम्: sunrise
• सूर्योदयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य + उदय (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सूर्यस्य उदयः)

• उदैक्षत: looked at / watched
• उदैक्षत: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्√ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To bring Kaṃsa’s destined end and relieve the earth of oppressive rule through a public confrontation.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Removal of fear-based शासन (rule) and restoration of righteous governance.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Adharma ripens into inevitable consequence; even kings cannot outmaneuver destiny when opposed to Bhagavān and dharma.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Use power responsibly; cultivate humility and ethical restraint, recognizing that wrongdoing carries unavoidable results.

Vishishtadvaita: Divine providence governs history without negating moral accountability—Bhagavān’s order (niyati) and human agency both operate.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Characters & Entities

• Kamsa
• Sunrise (Suryodaya)

FAQs

What is the significance of sunrise (sūryodaya) in this Vishnu Purana verse?

Sunrise functions as a narrative threshold: the ordinary cycle of time becomes the moment when destiny ripens—Kaṃsa watches the day begin that will also end his reign.

How does Sage Parāśara frame Kaṃsa’s state of mind here?

Parāśara depicts Kaṃsa as hyper-vigilant and controlling—issuing orders and inspecting preparations—yet inwardly marked by inevitability, explicitly called “one whose death is near.”

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context, even though Krishna is not named in the verse?

Within the Vishnu Purana’s Krishna-Charita, Kaṃsa’s “near death” implies the unseen governance of the Supreme (Vishnu as Krishna): time and events move toward the restoration of dharma under divine sovereignty.