Shloka 47

कुब्जानुग्रहः, धनुर्भङ्गः, कुवलयापीडवधः, मल्लयुद्धं, कंसवधः, स्तुतयः

Devanagari script

सख्यः पश्यत चाणूरं नियुद्धार्थम् अयं हरिः समुपैति न सन्त्य् अत्र किं वृद्धा युक्तकारिणः

Transliteration

sakhyaḥ paśyata cāṇūraṃ niyuddhārtham ayaṃ hariḥ samupaiti na santy atra kiṃ vṛddhā yuktakāriṇaḥ

Translation

Friends, look—this Hari is advancing toward Cāṇūra for a regulated duel! Are there no elders here, no prudent and right-minded men, who will act?

Word by Word

• सख्यः: O friends
• सख्यः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), बहुवचन — Vocative plural

• पश्यत: see, look
• पश्यत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद — Imperative, 2nd person plural

• चाणूरम्: Cāṇūra
• चाणूरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाणूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• नियुद्धार्थम्: for the purpose of wrestling
• नियुद्धार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियुद्ध + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन — Accusative singular; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नियुद्धस्य अर्थः)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन — Nominative singular (pronoun)

• हरिः: Hari (Krishna)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• समुपैति: approaches
• समुपैति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+उप+इ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Present indicative, 3rd person singular

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय — negation particle

• सन्ति: are
• सन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद — Present indicative, 3rd person plural

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय — adverb of place

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन — interrogative ‘what?’

• वृद्धाः: elders
• वृद्धाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), बहुवचन — Nominative plural

• युक्तकारिणः: acting properly, judicious
• युक्तकारिणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युक्त + कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), बहुवचन — Nominative plural; समासः कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (युक्तं करोति इति)

Speaker

The people/spectators in Kamsa’s wrestling arena at Mathura (a concerned onlooker addressing companions)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Krishna confronts Cāṇūra in the arena to protect the oppressed in Mathurā and to initiate the downfall of Kaṃsa’s adharma.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Fairness in public contest and protection of the innocent from tyrannical violence.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When injustice is witnessed in public life, the righteous must not remain passive; prudent elders should intervene to uphold dharma.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Do not normalize unfairness—use lawful, wise intervention to protect the vulnerable.

Vishishtadvaita: Hari’s lordship operates within society: the transcendent Lord acts immanently to restore moral order.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Krishna)
• Chanura

FAQs

What is the significance of Krishna approaching Chanura in the Vishnu Purana?

It marks the public turning point where Hari openly confronts Kamsa’s champion, signaling the imminent collapse of adharma through divine līlā.

How does the Vishnu Purana portray social dharma through the phrase “vṛddhā yuktakāriṇaḥ”?

The verse criticizes moral inaction: elders and discerning leaders are expected to intervene when wrongdoing is staged as spectacle, highlighting communal responsibility alongside divine action.

What is the theological importance of calling Krishna “Hari” in this context?

“Hari” identifies Krishna as Vishnu—the Supreme Lord—showing that the apparent human contest is governed by the transcendent protector who removes evil and restores order.