Shloka 53

कुब्जानुग्रहः, धनुर्भङ्गः, कुवलयापीडवधः, मल्लयुद्धं, कंसवधः, स्तुतयः

Devanagari script

चाणूरेण ततः कृष्णो युयुधे ऽमितविक्रमः नियुद्धकुशलो दैत्यो बलभद्रेण मुष्टिकः

Transliteration

cāṇūreṇa tataḥ kṛṣṇo yuyudhe 'mitavikramaḥ niyuddhakuśalo daityo balabhadreṇa muṣṭikaḥ

Translation

Then Kṛṣṇa, of immeasurable prowess, engaged Cāṇūra in skilled wrestling combat; and the demon Muṣṭika, expert in the wrestler’s art, grappled with Balabhadra (Balarāma).

Word by Word

• चाणूरेण: by/with Cāṇūra
• चाणूरेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाणूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) — ‘then/thereupon’

• कृष्णः: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णः: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• युयुधे: fought
• युयुधे: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अमितविक्रमः: of immeasurable prowess
• अमितविक्रमः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमित + विक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (epithet)

• नियुद्धकुशलः: skilled in wrestling
• नियुद्धकुशलः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियुद्ध + कुशल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• दैत्यः: the Daitya (demon)
• दैत्यः: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बलभद्रेण: by/with Balabhadra (Balarāma)
• बलभद्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलभद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुष्टिकः: Muṣṭika (the wrestler)
• मुष्टिकः: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुष्टिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To protect dharma by destroying Kaṃsa’s champions and relieving the earth of tyrannical demonic power in Mathurā.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Protection of the righteous and the public order violated by Kaṃsa’s regime.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Chāṇūra
• Balabhadra (Balarāma)
• Muṣṭika
• Daityas (demons)

FAQs

What is the significance of Krishna’s wrestling with Chāṇūra in the Vishnu Purana?

It marks the public turning-point where the Lord’s avataric power confronts and dismantles Kamsa’s violent order, showing dharma prevailing through divinely guided action.

How does Sage Parāśara frame this combat within the larger narrative?

Parāśara presents it as a decisive episode in Krishna’s Mathurā-līlā: the Lord and Balabhadra meet the regime’s champions directly, preparing the way for Kamsa’s downfall.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu (as Krishna) in this context?

Krishna’s ‘immeasurable prowess’ signals the Supreme Reality operating in the world—protecting devotees and rebalancing cosmic and social order by subduing adharma.