Shloka 67

कुब्जानुग्रहः, धनुर्भङ्गः, कुवलयापीडवधः, मल्लयुद्धं, कंसवधः, स्तुतयः

Devanagari script

कृष्णस् तोशलकं भूयो मल्लराजं महाबलम् वाममुष्टिप्रहारेण पातयाम् आस भूतले

Transliteration

kṛṣṇas tośalakaṃ bhūyo mallarājaṃ mahābalam vāmamuṣṭiprahāreṇa pātayām āsa bhūtale

Translation

Then Kṛṣṇa, once again, struck down Tośalaka—the mighty king among wrestlers—bringing him to the ground with a crushing blow of His left fist.

Word by Word

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

• तोशलकम्: Tośalaka (a wrestler)
• तोशलकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोशलक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• भूयः: again
• भूयः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस्/भूयः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरर्थक/अधिक्यवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (again/further)

• मल्लराजम्: the king of wrestlers
• मल्लराजम्: Karma (Appositional object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘मल्लानां राजा’

• महाबलम्: very strong
• महाबलम्: Karma-viseshana (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (पूर्वपद) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः ‘great-strong’

• वाममुष्टिप्रहारेण: with a blow of the left fist
• वाममुष्टिप्रहारेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाम (प्रातिपदिक) + मुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष-श्रृङ्खला (वामस्य मुष्टिः → वाममुष्टिः; वाममुष्ट्या प्रहारः)

• पातयाम्: felled/caused to fall
• पातयाम्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; परिप्रयोग-रूपम् (periphrastic perfect stem)

• आस: did (auxiliary)
• आस: Kriya (Auxiliary/सहायकक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; सहायकक्रिया (auxiliary)

• भूतले: on the ground
• भूतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To swiftly subdue the remaining champions in Kaṃsa’s arena, demonstrating divine supremacy and clearing the way for the tyrant’s removal.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Public reassertion of dharma through the fall of adharma’s champions

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Tośalaka
• Malla (wrestlers)
• Mathura (implied arena context)

FAQs

What is the significance of Kṛṣṇa defeating the wrestler-king in the Vishnu Purana?

It dramatizes divine sovereignty: Kṛṣṇa’s avatāra-līlā subdues oppressive power in the public arena and signals the restoration of dharma in Mathurā.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Kṛṣṇa’s power in such episodes?

Through concise narrative action: Parāśara presents Kṛṣṇa’s effortless victory as evidence that the Supreme Reality (Vishnu) can act in the world without limitation.

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

Kṛṣṇa’s strength is not merely heroic; it is the Lord’s transcendent authority manifesting in time—protecting devotees and re-establishing cosmic order.