Shloka 91

कुब्जानुग्रहः, धनुर्भङ्गः, कुवलयापीडवधः, मल्लयुद्धं, कंसवधः, स्तुतयः

Devanagari script

मायाविमोहितदृशा तनयो ममेति कंसाद् भयं कृतम् अपास्तभयातितीव्रम् नीतो ऽसि गोकुलम् इतो ऽतिभयाकुलस्य वृद्धिं गतो ऽसि मम नास्ति ममत्वम् ईश

Transliteration

māyāvimohitadṛśā tanayo mameti kaṃsād bhayaṃ kṛtam apāstabhayātitīvram nīto 'si gokulam ito 'tibhayākulasya vṛddhiṃ gato 'si mama nāsti mamatvam īśa

Translation

My sight, deluded by Your Māyā, clung to the thought, “He is my son,” and so I fashioned fierce fear of Kaṃsa. Therefore You were carried from here to Gokula; and I, shaken by excessive dread, have only grown in anxiety. O Lord, in truth there is no ‘mine-ness’ in me—no claim of possession over You.

Word by Word

• मायाविमोहितदृशा: with vision deluded by māyā
• मायाविमोहितदृशा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माया + वि + मुह् (धातु) → विमोहित + दृश्/दृशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; 'मायया विमोहिता दृक् यस्या सा' इति (instrumental of cause/means)

• तनयः: son
• तनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• इति: thinking/‘thus’
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक (quotative)

• कंसात्: from Kaṃsa
• कंसात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कृतम्: was made/was caused
• कृतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; 'made/caused'

• अपास्तभयातितीव्रम्: exceedingly intense, with fear dispelled
• अपास्तभयातितीव्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अप + अस्/स्था? → अपास्त (कृदन्त) + भय + अति + तीव्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भयस्य अपास्तत्वात् अति-तीव्रं (very intense due to fear being removed/overcome)

• नीतः: (you) were taken
• नीतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नी (धातु) → नीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; कर्मणि प्रयोगे 'having been taken'

• असि: are
• असि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गोकुलम्: to Gokula
• गोकुलम्: Gati/Karma (Destination/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• इतः: from here
• इतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (ablatival adverb) 'from here'

• अतिभयाकुलस्य: of (me) extremely fear-stricken
• अतिभयाकुलस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति + भय + आकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; विशेषण

• वृद्धिम्: increase/growth
• वृद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गतः: gone/attained
• गतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• असि: are
• असि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ममत्वम्: sense of ‘mine-ness’/possessiveness
• ममत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ममत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ईश: O Lord
• ईश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Vasudeva (addressing Lord Vishnu/Sri Krishna as the Supreme Lord)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To enact human-like līlā that draws out both fear and love in devotees, while ultimately freeing them from possessive delusion.

Leela: Bala

Dharma Restored: Protection of the divine child and the unfolding of justice against tyrannical adharma.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s māyā can veil His divinity, producing ‘mine-ness,’ yet true devotion matures into humility that relinquishes ownership over Him.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Notice possessiveness in love and devotion; convert it into self-offering (śaraṇāgati) while trusting the Lord’s protection.

Vishishtadvaita: Shows māyā as the Lord’s śakti that regulates revelation/veiling for līlā, while the jīva’s relation is one of dependence, not possession.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Vatsalya

Characters & Entities

• Vasudeva
• Krishna (Vishnu)
• Kamsa
• Gokula

FAQs

What is the significance of ‘mamatvam’ (possessiveness) in this Vishnu Purana verse?

It marks the spiritual correction from worldly attachment (“He is my son”) to surrender: the Lord cannot be possessed, and devotion matures by relinquishing ‘mine-ness’.

How does the narrative explain the move to Gokula in this context?

Vasudeva frames the transfer to Gokula as a response to the constructed fear of Kaṃsa—an act aligned with protecting the divine child and fulfilling the avatāra’s unfolding līlā.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu here?

Vishnu (as Krishna) is affirmed as Īśa, the Supreme Lord: even when appearing as a child in a human family, He remains transcendent, and human relationships must yield to reverent surrender.