Shloka 25

श्रीकृष्ण-जन्म, वसुदेव-यमुनातरण, बालिका-उत्क्षेपः, देवी-प्रादुर्भावः

Devanagari script

कंसस् तूर्णम् उपेत्यैनां ततो जग्राह बालिकाम् मुञ्च मुञ्चेति देवक्या सन्नकण्ठ्या निवारितः

Transliteration

kaṃsas tūrṇam upetyaināṃ tato jagrāha bālikām muñca muñceti devakyā sannakaṇṭhyā nivāritaḥ

Translation

Kamsa rushed forward and at once seized the infant girl; but Devaki, her voice choked in her throat, pleaded again and again, “Release her, release her!”, striving to restrain him.

Word by Word

• कंसः: Kamsa
• कंसः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तूर्णम्: quickly
• तूर्णम्: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• उपेत्य: having approached
• उपेत्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उप-इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), उपसर्ग: उप-; ‘having approached’

• एनाम्: her
• एनाम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रयोग (adverb)

• जग्राह: seized
• जग्राह: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• बालिकाम्: the girl (infant)
• बालिकाम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बालिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• मुञ्च: release!
• मुञ्च: Sambodhana-prayoga (आज्ञार्थ/Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• मुञ्च: release!
• मुञ्च: Sambodhana-prayoga (आज्ञार्थ/Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Vacana-paryavasana (उद्धरण/Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण-चिह्न/वाक्यसमाप्ति-सूचक (quotative particle)

• देवक्या: by Devaki
• देवक्या: Karana (करण/Instrument; agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• सन्नकण्ठ्या: with choked throat (voice faltering)
• सन्नकण्ठ्या: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सन्नकण्ठी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying Devakī)

• निवारितः: was restrained/prevented
• निवारितः: Kriya (क्रियापद-भाव; passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-वारय् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: नि-

Speaker

Sage Parashara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Kṛṣṇa’s descent and the events surrounding his birth amid Kaṃsa’s persecution.

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To remove the tyrant Kaṃsa and relieve the earth and the Yādavas from his oppression, enabling dharma to flourish.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Protection of innocents and the divine plan of avatāra-birth against adharma-driven tyranny.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Vatsalya

Characters & Entities

• Kamsa
• Devaki
• infant girl (Yogamaya)

FAQs

What is the significance of Devaki’s plea “Release her” in the Vishnu Purana?

It highlights the clash between human compassion and Kamsa’s adharma, setting the emotional and moral stakes just before divine protection overturns his violent intent.

How does Sage Parashara explain the unfolding of divine order in this episode?

Parashara narrates how Kamsa’s oppressive actions intensify right before Vishnu’s higher arrangement manifests—where even Kamsa’s aggression becomes a backdrop for the restoration of dharma.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Though not named in this verse, the scene belongs to Vishnu’s Krishna-avatara cycle: the Supreme Reality safeguards cosmic order, using divine agency (the infant girl/Yogamaya) to frustrate adharma and prepare dharma’s victory.