Shloka 2

Devanagari script

हे प्रलम्ब महाबाहो केशिन् धेनुक पूतने अरिष्टाद्यैस् तथा चान्यैः श्रूयतां वचनं मम

Transliteration

he pralamba mahābāho keśin dhenuka pūtane ariṣṭādyais tathā cānyaiḥ śrūyatāṃ vacanaṃ mama

Translation

“O Pralamba, mighty-armed; O Keśin, Dhenuka, Pūtanā, Ariṣṭa, and all the rest—hear my words with care.”

Word by Word

• हे: O!
• हे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हे (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• प्रलम्ब: Pralamba
• प्रलम्ब: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• महाबाहो: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु (प्रातिपदिक: महा + बाहु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; विशेषण-सम्बोधन (प्रलम्बस्य)

• केशिन्: Keśin
• केशिन्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• धेनुक: Dhenuka
• धेनुक: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• पूतने: Pūtanā
• पूतने: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूतना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• अरिष्टाद्यैः: with Ariṣṭa and others
• अरिष्टाद्यैः: Sahakari (सहकारी/Associative-Instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; 'अरिष्ट-आदि' = अरिष्टप्रमुखैः

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अन्यैः: with other (demons)
• अन्यैः: Sahakari (सहकारी/Associative-Instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• श्रूयताम्: listen / let (it) be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद (श्रूयताम् = 'let it be heard by you all')

• वचनम्: words; statement
• वचनम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

Speaker

Kamsa (addressing his demon allies/assassins)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Characters & Entities

• Pralamba
• Keśin
• Dhenuka
• Pūtanā
• Ariṣṭa
• Kamsa
• Sri Krishna

FAQs

What is the significance of naming Pralamba, Keśin, Dhenuka, Pūtanā, and Ariṣṭa in this verse of the Vishnu Purana?

The verse functions as a narrative roll-call of the principal asura-agents mobilized against Krishna, signaling the escalation of adharma and foreshadowing each demon’s defeat as part of restoring cosmic order.

How does the Vishnu Purana present Kamsa’s role in Krishna’s narrative context here?

Kamsa appears as the anxious instigator who organizes repeated assaults; his commands highlight the contrast between political power driven by fear and the inevitability of Vishnu’s protection and triumph through Krishna.

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

Even when adversaries coordinate against him, Krishna (Vishnu) remains the sovereign reality: opposition becomes the stage for līlā, and each attack ultimately affirms divine supremacy and the re-establishment of dharma.