Shloka 25

The Killing of Ariṣṭāsura and Kaṁsa’s Plot to Summon Kṛṣṇa

Devanagari script

महामात्र त्वया भद्र रङ्गद्वार्युपनीयताम् । द्विप: कुवलयापीडो जहि तेन ममाहितौ ॥ २५ ॥

Transliteration

mahāmātra tvayā bhadra raṅga-dvāry upanīyatām dvipaḥ kuvalayāpīḍo jahi tena mamāhitau

Translation

象使いよ、善良な者よ。象のクヴァラヤーピーダをレスリングアリーナの入り口に配置し、私の二人の敵を殺させなさい。

Synonyms

• महामात्र: O chief officer!
• महामात्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative/8th), एकवचन

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• भद्र: O good sir!
• भद्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative/8th), एकवचन; संबोधन-विशेषण

• रङ्गद्वारि: at the arena gate
• रङ्गद्वारि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रङ्ग + द्वार (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘रङ्गस्य द्वारम्’ (at the arena gate)

• उपनीयताम्: let (it) be brought
• उपनीयताम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-√नी (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): ‘let (it) be brought’

• द्विपः: the elephant
• द्विपः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कुवलयापीडः: Kuvalayāpīḍa
• कुवलयापीडः: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुवलया + पीड (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘कुवलयायाः पीडः’ (Kuvalayāpīḍa, name of the elephant)

• जहि: kill!
• जहि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हन् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तेन: by him/with that
• तेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

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

• अहितौ: two enemies
• अहितौ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), द्विवचन; ‘enemies/ill-wishers’

Characters & Entities

• Kaṁsa
• Kuvalayāpīḍa

FAQs

Who is Kuvalayāpīḍa in Srimad Bhagavatam?

Kuvalayāpīḍa is Kaṁsa’s powerful elephant, stationed at the arena gate to attack and kill Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma as part of Kaṁsa’s scheme.

Why did Kaṁsa order his minister to bring the elephant to the arena gate?

Kaṁsa feared Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma and arranged layered assassinations; placing Kuvalayāpīḍa at the entrance was meant to destroy them before they even entered the wrestling arena.

What is the practical lesson from Kaṁsa’s plotting in this verse?

It shows how fear and envy drive harmful schemes, while devotees learn to rely on dharma and the Lord’s protection rather than manipulation and violence.