Shloka 17

Uddhava Sent to Vraja: Consolation to Nanda-Yaśodā and the Gopīs’ Separation

Devanagari script

दिष्‍ट्या कंसो हत: पाप: सानुग: स्वेन पाप्मना । साधूनां धर्मशीलानां यदूनां द्वेष्टि य: सदा ॥ १७ ॥

Transliteration

diṣṭyā kaṁso hataḥ pāpaḥ sānugaḥ svena pāpmanā sādhūnāṁ dharma-śīlānāṁ yadūnāṁ dveṣṭi yaḥ sadā

Translation

ഭാഗ്യവശാൽ, പാപിയായ കംസൻ സ്വന്തം പാപങ്ങളാൽ തന്നെ അനുയായികളോടൊപ്പം കൊല്ലപ്പെട്ടു. അവൻ എപ്പോഴും സജ്ജനങ്ങളും ധർമ്മിഷ്ഠരുമായ യദക്കളെ വെറുത്തിരുന്നു.

Synonyms

• diṣṭyā: fortunately
• diṣṭyā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: diṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial instrumental (तृतीया-प्रयोगेण अव्ययीभाव/क्रियाविशेषण-रूपेण) meaning ‘fortunately/by good providence’

• kaṁsaḥ: Kaṁsa
• kaṁsaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṁsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• hataḥ: killed
• hataḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hata (कृदन्त, √han/हन्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; past passive participle (क्त)

• pāpaḥ: sinful
• pāpaḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• sa-anugaḥ: along with his followers
• sa-anugaḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (प्रातिपदिक, ‘with’) + anuga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; अव्ययीभाव-समासः (anugaiḥ saha)

• svena: by his own
• svena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; reflexive pronoun used adjectivally

• pāpmanā: by (his) sin/evil
• pāpmanā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• sādhūnām: of the saintly
• sādhūnām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

• dharma-śīlānām: of those whose nature is righteousness
• dharma-śīlānām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + śīla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural; तत्पुरुष-समासः (dharmaḥ śīlam yeṣām) used adjectivally for sādhūnām

• yadūnām: of the Yadus
• yadūnām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yadu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

• dveṣṭi: hates
• dveṣṭi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dviṣ (द्विष्)
• Form: Present (लट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person (प्रथम-पुरुष), Singular

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; relative pronoun referring to kaṁsaḥ

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (कालवाचक अव्यय)

Characters & Entities

• Kaṁsa
• Yadu

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the downfall of sinful rulers like Kaṁsa?

This verse states that Kaṁsa was destroyed by his own pāpa (sinful nature) because he constantly hated the sādhus and the dharma-minded Yadus—showing that adharma ultimately collapses under its own weight.

Why did Uddhava tell the Vraja residents that Kaṁsa had been killed?

Uddhava brought Kṛṣṇa’s message to Vraja; announcing Kaṁsa’s death reassured them that the great threat to Kṛṣṇa and the Yadu dynasty had ended and that dharma had been restored.

Practical application of this teaching in modern life—what should a devotee learn from Kaṁsa’s example?

Avoid cultivating envy and hatred toward devotees and righteous people; instead align with dharma and bhakti, because negativity and wrongdoing eventually rebound upon the doer.