Shloka 16

Devanagari script

चाणूरमुष्टिकौ मल्लौ नियुद्धकुशलौ मम ताभ्यां सहानयोर् युद्धं सर्वलोको ऽत्र पश्यतु

Transliteration

cāṇūramuṣṭikau mallau niyuddhakuśalau mama tābhyāṃ sahānayor yuddhaṃ sarvaloko 'tra paśyatu

Translation

“माझे मल्ल चाणूर व मुष्टिक—युद्धात निपुण—त्या दोघांशी लढोत. इथला सर्व लोक हा सामना पाहो।”

Word by Word

• चाणूरमुष्टिकौ: Cāṇūra and Muṣṭika
• चाणूरमुष्टिकौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाणूर (प्रातिपदिक) + मुष्टिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (चाणूरश्च मुष्टिकश्च)

• मल्लौ: the wrestlers
• मल्लौ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन

• नियुद्धकुशलौ: skilled in fighting
• नियुद्धकुशलौ: Karta-viseshana (Qualifier of subject/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + कुशल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; तत्पुरुष (नियुद्धे कुशलौ = skilled in combat)

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

• ताभ्याम्: with/by those two
• ताभ्याम्: Karana/Saha (Instrument/association/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Saha (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सह-योगार्थ preposition/adverb “together with”)

• आनयोः: of these two
• आनयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन (अनयोः/आनयोः = of these two)

• युद्धम्: the fight
• युद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सर्वलोकः: all the people
• सर्वलोकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सर्वः लोकः)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक adverb “here”)

• पश्यतु: let (him/it) see
• पश्यतु: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

King Kamsa (commanding the public wrestling match)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: The public wrestling match is arranged to eliminate Krishna and Balarama, but becomes the occasion for the avatāra to protect the world and destroy Kaṃsa’s forces.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Defeat of violent oppression and protection of the innocent through righteous victory.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Characters & Entities

• Kamsa
• Chanura
• Mushtika
• Krishna
• Balarama
• Wrestlers (Mallas)
• People of Mathura

FAQs

What is the significance of the Chanura–Mushtika wrestling match in the Vishnu Purana?

It is the public turning-point where Kamsa’s oppression culminates, and Krishna’s divinely ordered intervention moves from hidden protection to open confrontation.

How does the Vishnu Purana frame Kamsa’s command in the larger narrative?

Kamsa speaks as a sovereign issuing orders, but the text uses his command to reveal a higher sovereignty—Vishnu’s will—unfolding through Krishna and Balarama.

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

Though presented as a human contest, the episode underscores Vishnu’s supremacy: the Lord enters history as Krishna to re-establish dharma, using even hostile schemes as instruments of cosmic order.