Shloka 14

Aghāsura-vadha: The Killing and Deliverance of Aghāsura

Devanagari script

द‍ृष्ट्वार्भकान् कृष्णमुखानघासुर: कंसानुशिष्ट: स बकीबकानुज: । अयं तु मे सोदरनाशकृत्तयो- र्द्वयोर्ममैनं सबलं हनिष्ये ॥ १४ ॥

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvārbhakān kṛṣṇa-mukhān aghāsuraḥ kaṁsānuśiṣṭaḥ sa bakī-bakānujaḥ ayaṁ tu me sodara-nāśa-kṛt tayor dvayor mamainaṁ sa-balaṁ haniṣye

Translation

Aghāsura, adik kepada Pūtanā dan Bakāsura, diutus oleh Kaṁsa. Melihat Kṛṣṇa, dia berfikir, 'Dia telah membunuh saudara-saudaraku. Aku akan membunuh-Nya bersama rakan-rakan-Nya.'

Synonyms

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (पूर्वकालिक क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √dṛś (दृश् धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वान्त/gerund), avyaya-prayoga; ‘having seen’

• arbhakān: the boys
• arbhakān: Karma (कर्म/object of dṛṣṭvā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arbhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Plural

• kṛṣṇa-mukhān: with Kṛṣṇa as their leader
• kṛṣṇa-mukhān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of arbhakān)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛṣṇa + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Plural; तत्पुरुषः—‘कृष्णस्य मुखम् (मुख्यः) येषाम्’ i.e., having Kṛṣṇa as leader/foremost

• aghāsuraḥ: Aghāsura
• aghāsuraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aghāsura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular

• kaṁsa-anuśiṣṭaḥ: instructed by Kaṁsa
• kaṁsa-anuśiṣṭaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of aghāsuraḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kaṁsa + anuśiṣṭa (√śās, शास् धातु; क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; तत्पुरुषः—‘कंस द्वारा अनुशिष्टः’ (instructed by Kaṁsa)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता/appositional)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular

• bakī-baka-anujaḥ: the younger brother of Bakī and Baka
• bakī-baka-anujaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/apposition to saḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bakī + baka + anuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular; तत्पुरुषः—‘बकी-बकयोः अनुजः’ (younger brother of Bakī and Baka)

• ayam: this (one)
• ayam: Karta (कर्ता; subject of intended action)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular

• tu: but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adversative/contrast particle

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular; enclitic form

• sodara-nāśa-kṛt: the destroyer of (my) brothers
• sodara-nāśa-kṛt: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of ayam)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sodara + nāśa + kṛt (√kṛ, कृ धातु; कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular; कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त (कर्तृवाचक); तत्पुरुषः—‘सोदरयोः नाशं करोति’ (destroyer of brothers)

• tayor: of those two
• tayor: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Dual (द्विवचन)

• dvayoḥ: of the two
• dvayoḥ: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvi (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Dual; numeral used substantively

• mama: of me, my
• mama: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular

• enam: him
• enam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular; enclitic ‘enam’

• sa-balam: together with (his) companions/strength
• sa-balam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of enam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (सह) + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular; अव्ययीभावः—‘सबलम्’ = with (his) strength/with companions

• haniṣye: I shall kill
• haniṣye: Kriyā (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √han (हन् धातु)
• Form: Luṭ (लुट्, periphrastic future), Parasmaipada, Uttama-puruṣa (1st), Singular

Characters & Entities

• Aghāsura
• Kṛṣṇa
• Kaṁsa
• Pūtanā (Bakī)
• Bakāsura

FAQs

Who is Aghasura in Srimad Bhagavatam and why did he attack Krishna?

Aghāsura is a demon sent by Kaṁsa; seeing Kṛṣṇa with the cowherd boys, he decided to kill Kṛṣṇa and His companions, seeking revenge because Kṛṣṇa had already destroyed his siblings (Bakāsura and Pūtanā).

What is the connection between Aghasura, Bakasura, and Putana (Baki)?

This verse identifies Aghāsura as the younger brother of Bakāsura and Bakī (Pūtanā), linking the sequence of Kaṁsa’s demons who attacked Kṛṣṇa in Vraja.

What practical lesson does this shloka teach modern readers?

It shows how envy and revenge-driven thinking blinds one to reality; in contrast, devotion aligns one with Kṛṣṇa’s protection, reminding seekers to avoid resentment and cultivate bhakti and humility.