Shloka 78

कुब्जानुग्रहः, धनुर्भङ्गः, कुवलयापीडवधः, मल्लयुद्धं, कंसवधः, स्तुतयः

Devanagari script

कंसे गृहीते कृष्णेन तद्भ्राताभ्यागतो रुषा सुनामा बलभद्रेण लीलयैव निपातितः

Transliteration

kaṃse gṛhīte kṛṣṇena tadbhrātābhyāgato ruṣā sunāmā balabhadreṇa līlayaiva nipātitaḥ

Translation

କଂସକୁ କୃଷ୍ଣ ଧରିନେଇଥିବାବେଳେ ତାହାର ଭାଇ ସୁନାମା କ୍ରୋଧେ ଜ୍ୱଳି ଧାଇଆସିଲା; କିନ୍ତୁ ବଳଭଦ୍ର ଲୀଳାମାତ୍ରେ ତାକୁ ପତିତ କଲେ।

Word by Word

• kaṃse: in/when Kaṃsa
• kaṃse: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular

• gṛhīte: when (he) was seized
• gṛhīte: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण; locative absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √grah (ग्रह् धातु) + क्त (past passive participle)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative absolute ‘when (he) was seized’

• kṛṣṇena: by Kṛṣṇa
• kṛṣṇena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• tad-bhrātā: his brother
• tad-bhrātā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + bhrātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘his brother’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• abhyāgataḥ: arrived
• abhyāgataḥ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया; participial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-ā-√gam (गम् धातु) + क्त (past participle)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Past participle ‘having come/arrived’

• ruṣā: with anger
• ruṣā: Hetu/Instrument (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ruṣ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular (भावे)

• sunāmā: Sunāmā (named Sunāmā)
• sunāmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय समास (‘good-named’ as epithet), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• balabhadreṇa: by Balabhadra (Balarāma)
• balabhadreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: balabhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• līlayā: playfully, as a sport
• līlayā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: līlā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular (manner)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha/Emphasis (Nipāta)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle of emphasis)

• nipātitaḥ: was knocked down
• nipātitaḥ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√pat (पत् धातु) + णिच् (causative) + क्त (past passive participle)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Past passive participle ‘was felled/struck down’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating) to Maitreya

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Kamsa
• Balarama (Balabhadra)
• Sunama

FAQs

What is the significance of līlā (divine play) in this Vishnu Purana verse?

The verse frames Balabhadra’s victory as līlā—showing that for the divine, even the suppression of violent opposition is effortless and serves the restoration of cosmic order (dharma).

How does Sage Parāśara present divine sovereignty in the Kamsa narrative here?

By depicting Kṛṣṇa’s capture of Kaṃsa and Balabhadra’s immediate, playful subduing of Sunāmā, Parāśara emphasizes that hostile power collapses the moment it confronts the Lord’s ordained purpose.

What is the theological importance of Krishna and Balabhadra in this context?

Kṛṣṇa and Balabhadra function as agents of Vishnu’s supreme governance: tyrannical forces and their kin are neutralized without strain, highlighting the avatāra’s role in re-establishing dharma.