Shloka 18

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

Devanagari script

निशम्य तद्भ‍ोजपति: कोपात्प्रचलितेन्द्रिय: । निशातमसिमादत्त वसुदेवजिघांसया ॥ १८ ॥

Transliteration

niśamya tad bhoja-patiḥ kopāt pracalitendriyaḥ niśātam asim ādatta vasudeva-jighāṁsayā

Translation

ఇది విని భోజాధిపతి కంసుడు కోపంతో ఉన్మత్తుడై ఇంద్రియనియంత్రణ కోల్పోయాడు. వసుదేవుణ్ని చంపేందుకు పదునైన ఖడ్గాన్ని ఎత్తుకున్నాడు।

Synonyms

• niśamya: having heard
• niśamya: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√śam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund/absolutive): ‘having heard’

• tat: that
• tat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; here as qualifier to following compound: ‘that’

• bhoja-patiḥ: the Bhoja king (Kaṁsa)
• bhoja-patiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhoja (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘lord of the Bhojas’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kopāt: from anger
• kopāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kopa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• pracalita-indriyaḥ: with agitated senses
• pracalita-indriyaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√cal (धातु) + indriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: ‘whose senses are agitated’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (qualifying bhoja-patiḥ)

• niśātam: sharpened
• niśātam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niśāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; adjective to asi

• asim: sword
• asim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ādatta: took up
• ādatta: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√dā (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘took up’

• vasudeva-jighāṁsayā: with the intent to kill Vasudeva
• vasudeva-jighāṁsayā: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasudeva (प्रातिपदिक) + jighāṁsā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘desire to kill Vasudeva’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instrumental of motive)

Characters & Entities

• Kaṁsa
• Vasudeva

FAQs

Why did Kaṁsa want to kill Vasudeva in Srimad Bhagavatam?

In this verse, Kaṁsa’s anger overwhelms him and he impulsively takes up a sword, intending to kill Vasudeva—showing how fear and hatred make him commit increasingly adharma-filled acts.

Who is speaking this verse in Bhagavata Purana Canto 10?

Śukadeva Gosvāmī is narrating these events to Mahārāja Parīkṣit.

What is the practical lesson of this shloka for modern life?

Unchecked anger agitates the senses and drives destructive decisions; cultivating self-restraint and devotion protects one from acting impulsively and harming others.