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Shloka 15

Aghāsura-vadha: The Killing and Deliverance of Aghāsura

एते यदा मत्सुहृदोस्तिलाप: कृतास्तदा नष्टसमा व्रजौकस: । प्राणे गते वर्ष्मसु का नु चिन्ता प्रजासव: प्राणभृतो हि ये ते ॥ १५ ॥

ete yadā mat-suhṛdos tilāpaḥ kṛtās tadā naṣṭa-samā vrajaukasaḥ prāṇe gate varṣmasu kā nu cintā prajāsavaḥ prāṇa-bhṛto hi ye te

อฆาสูรคิดว่า 'หากข้าทำให้กฤษณะและเพื่อนๆ เป็นเครื่องเซ่นไหว้แก่พี่น้องของข้า ชาววรจะก็จะตายตามไปด้วย เพราะเด็กเหล่านี้คือดวงใจของพวกเขา'

etethese (people)
ete:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootetad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural
yadāwhen
yadā:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/temporal)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyadā (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; temporal adverb/conjunction
mat-suhṛdoḥof my two friends
mat-suhṛdoḥ:
Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootmad + suhṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Dual; तत्पुरुषः—‘मम सुहृदौ’ (my two friends)
tila-āpaḥ(become) as insignificant as a sesame seed
tila-āpaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता; predicate-noun)
TypeNoun
Roottila + āpa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular; तत्पुरुषः—‘तिलवत् आपः/अल्पः’ idiomatically ‘as insignificant as sesame-water’ (very small)
kṛtāḥmade, rendered
kṛtāḥ:
Kriyā (क्रियासमान/participial predicate)
TypeVerb
Root√kṛ (कृ धातु) + kta (क्त)
FormPast passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural; used predicatively ‘made/brought to’
tadāthen
tadā:
Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottadā (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; temporal adverb
naṣṭa-samāḥas good as destroyed
naṣṭa-samāḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of vrajaukasaḥ)
TypeAdjective
Rootnaṣṭa (√naś, नश् धातु; क्त) + sama (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural; कर्मधारयः—‘नष्टाः समाः’ (equal to being destroyed / as good as destroyed)
vraja-okasaḥthe residents of Vraja
vraja-okasaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootvraja + okas (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural; तत्पुरुषः—‘व्रजे ओकः येषाम्’ (dwellers of Vraja)
prāṇewhen life (breath)
prāṇe:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootprāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular
gatehas gone
gate:
Adhikaraṇa (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध; locative absolute)
TypeAdjective
Root√gam (गम् धातु) + kta (क्त)
FormPast passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular; locative absolute with prāṇe
varṣmasuin the bodies
varṣmasu:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootvarṣman (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Locative (सप्तमी/7), Plural
what?
:
Karta (कर्ता; predicate question)
TypeNoun
Rootkim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular; interrogative pronoun
nuindeed, then
nu:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootnu (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; interrogative particle (emphasis)
cintāworry
cintā:
Karta (कर्ता; complement of question)
TypeNoun
Rootcintā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular
prajā-āsavaḥthose whose life is their children
prajā-āsavaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता; apposition to prāṇa-bhṛtaḥ)
TypeNoun
Rootprajā + āsava (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural; तत्पुरुषः—‘प्रजायाः आसवः’ (those whose essence is progeny / having offspring as their life)
prāṇa-bhṛtaḥliving beings
prāṇa-bhṛtaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootprāṇa + bhṛt (√bhṛ, भृ धातु; कृत्)
FormMasculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural; कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त; तत्पुरुषः—‘प्राणान् बिभ्रति’ (living beings)
hiindeed
hi:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothi (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; particle (reason/emphasis)
yewho
ye:
Karta (कर्ता; relative)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural; relative pronoun
tethey
te:
Karta (कर्ता; correlative)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural; correlative pronoun
K
Krishna
V
Vraja-vasis
C
Cowherd boys
C
Calves

FAQs

This verse shows the demon’s understanding that if Krishna’s dear companions (the calves and boys) were harmed, the entire community of Vraja would feel life itself had been taken—revealing how inseparably their well-being is tied to Krishna and His circle.

Aghasura reasoned that the cowherd boys and calves are the heart of Vraja; if they died, the residents would lose the will to live—just as family and dependents become irrelevant once the life-breath leaves the body.

The verse reminds us to see what truly sustains life and purpose; cultivate spiritual priorities and devotion rather than assuming security in externals like possessions or relationships, which cannot help when life itself is gone.