Shloka 24

Aghāsura-vadha: The Killing and Deliverance of Aghāsura

Devanagari script

अस्मान् किमत्र ग्रसिता निविष्टा- नयं तथा चेद् बकवद् विनङ्‌क्ष्यति । क्षणादनेनेति बकार्युशन्मुखं वीक्ष्योद्धसन्त: करताडनैर्ययु: ॥ २४ ॥

Transliteration

asmān kim atra grasitā niviṣṭān ayaṁ tathā ced bakavad vinaṅkṣyati kṣaṇād aneneti bakāry-uśan-mukhaṁ vīkṣyoddhasantaḥ kara-tāḍanair yayuḥ

Translation

จากนั้นเด็กๆ ก็พูดว่า 'สัตว์ตัวนี้มาเพื่อจะกลืนกินพวกเราหรือ? ถ้าเป็นเช่นนั้น มันจะถูกฆ่าตายทันทีเหมือนบกาสูร' พวกเขามองดูพระพักตร์ของพระกฤษณะ ผู้เป็นศัตรูของบกาสูร แล้วหัวเราะและปรบมือ พลางเดินเข้าไปในปากของงูยักษ์

Synonyms

• asmān: us
• asmān: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• kim: what?
• kim: Prashna (प्रश्न/Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• grasitāḥ: (we) have been swallowed
• grasitāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gras (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom), बहुवचन

• niviṣṭān: having entered
• niviṣṭān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni-viś (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Acc), बहुवचन; ‘entered/settled’

• ayam: this (one)
• ayam: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tathā: thus
• tathā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/so)

• cet: if
• cet: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Conditional particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cet (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (if)

• bakavat: like (the demon) Baka
• bakavat: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial simile)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: baka (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (तद्धित)
• Form: वत्-प्रत्ययान्त; उपमानार्थे अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः (like a crane)

• vinaṅkṣyati: will perish
• vinaṅkṣyati: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-naś (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• kṣaṇāt: in a moment, immediately
• kṣaṇāt: Apādāna (अपादान/From—time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अवधी/काल-अपादान

• anena: by him/this one
• anena: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• iti: thus
• iti: Vākyārtha-dyotaka (वाक्यार्थ-द्योतक/Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-उक्त्यर्थक (quotative)

• bakāri-uśan-mukham: the face of Bakāri (Kṛṣṇa), shining
• bakāri-uśan-mukham: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bakāri (प्रातिपदिक; baka + ari) + uśan (प्रातिपदिक/विशेषण) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Acc), एकवचन; समासः—(bakāri-mukha) कर्मधारय, ततः uśan-विशेषणसमास

• vīkṣya: having looked at
• vīkṣya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having seen’

• uddhasantaḥ: laughing aloud
• uddhasantaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-has (धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom), बहुवचन

• kara-tāḍanaiḥ: with clapping of hands
• kara-tāḍanaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kara (प्रातिपदिक) + tāḍana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instr), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (hands’ clapping/striking)

• yayuḥ: they went
• yayuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

Purport

After talking about the terrible animal this way and that way, they decided to enter the demon’s mouth. They had full faith in Kṛṣṇa because they had experienced how Kṛṣṇa had saved them from the mouth of Bakāsura. Now, here was another asura, Aghāsura. Therefore, they wanted to enjoy the sport of entering the demon’s mouth and being saved by Kṛṣṇa, the enemy of Bakāsura.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Bakāsura
• Cowherd boys
• Aghāsura

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Krishna protecting His devotees in danger?

This verse shows the cowherd boys instinctively turning to Kṛṣṇa (Bakāri) even while trapped inside Aghāsura, implying that remembrance of Kṛṣṇa and trust in His power is the devotee’s refuge in peril.

Why did the cowherd boys look at Krishna’s face while inside Aghasura?

They feared being destroyed like Bakāsura’s victims, so they sought assurance in Kṛṣṇa—known already as the slayer of Bakāsura—by looking to His calm, pleasing face for protection.

Practical application of this shloka in modern life?

When fear arises, anchor the mind in remembrance of God’s past help, seek steadiness through faith, and act without panic—like the boys who regained composure by focusing on Kṛṣṇa.