Shloka 28

कृत्यं किमत्रास्य खलस्य जीवनं न वा अमीषां च सतां विहिंसनम् । द्वयं कथं स्यादिति संविचिन्त्य ज्ञात्वाविशत्तुण्डमशेषद‍ृग्घरि: ॥ २८ ॥

kṛtyaṁ kim atrāsya khalasya jīvanaṁ na vā amīṣāṁ ca satāṁ vihiṁsanam dvayaṁ kathaṁ syād iti saṁvicintya jñātvāviśat tuṇḍam aśeṣa-dṛg ghariḥ

แล้วควรทำอย่างไรเล่า? จะฆ่าอสูรร้ายนี้และคุ้มครองเหล่าเด็กเลี้ยงวัวผู้เป็นภักตะให้รอดพร้อมกันได้อย่างไร พระหริผู้ทรงรอบรู้จึงใคร่ครวญหาอุบาย แล้วเสด็จเข้าสู่ปากของอฆาสุระ

कृत्यम्duty; what should be done
कृत्यम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; abstract noun ‘duty/what is to be done’
किम्what?
किम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; interrogative pronoun
अत्रhere
अत्र:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअत्र (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)
अस्यof this (one)
अस्य:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootइदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन
खलस्यof the wicked one
खलस्य:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootखल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन
जीवनम्life; living
जीवनम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootजीवन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
not
:
None (अव्यय-प्रयोग)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक अव्यय (negative particle)
वाor
वा:
None (अव्यय-प्रयोग)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)
अमीषाम्of those (these ones)
अमीषाम्:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootअदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं, षष्ठी (genitive), बहुवचन
and
:
None (अव्यय-प्रयोग)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)
सताम्of the saintly
सताम्:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootसत् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; ‘good/saintly persons’
विहिंसनम्harming; violence
विहिंसनम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootविहिंसन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; action noun from √हिंस्
द्वयम्the two (alternatives)
द्वयम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootद्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
कथम्how?
कथम्:
None (अव्यय-प्रयोग)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथम् (अव्यय)
Formप्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)
स्यात्could be
स्यात्:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√अस् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘would be/might be’
इतिthus
इति:
None (अव्यय-प्रयोग)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति (अव्यय)
Formउद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)
संविचिन्त्यhaving considered
संविचिन्त्य:
Kriya (क्रिया-पूर्वक)
TypeVerb
Rootसम्+वि+√चिन्त् (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having deliberated’
ज्ञात्वाhaving understood
ज्ञात्वा:
Kriya (क्रिया-पूर्वक)
TypeVerb
Root√ज्ञा (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having known/ascertained’
अविशत्entered
अविशत्:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootआ+√विश् (धातु)
Formलङ् (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; parasmaipada
तुण्डम्mouth; beak
तुण्डम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन
अशेष-दृक्with unblinking/complete vision
अशेष-दृक्:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootअशेष (प्रातिपदिक) + दृक् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formबहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषणवत्; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘whose sight is unbroken/complete’
हरिःHari (Krishna)
हरिः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootहरि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

Kṛṣṇa is known as ananta-vīrya-sarvajña because everything is known to Him. Because He knows everything perfectly well, it was not difficult for Him to find a means by which He could save the boys and at the same time kill the demon. Thus He also decided to enter the demon’s mouth.

H
Hari (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
V
Vatsāsura (the demon in calf form)
C
Cowherd boys (gopas)

FAQs

This verse shows Kṛṣṇa (Hari) immediately choosing a course that saves the saintly cowherd boys, even entering the demon’s mouth to prevent harm—illustrating His constant protective care for devotees.

Seeing the danger to the boys and not wishing to let the demon succeed, Kṛṣṇa resolved the dilemma—stopping the demon’s life and preventing violence to the boys—by entering the open beak and overpowering him from within.

The shloka encourages trust that sincere devotion is not ignored: do your duty with integrity, and remember Kṛṣṇa—He arranges protection and the right outcome even in seemingly impossible dilemmas.