Shloka 1

The Killing of Keśī and Vyomāsura; Nārada’s Prophetic Praise of Kṛṣṇa

Devanagari script

श्रीशुक उवाच केशी तु कंसप्रहित: खुरैर्महीं महाहयो निर्जरयन् मनोजव: । सटावधूताभ्रविमानसङ्कुलं कुर्वन् नभो हेषितभीषिताखिल: ॥ १ ॥ तं त्रासयन्तं भगवान् स्वगोकुलं तद्धेषितैर्वालविघूर्णिताम्बुदम् । आत्मानमाजौ मृगयन्तमग्रणी- रुपाह्वयत् स व्यनदन्मृगेन्द्रवत् ॥ २ ॥

Transliteration

śrī-śuka uvāca keśī tu kaṁsa-prahitaḥ khurair mahīṁ mahā-hayo nirjarayan mano-javaḥ saṭāvadhūtābhra-vimāna-saṅkulaṁ kurvan nabho heṣita-bhīṣitākhilaḥ

Translation

ศุกเทวโคสวามีกล่าวว่า อสูรเกศีที่กังสะส่งมา ปรากฏในวรชะเป็นม้าตัวมหึมา วิ่งเร็วประหนึ่งความคิด ฉีกผืนดินด้วยกีบเท้า สะบัดแผงคอให้เมฆและวิมานของเหล่าเทวะกระจัดกระจาย และทำให้ผู้คนทั้งปวงหวาดผวาด้วยเสียงร้องอันน่าสะพรึงกลัว

Synonyms

• श्री: revered
• श्री: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-पूर्वपद (honorific prefix)

• शुकः: Shuka
• शुकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• केशी: Keshi (the demon)
• केशी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; contrast/emphasis)

• कंसप्रहितः: sent by Kamsa
• कंसप्रहितः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कंस (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रहित (कृदन्त; √हि/प्र+हि ‘to send’)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• खुरैः: with (his) hooves
• खुरैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• महीम्: the earth
• महीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महाहयः: the great horse
• महाहयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + हय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निर्जरयन्: wearing down, crushing
• निर्जरयन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + जॄ/जर् (धातु; ‘to wear down’) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; केशी-विशेषण

• मनोजवः: swift as thought
• मनोजवः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + जव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘mind-speed’

• सटावधूताभ्रविमानसङ्कुलम्: (the sky) crowded with cloud-like aerial chariots (stirred by his mane)
• सटावधूताभ्रविमानसङ्कुलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सटा (प्रातिपदिक) + अवधूत (कृदन्त; √धू ‘shake off’) + अभ्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विमान (प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘sky crowded with cloud-like aerial cars (as if) shaken by (his) mane’

• कुर्वन्: making
• कुर्वन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; केशी-विशेषण

• नभः: the sky
• नभः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हेषितभीषिताखिलः: whose neighing terrified everyone
• हेषितभीषिताखिलः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेषित (कृदन्त; √हृष्/हेष् ‘to neigh’) + भीषित (कृदन्त; √भी ‘to frighten’) + अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘all (were) frightened by (his) neighing’

Purport

When the Supreme Personality of Godhead saw how the demon was frightening His village of Gokula by neighing terribly and shaking the clouds with his tail, the Lord came forward to meet him. Keśī was searching for Kṛṣṇa to fight, so when the Lord stood before him and challenged him to approach, the horse responded by roaring like a lion.

Characters & Entities

• Śukadeva Gosvāmī
• Keśī
• Kaṁsa

FAQs

Who is Keśī in the Srimad Bhagavatam and why was he sent?

Keśī is a powerful horse-demon sent by Kaṁsa to terrorize Vraja and kill Kṛṣṇa, continuing Kaṁsa’s repeated attempts to destroy the Lord’s devotees and the Lord’s divine presence in Gokula.

What does this verse show about Kaṁsa’s strategy against Kṛṣṇa?

It shows Kaṁsa relied on fear and brute force—sending formidable demons to create panic in Vraja—yet these efforts ultimately fail against Bhagavān’s protection.

Practical application: what can devotees learn from Keśī’s terrifying approach?

Even when problems arrive suddenly and seem overwhelming, the Bhagavatam emphasizes steady remembrance of Bhagavān and trust that divine protection is stronger than fear.