Shloka 1

Trivakrā’s Transformation and the Breaking of Kaṁsa’s Bow

Mathurā-līlā Prelude

Devanagari script

श्रीशुक उवाच अथ व्रजन् राजपथेन माधव: स्त्रियं गृहीताङ्गविलेपभाजनाम् । विलोक्य कुब्जां युवतीं वराननां पप्रच्छ यान्तीं प्रहसन् रसप्रद: ॥ १ ॥

Transliteration

śrī-śuka uvāca atha vrajan rāja-pathena mādhavaḥ striyaṁ gṛhītāṅga-vilepa-bhājanām vilokya kubjāṁ yuvatīṁ varānanāṁ papraccha yāntīṁ prahasan rasa-pradaḥ

Translation

ศรีศุกเทวกล่าวว่า ขณะพระมาธวะเสด็จไปตามถนนหลวงของพระราชา พระองค์ทอดพระเนตรเห็นหญิงสาวหลังค่อมชื่อกุบชา ผู้มีใบหน้างดงาม ถือถาดเครื่องทาเนื้อหอมอยู่ เมื่อผู้ประทานรสแห่งความรักยิ้มแล้วจึงตรัสถามนาง

Synonyms

• śrī-śukaḥ: Śrī Śuka
• śrī-śukaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (उपपद/प्रातिपदिक) + śuka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; karmadhāraya honorific: śrīmān śukaḥ

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्) (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; parasmaipada

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, discourse particle (sequence/now/then)

• vrajan: going
• vrajan: Karta-visheshana (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vraj (व्रज्) (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Present Active Participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; agrees with mādhavaḥ

• rāja-pathena: by the royal road
• rāja-pathena: Karana (करण/instrument; path as route)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक) + patha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; tatpuruṣa: rājñaḥ panthā (royal road)

• mādhavaḥ: Mādhava (Krishna)
• mādhavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mādhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• striyam: a woman
• striyam: Karma (कर्म/object of vilokya/papraccha)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• gṛhīta-aṅga-vilepa-bhājanām: holding a vessel of body-ointment
• gṛhīta-aṅga-vilepa-bhājanām: Visheshana (विशेषण of striyam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gṛhīta (कृदन्त) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + vilepa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhājana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; multi-member tatpuruṣa describing striyam: (aṅga-vilepasya bhājanaṁ) gṛhītā = holding a container of body-ointment

• vilokya: having seen
• vilokya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vi-√lok (लोक्) (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), indeclinable; having seen

• kubjām: Kubjā (the hunchback woman)
• kubjām: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kubjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; proper name/descriptor

• yuvatīm: a young woman
• yuvatīm: Karma (कर्म/object; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; in apposition to kubjām/striyam

• vara-ānanām: beautiful-faced
• vara-ānanām: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक) + ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; karmadhāraya: varaṁ ānanaṁ yasyāḥ (having a beautiful face)

• papraccha: asked
• papraccha: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√prach (प्रच्छ्) (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; parasmaipada

• yāntīm: walking
• yāntīm: Karma-visheshana (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √yā (या) (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Present Active Participle (शतृ), Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; agrees with striyam/kubjām

• prahasan: smiling/laughing
• prahasan: Karta-visheshana (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√has (हस्) (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Present Active Participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; agrees with mādhavaḥ

• rasa-pradaḥ: bestower of joy
• rasa-pradaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण of mādhavaḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rasa (प्रातिपदिक) + prada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; tatpuruṣa: rasaṁ pradadāti iti (giver of delight/joy)

Purport

According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, the young hunchbacked girl was actually a partial expansion of the Lord’s wife Satyabhāmā. Satyabhāmā is the Lord’s internal energy known as Bhū-śakti, and this expansion of hers, known as Pṛthivī, represents the earth, which was bent down by the great burden of countless wicked rulers. Lord Kṛṣṇa descended to remove these wicked rulers, and thus His pastime of straightening out the hunchback Trivakrā, as explained in these verses, represents His rectifying the burdened condition of the earth. At the same time, the Lord awarded Trivakrā a conjugal relationship with Himself.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa (Mādhava)
• Kubjā

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Krishna meeting Kubja?

This verse introduces the meeting: Krishna, walking on the royal road in Mathura, notices Kubja carrying scented ointment and, smiling, begins to speak with her—setting the stage for His merciful interaction.

Why did Krishna smile and speak to Kubja in Canto 10 Chapter 42?

Krishna is described as rasa-prada, the giver of divine relish; His smile and inquiry show His gracious, playful mercy as He initiates a relationship that will uplift Kubja despite her external deformity.

Practical application of this Kubja verse in modern life?

Do not judge spiritual worth by внешние appearances; like Krishna noticing Kubja’s sincerity and engaging her kindly, cultivate respectful vision and offer your abilities in service.