Shloka 16

केशीवधः तथा ‘केशव’ नामप्रसिद्धिः

Devanagari script

हत्वा तु केशिनं कृष्णो गोपालैर् मुदितैर् वृतः अनायस्ततनुः स्वस्थो हसंस् तत्रैव तस्थिवान्

Transliteration

hatvā tu keśinaṃ kṛṣṇo gopālair muditair vṛtaḥ anāyastatanuḥ svastho hasaṃs tatraiva tasthivān

Translation

کیشی کو قتل کر کے کرشن خوش گوالوں کے گھیرے میں وہیں کھڑے رہے؛ نہ بدن میں تھکن، نہ دل میں اضطراب—مسکراتے ہوئے گویا یہ کارنامہ بالکل بے محنت تھا۔

Word by Word

• हत्वा: having killed
• हत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हन् (धातु) क्त्वा (ल्यप्)
• Form: अव्ययभावे कृदन्तः; क्त्वान्त (gerund/absolutive) — ‘having slain’

• तु: indeed, then
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle; emphasis/contrast)

• केशिनम्: Keśin
• केशिनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• कृष्णः: Krishna
• कृष्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• गोपालैः: by/with the cowherds
• गोपालैः: Sahakari (Association/सहकारि; सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• मुदितैः: joyful
• मुदितैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुदित (कृदन्त; √मुद् ‘to rejoice’ क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त—qualifying ‘गोपालैः’

• वृतः: surrounded
• वृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत (कृदन्त; √वृ ‘to cover/surround’ क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त—‘surrounded’

• अनायस्ततनुः: unwearied in body
• अनायस्ततनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनायस् (प्रातिपदिक) + तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘अनायस्ता तनुः यस्य सः’ (whose body is unwearied/without fatigue)

• स्वस्थः: well, at ease
• स्वस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• हसन्: smiling/laughing
• हसन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हसत् (कृदन्त; √हस् ‘to laugh’ शतृ/वर्तमान-कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle)

• तत्रैव: right there
• तत्रैव: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय) + एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-समुच्चय; देशवाचक अव्यय + अवधानार्थक निपात

• तस्थिवान्: remained standing
• तस्थिवान्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु) लिट्-कृदन्त (क्वसु/वसुः; perfect participle)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; लिट्-निष्ठ (perfect participle) — ‘having stood/remained’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Kṛṣṇa’s effortless victory and the cowherd boys’ delighted companionship.

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: reassuring

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To safeguard the cowherds of Vraja by effortlessly destroying Keśin and demonstrating divine sovereignty untouched by exertion.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Fearlessness and social harmony in Vraja under the Lord’s protection.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s actions are sovereign and unbinding—he protects devotees without strain, remaining inwardly untouched.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Cultivate trust (śaraṇāgati) and steady remembrance in crises, seeing protection as the Lord’s natural play.

Vishishtadvaita: Bhagavān acts within the world for devotees while remaining transcendent and unconditioned—immanence without limitation.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Sakhya

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Keśin
• Gopālas (cowherd boys)

FAQs

What is the significance of Krishna remaining unwearied after killing Keśin in the Vishnu Purana?

The verse highlights Krishna’s divinity: even while acting within the world, he remains untouched by strain—signaling sovereign power and transcendence behind the līlā.

How does Sage Parāśara frame Krishna’s actions in this episode?

Parāśara narrates the deed as effortless and calm, emphasizing not merely heroism but the Lord’s innate supremacy and composed nature as protector of dharma.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Krishna is presented as the Supreme Lord whose actions uphold order; his smiling ease after victory points to Vishnu’s unconditioned reality manifesting graciously in the world.